Cable News Network (CNN) Begins Broadcasting (1980)

CNN, a division of the Turner Broadcasting System owned by Time Warner, is widely credited with introducing the concept of 24-hour news coverage. Today, the network reaches more than 1 billion people in more than 200 countries. Its coverage of the Gulf War and other conflicts and crises of the early 1990s, including, perhaps most famously, the “Black Hawk Down” incident in Mogadishu, Somalia, led to the coining of the term “the CNN effect.” What phenomenon does the phrase describe? Discuss

Kenya Madaraka Day

June 1 is a public holiday set aside to commemorate the day that Kenya became a self-ruling nation. On this day, the main event takes place at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi. The President addresses the nation, and the uniformed military, singers, and traditional dancers from around the country provide entertainment for the crowds. The day is full of festive activities, including family picnics and games in the public parks. Many people take this opportunity to go back to their hometowns for the occasion, and often a big meal of goat or chicken is prepared for the special day. Discuss

Brigham Young (1801)

Young was an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormon Church, who helped maintain the unity of the church after Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was assassinated in 1844. He led the great migration west and established a settlement at Salt Lake City, where the Church is headquartered today. He defended Mormon interests during the Utah War, eventually losing his post as governor of Utah. A known polygamist, Young had how many wives and children? Discuss

Totem Poles

Totem poles are towering sculptures carved from trees by a number of Native American peoples along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. They display mythological images, usually animal spirits. The poles are erected to identify the owner of a house or other property, welcome visitors, indicate a portal or passageway, mark a gravesite, and even to ridicule an important person who failed in some way. Why was this last type of pole—a “shame pole”—erected in Cordova, Alaska, in 2007? Discuss