Month: June 2022

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 buildings located in Midtown Manhattan. Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who sponsored the project, intended to build an opera house at the site, but that plan did not materialize. Instead, his buildings house offices, shops, restaurants, broadcasting studios, and the opulently Art-Deco Radio City Music Hall, New York City’s largest theater. Who designed the Prometheus of the central fountain, which overlooks an outdoor skating rink and mall? Discuss

First Baseball Game Played with Modern Rules (1846)

The foundations of modern baseball were laid with the 1845 formulation of the “Knickerbocker Rules,” which formalized the game. According to these rules, a runner could not be sent out of play by getting hit with a thrown ball. Instead, fielders were required to tag or force the runner, as is done today. It is widely thought that the first competitive game under the new rules was played at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. What author of the rules is considered the “father of baseball”? Discuss

New Church Day

New Church Day refers to the Church of the New Jerusalem, founded in London in the late 18th century by the disciples of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg’s followers believe that in 1757 there was a great judgment in the spiritual world, and that as a result the evil spirits were separated from the good and a new heaven was established. June 19 is the date on which Swedenborg’s disciples met in 1770 to organize the New Church. Every year on this day, members of the New Church, called Swedenborgians, meet to conduct important church business and to commemorate the church’s founding. Discuss

José Rizal (1861)

Rizal was a Philippine nationalist, author, poet, and physician. While living in Europe, he published novels railing against the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines, earning him the ire of officials there. Upon his return in 1892, Rizal was arrested as a revolutionary agitator. When an armed rebellion broke out four years later, Rizal, who had advocated reform but not revolution, was shot for sedition. His martyrdom fueled the revolution. What did he do on the eve of his execution? Discuss

The Baths of Bath

Bath is a city in southwest England famous for its baths, which are fed by the only natural hot springs in the country and which some believe have curative properties. The Romans established the city as Aquae Sulis in the first century, building elaborate, lead-lined baths with heating and cooling systems. These were rediscovered in 1755, by which time Bath, as it had since become known, had revived as a spa and become a resort city for the wealthy. What was Jane Austen’s connection to Bath? Discuss