Bahia Independence Day

The consolidation of Brazilian independence in the state of Bahia is remembered each year with a procession following the path that the Brazilians took when they defeated Portuguese troops there in 1823. Folkloric characters like the caboclo, who symbolizes the superiority of native strength over the colonizers, have worked their way into this primarily civic celebration. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Patrice Lumumba (1925)

Lumumba was an African nationalist leader and the first elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. The early years of independence were tumultuous, and Lumumba held his position for just weeks before being deposed. He was later executed by firing squad. His death was not officially announced for three weeks, and rumors swirled about US and Belgian involvement. Who had plotted earlier to kill Lumumba with poisoned toothpaste? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

California English

California English is a dialect of English spoken in the state of California, which has one of the largest and most diverse populations in the US. California English is not uniform across the entire state—there are many variations in accents and dialects, particularly between northern and southern Californians—nor is it confined only to California. Even so, there are certain linguistic features that can be identified as either originally or predominantly Californian. What are some examples? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

International Geophysical Year Begins (1957)

Undertaken during a period of maximum sunspot activity, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) was an 18-month period of cooperation among the scientists of 67 nations for concentrated and coordinated geophysical study, primarily of the solar and terrestrial atmospheres. It produced scientific cooperation unimpeded by the Cold War and was the largest and most important international scientific effort to that date. What are some of the dozens of advances and discoveries achieved during the IGY? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ghana Republic Day

Ghana‘s Republic Day celebration is one of the most striking in West Africa, due to the fact that the popular attire includes the brightly colored cloth known as the kenti. Men wear it draped over one shoulder and around the waist, while women may wear it as a long skirt. July 1 is the day on which Ghana became an independent republic in 1960. The people also celebrate March 6 as Independence Day—the day in 1957 when British rule ended and Ghana became the first state in the British Commonwealth to be governed by black Africans. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

George Sand (1804)

Born Amandine Dupin, Sand was raised in a strict household but began to rebel after spending time in a convent. She wore men’s clothes and urged women to live as men did. In 1836, she divorced her aristocratic husband and moved to Paris with their two children, supporting them by writing some 80 novels. Under her pseudonym, she became a star of the French literary scene, drawing admiration from Gustave Flaubert and vitriol from Charles Baudelaire. What famous composer was Sand’s longtime lover? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Unit 731

Unit 731 was a covert biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that conducted lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese personnel, including experimentation on more than 10,000 people, many of whom faced infection with diseases or invasive medical procedures while still alive. How did Unit 731 use bubonic plague as a bio-warfare agent? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary