Month: April 2021

lights

day – One of the perpendicular divisions or “lights” of a mullioned window. More…

blackout – Originally a theatrical term for the extinguishing of all lights on the stage when scenery was shifted. More…

taps, last post – Taps, the bugle call for lights out, was originally a drum roll and got its name from the tapping of the drums; taps are also called last post. More…

twilight – The time of two lights, the fading sunset and the emerging light of the moon and stars; there are three sequential stages of twilight: civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. More…

Jefferson's Birthday

Unique among American presidents, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was not only a statesman but a scholar, linguist, writer, philosopher, political theorist, architect, engineer, and farmer. In the United States, he is remembered primarily as the author in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence; he died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration. A birthday commemoration is held each year at Monticello, Jefferson’s home in Virginia, as well as at the Jefferson Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Discuss

Terra Nullius

Sandwiched between Egypt and Sudan is a sparsely inhabited parcel of desert claimed by neither country. Known as Bir Tawil, it is one of the few examples of terra nullius—land that legally belongs to no one. Historically, much land has been taken from indigenous peoples under the pretense of declaring it terra nullius, as happened in Australia. Today, almost all land is recognized as being under the jurisdiction of someone, except for Bir Tawil and what other place? Discuss

small room

aedicule – A small room or structure used as a shrine—or a niche for a statue. More…

cove – Comes from Old English cofa, “small room,” from the Germanic root kubon, and came to mean “small hollow place in coastal rocks,” and then “small bay.” More…

cabinet – Originally meant a small room and came to apply to the group of politicians who met in the room. More…

conclave – Based on Latin con- and clavis, “key,” as it was first an inner chamber or private room to which one would have needed a key, literally a “place that can be locked up,” or a room or set of rooms that can be opened with only one key. More…

Cosmonauts Day

On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel in outer space. April 12 was declared Cosmonauts Day in Gagarin’s honor. Official ceremonies on this day begin in the Moscow suburb of Korolyov, well known as the center of Russian rocket production, where officials and former cosmonauts lay flowers at a statue of Gagarin. The general public celebrates the day in a less formal manner: some place flowers at statues of Gagarin in various cities, while others attend space-themed art and film exhibitions. Discuss

Eusebius of Caesarea

Born circa 263 CE, Eusebius was a Greek historian of early Christianity. A bishop of Caesarea, Palestine, he may have been imprisoned during the Roman persecutions. His fame rests on his Ecclesiastical History, which preserves portions of works no longer extant. He was a staunch supporter of Constantine I’s attempts to unify Christian doctrine, and his writings include Life of Constantine. Eusebius was excommunicated in 325 CE, after being accused of espousing what doctrine? Discuss