Month: October 2019

Kenyatta Day

In Kenya, October 20 is a national holiday. It was on this day in 1952 that Jomo Kenyatta was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was accused of being involved with the Mau Mau movement, a group that fought against British rule. It was later found that Kenyatta had not been involved. On this day, a ceremony takes place at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. The president addresses the nation and inspects the guard of honor. The ceremony includes a military parade, and singers and traditional dancers from around the country provide entertainment for the crowds. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Portrait of Madame X

American painter John Singer Sargent, at one time the world’s most famous and highly paid portrait painter, is best known for his portraits of American and English social celebrities. In 1884, before he had achieved acclaim, a scandal erupted when he exhibited Portrait of Madame X in Paris. In it, socialite Madame Gautreau is shown wearing a low-cut gown that critics deemed erotic. Paris was offended, Gautreau refused the painting, and Sargent moved to London. Where is the painting today? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival

This festival, highlighted by a Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off, has been held since 1971 in Half Moon Bay, California. The weigh-off winner gets $5 per pound for the heaviest pumpkin; winning pumpkins have weighed in excess of 900 pounds. Other festival features are a Great Pumpkin Parade, arts and crafts, food concessions selling pumpkin bread, pumpkin crepes, pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin strudel, and entertainment that includes live music, puppet shows, magicians, jugglers, clowns, and professional pumpkin carvers. There are competitions in pumpkin carving and pie eating. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Chulalongkorn

Chulalongkorn was the king of Siam—now Thailand—from 1868 to 1910. Educated in part by a British governess, Anna Leonowens, he greatly advanced the Westernization that was begun by his father, King Mongkut. He departed from tradition by traveling abroad—to Singapore, Java, and India in 1871 and to Europe in 1897. He abolished slavery and introduced numerous reforms, which, along with his foreign policy, kept Siam from being colonized for decades. How many children did Chulalongkorn have? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival

A festival of seafood, folk culture, sports, and pageants, the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival has been held since 1976 in Niceville, Florida, to celebrate the unappreciated mullet. The festival serves up 10 tons of fried and smoked mullet, plus it features beauty pageants, entertainment on stage all weekend, and arts and crafts on display. Beyond the mullet, there are samplings from the other food booths: Cajun specialties like crawfish pie, gumbo, and gator sausage; American Indian staples of fried bread and pasole; barbecued rabbit; and stingray on a stick. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Sterile Insect Technique

The sterile insect technique is a method of biological control in which millions of sterile insects are released into the wild to reduce the population of future generations through mating that does not produce offspring. It is often used to control the populations of insects that spread disease to humans or livestock. Repeated release of sterile insects can eventually eliminate a population. The technique has been successfully used to eradicate what insect in areas of North America? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Burgoyne’s Surrender Day

British General John Burgoyne (1722-1792) is best remembered for his defeat by the colonial American forces in the Saratoga campaign of 1777, during the Revolutionary War. The Americans’ victory gave them a psychological advantage and persuaded France to ally itself with the colonists against England, its traditional rival. The anniversary of Burgoyne’s surrender is observed in New York State, particularly in the communities surrounding the Saratoga National Historical Park near Stillwater, New York. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary