The Brooklyn Bridge—one of the oldest suspension bridges in the US—stretches over the East River from Manhattan to Brooklyn. It was the first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world and, at the time of its completion, was the world’s longest suspension bridge. Construction was plagued by at least 27 fatal accidents, one of which killed John A. Roebling, the bridge’s designer. Days after the bridge opened, rumors of its impending collapse caused a stampede that killed how many people? Discuss
Month: May 2022
Bermuda Day
Bermuda Day, formerly Commonwealth Day, is a public holiday and the highlight of Bermuda Heritage Month. Since 1979, a variety of cultural activities have been held every May, including historical exhibits, concerts, and thanksgiving services in churches. Festivities on May 24 include a parade that ends up in the middle of a festival at Bernard Park in Hamilton. It is also a popular day for Bermudians to hit the beaches. Runners participate in a marathon race, and there are races for cyclists and skaters. May 24 is also the beginning of dinghy-racing season in St. George’s Harbor. Discuss
Jean-Paul Marat (1743)
Marat was a French Revolutionary leader and journalist. When the Revolution began, he founded the newspaper L’Ami du peuple and became an influential voice for radical measures against the aristocrats. Elected to the National Convention in 1792, he led the attack against the moderate Girondists. Horrified by the excesses of the Reign of Terror, Girondist sympathizer Charlotte Corday assassinated Marat, stabbing him as he soaked in a bath to relieve the discomfort of what condition? Discuss
speak of the devil, and he shall appear
An acknowledgment of a person who has arrived just as or after he or she was being discussed. Watch the video
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone is the goddess of fertility and, having been taken captive by Hades and made his wife, queen of the underworld. Though Hades eventually allowed her to return to Earth, he first tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds—the food of the dead—thus tethering her to the underworld and making it necessary for her to return to him for several months each year. What changes are said to come over the Earth each time she leaves for or returns from the underworld? Discuss
chattel
Definition: (noun) An article of movable personal property.
Synonyms: personalty.
Usage: Slaves were treated as chattel by plantation owners, who bought, sold, and even bet them in poker games.
Discuss
swine
gruntle – Can be used for swine, meaning “to make a little grunt.” More…
pig – Originally meant just “young pig” until the 16th century—the word in Old and Middle English for the animal was swine. More…
swine – The collective (and ancestral) term for domesticated pigs and hogs; a hog is 120 pounds and ready for market, while a pig is immature and weighs less. More…
Bonnie and Clyde Ambushed and Killed (1934)
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were notorious robbers who went on a 21-month crime spree in the central US from 1932 to 1934. They captivated Americans during the “public enemy era” and continue to do so today through films and songs. Betrayed by a friend, Bonnie and Clyde were tracked, ambushed, and killed on a desolate stretch of Louisiana highway by a posse of officers using armor-piercing rounds. Though remembered primarily as bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde actually preferred to rob what? Discuss
Declaration of the Bab
Declaration of the Bab is a joyous Baha’i festival to celebrate the Bab‘s announcement in 1844 in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), that he was the “gate” (which is the meaning of Bab) to the coming of the promised one of all religions. This proclamation is considered the beginning of the Baha’i faith, although the religion was founded after the Bab’s death. This day is holy to Baha’is and a day on which work is suspended. Its observation begins at about two hours after sunset on May 22. Discuss
Franz Anton Mesmer (1734)
Mesmer was a German physician who experimented with an early form of hypnosis, known as “mesmerism.” He developed a doctrine of “animal magnetism,” believing that harmony could be restored in the human body by inducing “crises”—trance states often ending in delirium or convulsions. He carried out dramatic demonstrations of his ability to “mesmerize” his patients using magnetized objects. Accused by Viennese physicians of fraud, he left Austria for France. What scandal plagued Mesmer’s career? Discuss