Month: November 2018

The Great Blue Norther (1911)

The central US is no stranger to sudden changes in weather, but the temperature fluctuations and weather phenomena that struck on November 11, 1911, were about as unusual as it gets. On that day, many cities experienced record high temperatures before the mercury plummeted to record lows. Springfield, Missouri, for example, was a balmy 80°F (27°C) before the cold front passing through the region brought it down to a frigid 13°F (-11°C). What else did the front bring with it? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Independence of Cartagena City Day

On November 11, 1811, Cartagena, Colombia, declared its independence from Spain. The holiday is officially celebrated in Colombia on November 11; however, festivals and street fairs traditionally take place for days around the actual holiday. There are many parades, including the large and colorful parade through the city of Cartagena, which ends at Plaza Trinidad, where the independence of the city was declared. The culmination of the festivities is the National Beauty Contest, when Miss Colombia is chosen from winners of local beauty pageants around the country. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Daisy Lee Gatson Bates (1914)

Bates was a key figure in the integration of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. The publisher of a newspaper, Bates began publicizing civil rights issues in the early 1940s. In 1957, when the Little Rock School Board chose nine black students to integrate the local high school, Bates organized the group’s activities amid mob violence so intense that the students could only enter the school under military guard. On what national holiday is Daisy Gatson Bates Day observed in Arkansas? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Aerosans

Used by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and World War II, the aerosan is a type of propeller-powered snowmobile that runs on skis. First developed early in the 20th century, aerosans were valued for their high mobility in deep snow and on frozen water bodies and came to be used for a number of functions, including communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, and border patrolling in northern Russia. Some of the first aerosans may have been built by what famous aircraft designer? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Scientists discovered more than 1000 octopuses in deep-sea octopus nursery

In the waters off the coast of California, marine scientists are finding a whole world of cephalopod wonders: in the latest installment, it’s a vast number of octopuses huddling over their eggs in the crevices of an extinct underwater volcano. With an estimated … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mary Anderson Patents the Windshield Wiper (1903)

Today we take for granted the fact that we are able to flip a switch and clear our windshields of precipitation or debris, but this was not always the case. Early drivers were forced to manually clear their windshields of snow, rain, dirt, and the like, that is, until Mary Anderson invented the first effective windshield wiper system. It was not long before windshield wipers were standard equipment on American cars. What inspired Anderson to invent a windshield-clearing device? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433)

Charles the Bold was the last of the great dukes of Burgundy. An opponent of Louis XI of France, Charles sought independence for Burgundy and had great success casting off French rule, extending Burgundy’s possessions and building a centralized government until he was defeated and killed in battle against the Swiss. Prior to his death, he arranged for his daughter to marry the son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. How did this pairing affect the course of European history? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary