Month: June 2020

The Xinhai Revolution

Beginning with the 1911 Wuchang Uprising and ending with the abdication of China’s last emperor in 1912, the Xinhai Revolution ended China’s Qing dynasty and established one of the first Asian republics. The revolution was motivated by frustrations with foreign intervention and a weak and corrupt government, and its leader, Sun Yat-sen, is considered a Chinese hero. The “Anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution” is celebrated in mainland China, while “Double Tenth Day” is celebrated where?

Source: The Free Dictionary

Israel Festival (Jerusalem)

This three-week festival, founded in 1961, is primarily dedicated to Israeli arts and culture, although guest conductors and performers from other countries are featured as well. There are symphony and choral concerts, opera, ballet and modern dance, theater, jazz, folklore, films, and art exhibitions at several locations in Jerusalem. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has performed with guest conductors like Zubin Mehta and Leonard Bernstein, and Israeli dance groups offer both traditional and modern programs. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Johnny Weissmuller (1904)

Weissmuller was a five-time Olympic gold medalist with 67 world records in swimming when, in 1932, he turned in his swimsuit for a loincloth and became Tarzan, the Ape Man. He starred in 12 Tarzan films and created the memorable “Tarzan yell” before being replaced by a younger actor in 1948. He then went on to star in a series of Jungle Jim movies adapted from comic books. Afterward, he ran his own swimming pool company. His face appears in the collage on the cover of what iconic record album? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Morgan le Fay

Morgan le Fay was an enchantress in Arthurian legend whose name first appeared in literature around 1150. A skilled healer and shape-shifter, she ruled Avalon, the island where King Arthur went to be healed after being mortally wounded in battle. Her magic was learned from books and the magician Merlin. In some accounts, she is Arthur’s sister and enemy and seduces him to produce a son—Mordred—who later kills Arthur. The character of Morgan may have been inspired by what earlier Welsh goddess? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Goûter Matrimonial (Matrimonial Tea Party)

Known locally as Goûter Matrimonial, the Matrimonial Tea party that takes place on Whit Monday every year in Écaussinnes-Lalaing in Belgium is an opportunity for unmarried women to entertain eligible bachelors. At 9 a.m., the visiting men are greeted at the town hall and invited to write their names in an official guest book. At three in the afternoon the annual tea is announced. It consists of coffee, beer, and locally made sweets, and it is followed by folk dancing and merrymaking that continues for most of the night. No statistics are available concerning the success of the matchmaking. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Paranoid Fiction

Paranoid fiction is a literary genre in which reality is portrayed as subject to manipulation by external forces, such as totalitarian governments, or internal forces, such as insanity. The genre frequently overlaps with dystopian fiction and science fiction and is inspired by the works of authors like Franz Kafka and Philip K. Dick, who penned the novel that was made into the film Blade Runner. What paranoid-fiction writer may have taken some of his inspiration from his own nightmares? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary