Month: May 2019

Aeolipile

Invented in the first century by Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria, the Hero engine, or aeolipile, is a steam-powered device that illustrates the reactive forces of a gas jet. It usually consists of a mounted spherical vessel equipped with angled nozzles that release steam in opposite directions, causing rotational movement. The world’s first steam engine, Hero’s aeolipile was a forerunner of the modern jet engine. Its name derives from a term meaning “ball of Aeolus.” Who was Aeolus? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ethiopia Patriots’ Victory Day

Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia made a grand entrance into the capital city, Addis Ababa, on May 5, 1941, to mark the end of the Italian occupation. Exactly five years earlier, the Italians had initiated a period of occupation. However, the intervention of British forces and other Allies, as well as the heroics of Ethiopian patriots, helped preserve Ethiopia’s independence. In Addis Ababa, government leaders, diplomats, patriot associations, and city residents turn out to honor veterans who fought in the resistance movement between 1935 and 1941. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Vlad III the Impaler: The Original Dracula

Vlad III, son of Prince Vlad Dracul, briefly ruled Wallachia in the mid-15th century. Known as Dracula, meaning “Son of the Dragon” or “Son of the Devil,” Vlad lived up to his moniker. He ruled with terrible cruelty, impaling tens of thousands and earning his own nickname—”the Impaler.” The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, although not based on Vlad’s historical exploits, introduced the name Dracula to a global audience. What other execution methods are said to have been favored by Vlad? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Kent State Memorial Day

When students at Kent State University in Ohio decided to hold a rally to protest the incursion of U.S. military forces into Cambodia during the Vietnam War, the Ohio National Guard started firing indiscriminately at the crowd. Four Kent State students were killed and nine were wounded; the eight guardsmen involved in the tragic incident were never tried. A candlelight vigil takes place at the Kent State campus every year on May 4, the anniversary of the 1970 shootings. It begins at midnight on May 3 and lasts for the next 12 hours. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Revenge of the Forty-Seven Ronin

The Forty-seven Ronin were a group of Japanese samurai who, in 1703, assassinated Lord Kira, the official responsible for the disgrace and consequent seppuku—ritual suicide—of their master, Lord Asano. Though the ronin had followed the precepts of bushido—the samurai code of conduct—by avenging their lord’s death, their actions defied shogunate authority, and they were therefore ordered to commit seppuku. Today, they are regarded as heroes. Why was one of the ronin pardoned? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Washington State Apple Blossom Festival

The oldest blossom festival in the United States, this event has been held annually in Wenatchee, Washington, since 1920 (with the exception of the World War II years). Originally called Blossom Days, the event grew in size and popularity until it reached its current status as an 11-day festival drawing up to 100,000 spectators. In addition to seeing the Wenatchee Valley orchards in full bloom, the events include parades, a foodfest, a marching band competition, and sporting events. In 1967, the Aomori Apple Blossom Festival in Japan became Wenatchee’s “sister festival,” and the two towns have exchanged visitors a number of times. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Grolar Bear or Pizzly?

An ursid hybrid is a bear that is the offspring of two different species or subspecies of the bear family. Brown bears, black bears, grizzly bears, and polar bears have all produced hybrid offspring, but nearly all were bred in captivity. In 2006, a bear shot by a hunter in Canada’s Northwest Territories was later confirmed by DNA testing to be a grizzly-polar bear hybrid. This is thought to be the first recorded case of interbreeding in the wild. What unusual features did the bear possess? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary