Month: June 2022

open space

laund – An open space in the woods, like a glade or pasture. More…

step-thru – Refers to having an open space in an otherwise solid object through which a person can step or walk, e.g. a motor-scooter has a step-thru frame. More…

agoraphobia – Based on Greek agora, “open space,” it was not the first phobia described, which was actually hydrophobia in the mid-16th century. More…

concourse – An open space for people to move about in an airport terminal (or a set of gates) or other transport station. More…

King Hussein of Jordan Marries Lisa Halaby (1978)

Lisa Halaby is the fourth wife and widow of the late King Hussein of Jordan. She was raised and educated in the US, graduating from Princeton University in 1974. An architect-planner by training, she met King Hussein while working in Jordan on the development of the Amman Intercontinental Airport, and they were soon wed. Upon their nuptials, Halaby converted to Islam and changed her first name from Lisa to Noor, an Arabic word meaning what? Discuss

Valdemar Day

According to legend, Danish King Valdemar II set out to conquer the pagan Estonians and convert them to Christianity. During the night of June 15, 1219, the Estonians made a surprise attack on the Danish camp. A red banner with a white cross floated down from the sky, and the Danish archbishop heard a voice say that the Danes would win if they raised this banner. Schools, sports organizations, and Boy Scout troops in Denmark often hold pageants on June 15 in which they reenact the story of the Dannebrog (the Danish flag) and King Valdemar. Discuss

John Bennett Fenn (1917)

Fenn was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002 for his contributions to the technique of mass spectrometry. His work increased the speed at which complex new pharmaceutical compounds could be evaluated, leading to the development of life-saving AIDS medications in the mid-1990s. As part of Yale University’s faculty, he reached mandatory retirement age in 1987 but stayed on as an emeritus professor to continue what would be his Nobel Prize-winning research. Why did Yale later sue Fenn? Discuss

the rabbit died

The woman to whom we are referring is pregnant; the pregnancy test was positive. (From an early pregnancy test developed in 1931 in which the urine of a woman thought to be pregnant was injected into a female rabbit; if the woman was pregnant, the rabbit’s ovaries would react. A common misconception at the time was that the rabbit would die if the woman was pregnant, hence the expression.) Watch the video

The Forbidden City

At the heart of the ancient city of Beijing lies the Forbidden City, the vast palace complex that was occupied by Chinese emperors from 1421 to 1911, during the mid-Ming and Qing dynasties. Once closed to outsiders—hence its name—the Forbidden City now serves as a museum and is one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions. In 1987, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The opulent complex consists of nearly 1,000 buildings with some 9,000 rooms. How long did it take to build? Discuss

spike

pricket – A candlestick with a spike for holding up the candle (or the spike itself). More…

barb – As any type of spike or projection, it is based on Latin barba, “beard”; it is also a piece of vertically pleated linen worn over or under the chin, as by nuns. More…

brad – A small or thin wire nail, it is from Old Norse broddr, “spike.” More…

spike – Probably borrowed from Dutch spiker, “long sharp piece.” More…

Second Continental Congress Passes Flag Resolution (1777)

The Flag Resolution of 1777 authorized the first official design of the United States national flag. Since that time, the flag has undergone 26 changes, all of which have altered the star portion of the flag to represent the number of states in the Union. Originally, there was no elaborate symbolism attached to the flag’s colors. Meanings were assigned later, in 1782, when Charles Thomson gave a report to Congress defining the new Great Seal of the US. What do the colors now represent? Discuss