Month: October 2022

Football Association Formed (1863)

The Football Association (FA), the governing body of football in England, played a leading role in establishing rules for the modern game. All of England’s professional football clubs are members of the FA, which runs several competitions, including the FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world. After a dispute about the rules surrounding ball carrying and “hacking”—kicking opponents—led a number of clubs to withdraw from the FA, a similar organization was formed for what sport? Discuss

Austria National Day

National Day commemorates the day in 1955 when Soviet occupation forces left Austria after taking control in 1945. The Austrian State Treaty of May 15, 1955, ensured that Austrians would regain sovereignty over their country on July 27. By October 26, it was once again a free, independent country. Although it is a national holiday in Austria, people do not get the day off from school or work, mainly because of the idea that one’s country is best served by working. Schools hold special presentations, and the president delivers a speech. Discuss

Domenico Scarlatti (1685)

Although he lived during the Baroque era, Scarlatti, an Italian composer and virtuoso harpsichordist, was extremely influential in the development of the Classical period of music. He is best known for his composition of 555 keyboard sonatas, written for the Spanish queen Maria Bárbara, whom he had tutored as a child and in whose service he remained for much of his life. Scarlatti is said to have engaged in a keyboard competition with what other composer as a young man? Discuss

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is an arm of the Pacific Ocean in the northwestern US that extends about 100 miles (160 km) south from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Olympia, Washington. The sound has numerous islands and is navigable for large ships. The Puget Sound lowland, which extends south from the sound, is the most densely populated area of Washington, with Seattle and Tacoma as its principal cities. Puget Sound was discovered in 1792 by English Captain George Vancouver. For whom was it named? Discuss

The Cedar Fire Spreads in Southern California (2003)

One of 15 fires to ravage Southern California during October 2003, the Cedar Fire was the largest wildfire in the state’s history. Fanned by the Santa Ana Winds, the fire burned 280,278 acres (1,134 sq km), destroyed 2,820 buildings, and killed 15 people. It was not until November 3 that firefighters achieved full containment. The devastation caused by the fire led to criticism of the emergency response and calls for changes in the regulations for firefighting aircraft. What started the fire? Discuss

Johann Strauss II (1825)

Strauss was a world-renowned Austrian composer best known for his waltzes, among them the popular Blue Danube. The son of a composer, he formed an orchestra in 1844 that was immediately successful and rivaled that of his father. Composing more than 400 waltzes, Strauss revolutionized the Viennese waltz, endowing it with new melodic, rhythmic, and orchestral richness. Why did Strauss’s brother Eduard destroy a large portion of the family’s original orchestral archives, including Johann’s? Discuss

Legend Tripping

If you have ever tested your mettle by visiting a “haunted” cemetery or the site of a local tragedy, you have engaged in what folklorists have, in recent years, termed “legend tripping.” Legend trippers—typically teens—visit a tabooed site for the specific purpose of flirting with its purported dangers and testing their courage against its supposed supernatural forces. These excursions are usually undertaken secretly, under cover of darkness. What are some hot spots for legend tripping? Discuss