This holiday is celebrated in Croatia to mark the day in 1991 that the Croatian Parliament voted to cut constitutional ties with Yugoslavia. The Croatians had declared their independence three months earlier, on June 25 (Croatia Statehood Day), but a three-month moratorium was placed on implementation of the decision to give European negotiators a chance to broker an agreement. Those talks failed, and Croatia proceeded with its plan for independence. Offices, businesses, and schools in Croatia are closed on Independence Day. Discuss
Month: October 2022
Juan Perón (1895)
Perón was President of Argentina from 1946 to 1955 and from 1973 to 1974. His populist appeal to the poor was enhanced by the charisma and work of his second wife, Evita. After her death in 1952, his popularity waned, and amidst increasing economic difficulties and labor unrest, he was deposed in a military coup in 1955. Perón fled to Paraguay and Spain but returned from exile to the presidency in 1973, only to die in office the following year. What was stolen from his tomb in 1987? Discuss
color outside the lines
To think or act in a way that does not conform to set rules. Likened to the way a child might color outside the lines of a coloring book. Watch the video
Persian Rugs
Carpet weaving is an integral part of Persian culture, dating back thousands of years. In the 6th century BCE, the court of Persian king Cyrus the Great was decked with magnificent carpets. Today, hand-woven rugs remain one of Iran’s chief exports, and the rug industry employs some two million workers. Persian carpets typically have a tight, velvety pile, rich colors, and flowing or geometric designs. What is the difference between Anatolian rugs and Persian rugs? Discuss
abstemious
Sihanouk Abdicates Cambodian Throne (2004)
From 1941 to 2004, Norodom Sihanouk held several leadership positions in Cambodia—including king, prince, president, prime minister, and head of state. He saw Cambodia through the difficult years of the Vietnam War, the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and the occupation of his nation by Vietnamese forces in the late 1970s. He abdicated his kingship twice, once in favor of his father and once in favor of his son, Norodom Sihamoni. After the second abdication, what became Sihanouk’s official title? Discuss
Elijah Muhammad (1897)
Controversial American black-nationalist and religious leader Elijah Muhammad assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam in 1934, upon the disappearance of founder Wallace Fard. Calling himself the “Messenger of Allah,” Muhammad preached that salvation for African Americans, whom he declared to be Allah’s chosen people, lay in withdrawal into an autonomous state. His most prominent disciple, Malcolm X, broke with the Nation in 1964. Why did 19 of Muhammad’s children go on to sue the organization? Discuss
collect (one's) thoughts
To pause and think before speaking or taking action. Watch the video
Bubble Gum
Chewing gum has been around for millennia, making bubble gum a comparatively recent invention. The first bubble gum formulation—an unmarketable, sticky confection called Blibber-Blubber—was developed in 1906 by Frank Fleer. Twenty-two years later, Fleer employee Walter Diemer developed the first commercially successful bubble gum, Dubble Bubble. Its first competitor, the Topps Company’s Bazooka, arrived on the market after World War II. How did bubble gum acquire its now-iconic pink color? Discuss