They Thought Hemophilia Was a ‘Lifelong Thing.’ They May Be Wrong

Scientists are edging closer to defeating a longtime enemy of human health: hemophilia, the inability to form blood clots. After trying for decades to develop a gene therapy to treat this disease, researchers are starting to succeed. In recent experiments, brief … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Double Eagle II Becomes First Balloon to Cross the Atlantic (1978)

By 1978, there had been at least 14 failed attempts to cross the Atlantic by balloon, during which five people died. One of the failures was that of the Double Eagle I in 1977. A year later, however, Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman landed the Double Eagle II in a field in Miserey, France, 137 hours after leaving Presque Isle, Maine. After their successful flight, the trio drew straws to determine who would get to sleep in a bed at the US Embassy once slept in by whom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marcus Garvey (1887)

Garvey was a Jamaican-born American proponent of black nationalism. His Universal Negro Improvement Association, established in 1914 to promote racial pride, quickly spread in black communities throughout the US, the Caribbean, and Central America, and Garvey became the most influential black leader of the early 1920s, with a following some two million strong. However, his movement foundered after his 1922 indictment for mail fraud. What religious movement considers Garvey one of its prophets? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bronze Diabetes

Also known as bronze diabetes, hemochromatosis is a blood disorder that causes the body to retain excessive amounts of iron, leading to serious health consequences, including diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver. It was first described in 1865 by French physician Armand Trousseau in a report on diabetes in patients with bronze skin pigmentation. The disease most commonly appears in older patients, since it takes many years for the body to accumulate excessive iron. How is hemochromatosis treated? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jupiter’s storms: Scientists now think they know what’s causing these powerful storms

How Jupiter gets its stripes has been one of astronomy’s most enticing mysteries. They are straight. They are clearly defined. They have different colors. Now, thanks to the Juno space probe currently in orbit around the gas giant, we’ve been able to … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Peterloo Massacre (1819)

On August 16, 1819, 60,000 men, women, and children gathered at St. Peter’s Field in Manchester, England, to protest unemployment and high food prices. To disperse the gathering, city officials sent in the untrained volunteer cavalry, which attacked the unarmed crowd with sabers. At least 11 people were killed and hundreds more were wounded. The incident, likened to the Battle of Waterloo, sparked widespread indignation. In 2007, a memorial plaque at the site was changed to include what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dominican Republic Restoration Day

During the 19th century, the Dominican Republic won its autonomy from Haiti, only to lose it again over a decade later to Spain. The country reclaimed its freedom after winning a two-year-long war with Spain in 1865. Restoration Day commemorates the official beginning of the War of Restoration in 1863. Celebrations take place throughout the island, but the most prominent celebrations are in Santo Domingo and the other main city, Santiago. Customary festivities include parades, street fairs, and performances of the national anthem and other compositions. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dame Mary Gilmore (1865)

Gilmore was a prominent Australian socialist poet and journalist who gained a reputation as a champion of the working class and the oppressed. In the late 1890s, she moved to the New Australia utopian socialist settlement in Paraguay, but she returned to Australia following its failure. In 1908, she became an editor of the Australian Workers’ Union newspaper, and she published her first volume of poems two years later. On what denomination of Australian currency does her image and poetry appear? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary