Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel earned the nickname “Peasant”—a reference to the subjects of his artwork—painting cheerful scenes of daily life. However, in 1562, he displayed a taste for the macabre with The Triumph of Death, a panoramic landscape of death and destruction wrought by hordes of skeletons that has been interpreted as an allegorical depiction of the horrors of war. What board game is depicted in the painting? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A new machine invented in England deprives millions of Chinese workers of their livelihood within a year’s time. In this way, big industry has brought all the people of the earth into contact with each other, has merged all local markets into one world market, has spread civilization and progress everywhere. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Not suitable for food.
Synonyms: uneatable.
Usage: Though it may look delicious, plastic fruit is inedible and should be used for display only.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
On December 24, 1953, an overnight express train from Wellington to Auckland, New Zealand, was crossing a rail bridge over the Whangaehu River near Tangiwai when the bridge collapsed, sending the engine and first five carriages into the river. The sixth car teetered on the edge, giving a passersby and a guard time to save passengers before it plummeted into the river. Fortunately, the last five carriages remained on the tracks. What had weakened the bridge just minutes before the train arrived? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
St. James Parish, Louisiana, has a popular Cajun tradition that takes place before Christmas and dates back to the 1880s. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, local residents work together to collect materials and to construct bonfires. Then, on Christmas Eve, nearly 100 bonfires are ignited before a large crowd. Fire chiefs give a signal at 7:00 p.m., and the fire-tenders simultaneously ignite the fires. The event draws thousands of revelers to the area for the bonfires as well as a series of pageants, music performances, and cook-offs accompanying the main event. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A top French fighter ace during World War I and a national hero, Guynemer shot down 53 enemy planes and survived being shot down several times before he presumably died in a firefight on September 11, 1917. During an engagement that fateful day, Guynemer’s plane disappeared, reportedly shot down by a German pilot who was himself killed in action weeks later. To ease the blow of the loss of their young hero, French schoolchildren were taught that what had happened to him? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Sun converts five million tons of matter into energy every second by nuclear fusion reactions in its highly compressed core, producing neutrinos—subatomic particles with extremely low mass—and solar radiation. The small amount of this energy that penetrates Earth’s atmosphere provides the light and heat that support life. The temperature of the solar core is close to 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius). How hot is the surface of the Sun? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) The act or art of swimming or floating on water.
Synonyms: floating.
Usage: Prolonged natation will cause the skin on your hands and feet to swell and wrinkle.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The holiday of Festivus, celebrated on December 23, was popularized by an episode of the 1990s TV show Seinfeld. Unfulfilled by the year-end holidays, character Frank Costanza invents Festivus “for the rest of us.” The centerpiece of Festivus is a plain, unadorned aluminum pole placed in a bucket of cement. One by one, attendees grab the pole and air their grievances, detailing how other people have disappointed them in the past year. What happens after this gripe session? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This is a national holiday in Japan honoring the birth of Emperor Akihito (b. 1933). He and his family traditionally appeared on the Imperial Palace balcony to greet visitors invited to enter the grounds on the day. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary