Month: October 2022

Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954)

Vaughan’s career as a professional musician was tragically cut short when he was killed in a helicopter crash in 1990, but in the short time he spent in the industry, he helped inspire a blues-rock revival and secured his reputation as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. His trio’s 1989 album In Step won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, as did the posthumously released Family Style, featuring Vaughan and his brother Jimmie. What was Vaughan’s “first wife”? Discuss

Enrico Caruso

Caruso was an Italian operatic tenor renowned for the beauty, range, and power of his voice. A mechanical engineer who indulged his passion for singing in his spare time, Caruso had no formal musical training until his late teens. After just a few years of study, he made his professional operatic debut, touching off his meteoric rise to fame. In 1903, he made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera, where he was a favorite until his death. What helped secure his status as an opera legend? Discuss

Revolution in Texas (1835)

In 1821, the US began to colonize Texas. The newly independent Mexican government, pleased with the prospering US colony, offered grants to other American promoters. By 1830, Americans greatly outnumbered the Mexican settlers. To stop the influx of Americans, Mexican troops began to police the border and close seaports. Alarmed Texans petitioned Mexico for separate statehood, to no avail. On October 2, 1835, the revolution broke out when the Mexicans asked the Texans to return what item? Discuss

Guardian Angels Day

As early as the ninth century, a day was set aside to honor angels in general and the archangel Michael in particular. This was September 29, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels or Michaelmas. But some people, believing that a particular angel is assigned to watch over each human being, wanted to honor their own personal protectors or guardian angels. A feast in their honor observed in 16th-century Spain was extended to the whole church by Pope Paul V in 1608, and, in 1672, Pope Clement X set October 2 as the universal day for the festival. Discuss

Mohandas Gandhi (1869)

Gandhi is remembered as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century for his role in securing India’s independence from British rule through non-violent civil disobedience, a method that has since inspired notable civil rights leaders around the globe. The victory was bittersweet for Gandhi, who had championed Hindu-Muslim unity, as independence came with a plan to carve out a separate Muslim state—Pakistan. In 1948, he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic. Why is Gandhi often called Mahatma? Discuss

Windsor Castle

Located in the county of Berkshire, west of London, Windsor Castle has been a principal official residence of British monarchs since the 11th century. The Queen herself is quite fond of Windsor and frequently weekends there. Windsor has the distinction of being the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. The modern castle, which contains about 1,000 rooms and occupies 13 acres (5 hectares), consists of three “wards”—the upper, middle, and lower. What damaged more than 100 rooms in 1992? Discuss