Month: June 2022

Flag Day (United States)

President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that established June 14 as Flag Day in 1916, but it didn’t become official until 1949, after a campaign by Bernard J. Cigrand and the American Flag Day Association. American homes and public buildings across the country display the American flag in observation of the holiday. Other popular events on this day include flag-raising ceremonies, the singing of the national anthem, and the study of flag etiquette and the flag’s origin and meaning. Discuss

Alois Alzheimer (1864)

Alzheimer was a German neuropathologist who first identified what is today called Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease found most commonly in people over age 65. He first observed it in his patient in 1901 and presented his findings after a postmortem examination of her brain in 1906. The diagnosis would soon be applied to patients the world over, and the disease is now recognized as the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer did not name the disease that bears his name. Who did? Discuss

Argyle Diamond Mine

The Argyle mine in Western Australia is one of the world’s largest diamond producers by volume, producing more than 750 million carats of rough diamonds since operations began in the 1980s. Most of the diamonds mined there are of relatively low quality. However, it is the primary source of the rare and valuable pink diamond, producing more than 90% of the world’s supply, and is also a major source of champagne, cognac, and blue diamonds. What percentage of Argyle’s diamonds are gem quality? Discuss

Pioneer 10: First Craft to Leave Solar System, Perhaps (1983)

Launched in 1972, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and to make up-close observations of Jupiter, capturing images that were later sent back to Earth. It passed the orbit of Neptune in 1983 and became by some definitions the first artificial object to leave our solar system. By February 1998, the probe was over 7.5 billion miles from Earth but lost its title as the most distant man-made object to what craft? Discuss

William Butler Yeats (1865)

Considered Ireland’s greatest lyric poet and a major figure of 20th-century literature, Yeats was the acknowledged leader of the Irish literary renaissance. His early work centers on Irish mythology and themes and is mystical, slow-paced, and lyrical. His later verse is stronger, more physical, and realistic. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. After proposing to—and being rejected by—his love interest Maud Gonne on numerous occasions, Yeats turned his attentions toward whom? Discuss

Ikebana

Ikebana is the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement. In contrast to the decorative form of flower arranging popular in Western countries, which tends to emphasize the quantity and colors of blooms, ikebana utilizes simple linear construction to create harmony in the arrangement and bring attention to the subtle beauty of flowers, stems, leaves, and the like. Often, the components are arranged in a triangular fashion. What concepts do the points of the triangle symbolize? Discuss