One of the three major festivals of Kyoto, Japan, the Aoi Matsuri, or Hollyhock Festival, is believed to date from the sixth century. The festival’s name derives from the hollyhock leaves adorning the headdresses of the participants; legend says hollyhocks help prevent storms and earthquakes. Today, the festival, which was revived in 1884, consists of a re-creation of the original imperial procession. Some 500 people in ancient costume parade with horses and large lacquered oxcarts carrying the “imperial messengers” from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the shrines. Discuss
Month: May 2022
Pierre Curie (1859)
Pierre Curie was a chemist who studied crystallography, magnetism, piezoelectricity, and the emerging field of radioactivity, first observed by A. H. Becquerel in 1896. Pierre and his wife Marie worked to isolate polonium and radium. Working with a student, Pierre also discovered nuclear energy by identifying the continuous emission of heat from radium particles. In 1903, the Curies shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Becquerel. Three years later, Pierre died in what type of accident? Discuss
take a fit
To become very or unreasonably angry or upset; to have an outburst of rage, frustration, or ill temper. Watch the video
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a set of three spectacular waterfalls located on the US-Canadian border. The Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls are renowned for their beauty, and Niagara Falls as a whole is both a valuable source of hydroelectric power and a challenging project for environmental preservation. It is also a popular site for daredevils. In 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over the falls in a barrel. She survived and had what to say about the experience? Discuss
excoriate
ignore
flout, flaunt – Flout means “defy, ignore” and flaunt means “show off.” More…
ignore, disregard – Ignore is properly used of things that are present in one’s surroundings; for things like rules, conventions, stipulations, and contracts, the right word is disregard. More…
stet – Latin for “let it stand,” a notation to ignore a correction made to a text. More…
State of Israel Proclaimed (1948)
In November 1947, the UN approved the Partition Plan for Palestine. Britain had governed Palestine since 1920, but the Partition Plan called for the formation of two states—one Jewish and one Arab—as well as a small, internationally administered zone in formerly British territory. The Arab leadership rejected the plan, but on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was declared. The next day, five Arab states declared war on Israel. How did the war end? Discuss
Liberia National Unification Day
This annual observance in Liberia draws attention to the animosity between the Americo-Liberian elite and the indigenous majority. Under the leadership of President William V. S. Tubman, who led from 1944 to 1971, the divide between these two groups was diminished. Tubman introduced the National Unification Policy, which featured among other things an extension of the vote to women and the country’s indigenous people. The anniversary emerged as a means to draw support for the policy. The day reminds Liberians to remember what they hold in common and not to dwell on how they diverge. Discuss
George Lucas (1944)
Lucas is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter famous for his epic Star Wars saga and the Indiana Jones film series. Though Lucas has become one of the American film industry’s most successful filmmakers, he initially aspired to be a racecar driver. A serious car accident in high school led him to rethink this, and he instead turned to moviemaking, channeling his passion for cars into his 1973 film American Graffiti. What was his first feature-length film? Discuss
a cat nap
A very brief but restful period of sleep. Watch the video