Month: November 2022

Sharm el-Sheikh

Sharm el-Sheikh is a resort city overlooking the Strait of Tiran, near the southern tip of Sinai at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Strategically important, it was captured by Israel during the Sinai conflict of 1956 and restored to Egypt in 1957. During the 1967 Six Day War, Israel recaptured the city, returning it in 1982. Today, Sharm el-Sheikh’s major industry is tourism, due to the city’s dramatic landscape, pleasant climate, and beautiful beaches. What shocked the town in December 2010? Discuss

Arecibo Observatory Opens (1963)

Located near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Observatory is the site of the world’s largest single-aperture telescope. The telescope dish, built into a natural limestone bowl, measures an astonishing 1,000 feet (305 m) in diameter. It is used in radar studies of comets and asteroids, as well as in radio astronomy, to detect and analyze radio waves from space. In what year was the Arecibo message, an attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial life, transmitted from the radio telescope? Discuss

National Author's Day

The idea of setting aside a day to celebrate American authors came from Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, president of the Bement (Illinois) Women’s Club in 1928. In 1949, the day was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sue Cole, McPherson’s granddaughter, was largely responsible for promoting the observation of National Author’s Day after her grandmother’s death in 1968. She urged people to write a note to their favorite author on this day to “brighten up the sometimes lonely business of being a writer.” Discuss

Alfred Wegener (1880)

Though known during his lifetime for his achievements in meteorology and as a pioneer of polar research, Wegener is today primarily remembered for positing the first detailed theory of continental drift. According to Wegener, the present continents were originally one large landmass that gradually separated and drifted apart. His evidence included the jigsaw lineup of certain continents and paleontological similarities on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. What did he call this supercontinent? Discuss

Seattle's Space Needle

At 605 feet (184 m) tall, the Space Needle is the most recognizable landmark in Seattle, Washington. The tower was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and now boasts a rotating restaurant, a gift shop, and an observation deck, which afford views of the Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, and Elliott Bay. The tower can withstand winds of up to 200 mph (322 km/h) and earthquakes up to 9.1 in magnitude. It also has 25 lightning rods. What two design concepts inspired the structure’s unique architecture? Discuss