Month: September 2019

The Mayerling Incident

The Mayerling Incident was the apparent murder-suicide of 30-year-old Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover, 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vetsera, in 1889. His father, the emperor, had objected to the affair and reportedly ordered them to end the relationship. Rudolf became despondent and allegedly formed a suicide pact with his mistress. Although their deaths were officially declared a double suicide, efforts to disguise the facts provoked many rumors, including what conspiracy theories? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Birthday of Appleseed

John Chapman—better known as Johnny Appleseed for his lifelong dedication to planting apple seedlings all over the American Midwest—was born on this day in 1774. While some frontier settlers thought he was a saint, or at the very least a religious fanatic, with his tin pot hat and coffee-sack tunic, the Native Americans regarded him as a great medicine man since he planted herbs as well as apples. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mud-Puddling

Lepidopteran insects like butterflies and moths use diverse strategies to gather liquid nutrients. In addition to sucking nectar from flowers, some butterflies take in water and nutrients such as salts and amino acids from substrates like wet soil, dung, and carrion. In many species, only the males engage in mud-puddling, but they pass nutrients to females during mating, increasing their odds of reproductive success. Some butterflies draw nutrients from blood, tears, and what other substances? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The “From Hell” Letter

In 1888, several women were murdered in the East End section of London and mutilated in ways that suggested the culprit had substantial anatomical knowledge. Authorities received hundreds of letters regarding the murders, including a number of taunting notes purportedly from the killer himself—”Jack the Ripper.” However, many of the letters were believed to be hoaxes. One of the few notes thought to be authentic began with the words “from hell” and was delivered with a small box containing what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dominican Republic Our Lady of Mercedes Day

A national holiday, this feast day honors Mary the mother of Jesus, often referred to by Dominicans by her patron saint title, Nuestra Señora de Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercedes). Observance of this celebration dates back to 1615, the year the Mercedians, a Spanish order, established the feast day. Every year the Church of Las Mercedes in Santo Domingo attracts many followers on September 24. Typical ceremonies include masses throughout the day, the Blessing of the Waters, and a procession from the church through Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Asteroid Deflection Strategies

In 2002, an asteroid 150 to 360 ft (45 to 110 m) in diameter passed within 75,000 mi (121,000 km) of Earth—about a third of the distance to the Moon. Asteroids in similar orbits have struck Earth in the past. For that reason, scientists are currently developing a number of strategies by which near-Earth objects could be vaporized or diverted. These include the use of nuclear weapons and so-called gravitational tractors. When is the next near-Earth object expected to closely approach our planet? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary