Month: August 2022

The Great Sphinx of Giza

Near the pyramids of Giza, you can find the Great Sphinx—a massive statue bearing the head of a man and the body of a lion. It is located on the west bank of the Nile River, near modern-day Cairo, Egypt. The Sphinx is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and one of the world’s largest single-stone statues. It is believed that the ancient Egyptians built it about 4,500 years ago, possibly in honor of the pharaoh Khafre. What rumors surround the Great Sphinx’s missing nose? Discuss

Quit India: Gandhi Calls on Public to "Do or Die" (1942)

In 1942, after Great Britain refused to grant immediate independence to India, Mohandas Gandhi launched the Quit India movement. Thousands of Indians responded to the call for civil disobedience, while the British attempted to suppress the rebellion by arresting over 100,000 people, levying mass fines, and subjecting demonstrators to public floggings. Though the movement ultimately failed, it showed Britain that India could not be governed for much longer. How did it impact Muslims in India? Discuss

Emiliano Zapata (1879)

During the Mexican Revolution, Zapata led the Liberation Army of the South, whose slogan, “Land and Liberty,” represented its goal of returning Mexican land to the indigenous people. A champion of the rural poor, Zapata rallied his neighbors to protest against the hacienda that had appropriated their land and eventually led them in taking the land by force. His peasant soldiers occupied Mexico City three times between 1914 and 1915, and Zapata began to implement land reform. How was he killed? Discuss

Ice Dancing

In ice dancing, couples are required to perform choreographed dance routines on ice. It differs from pair skating in that it does not allow movements of strength, such as jumps or overhead lifts. Ice dance routines are similar to ballroom dances, and, typically, partners are not supposed to separate by more than two arm-lengths. The sport gained popularity in the 1930s, and the first world championships were held in 1950. When did ice dancing become an Olympic event? Discuss

Thor Heyerdahl Lands in Polynesia (1947)

Heyerdahl was a Norwegian adventurer with a passion for cultural anthropology. After a trip to Polynesia convinced him that Polynesian culture bore traces of South American cultures, he built a raft—the Kon-Tiki—and sailed it from South America to Polynesia to demonstrate the possibility of such contact. While his book about the voyage was an international bestseller, anthropologists have largely dismissed his theories. Why did he deliberately burn his ship during a 1978 expedition? Discuss