The Honda name is known worldwide thanks to Soichiro Honda. In 1946, in the aftermath of World War II, the self-taught Japanese engineer founded the Honda Technical Research Institute—now the Honda Motor Company—and began manufacturing motorcycles. Bolstered by success, he soon began producing cars. His company’s clean-burning CVCC engine spurred an automotive revolution, and his cars won a large share of the US market. What mischievous business scheme got Honda in trouble as a schoolboy? Discuss
Month: November 2022
have (one's) name taken
In football (soccer), to receive a yellow card (and thus have one’s name recorded in the referee’s booklet). Watch the video
Ilan Ramon
Ramon was Israel’s first astronaut. As a pilot in the Israeli Air Force, he fought in the Yom Kippur War and took part in the bombing of Iraq’s Osiraq nuclear reactor. He went on to serve as payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and was killed when the craft disintegrated during re-entry. Despite being a secular Jew, Ramon reportedly observed Jewish law while in space, feeling he represented “all Jews and all Israelis.” Which of his belongings survived the shuttle crash? Discuss
sybarite
Definition: (noun) A person devoted to pleasure and luxury; a voluptuary.
Synonyms: voluptuary.
Usage: This official sybarite dressed, dined, and visited a dozen or fifteen salons between eight at night and three in the morning.
The Sound of Music Opens on Broadway (1959)
The Sound of Music, with a score by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Mary Martin starred as Maria, and Theodore Bikel played the role of Captain Georg von Trapp. The Tony Award-winning production ran for 1,443 performances. Productions in London, Japan, and Australia followed, as did the phenomenally successful 1965 film, starring Julie Andrews. What are some of the differences between the stage and screen versions? Discuss
Sir Oswald Mosley (1896)
Dubbed the 20th century’s worst Briton by the BBC History Magazine, Mosley was a British politician who founded the British Union of Fascists, modeled upon the German and Italian fascist parties of the 1930s. Members adopted Nazi-style uniforms and promoted anti-Semitism. In 1940, Mosley and his second wife, Diana Guinness, a known friend of Adolf Hitler, were interned along with other prominent British fascists. Where had he and Guinness held their nuptials several years earlier? Discuss
have its/(one's) day
To be at the height of or experience success or prosperity. Watch the video
The Moana Hotel
The Moana Hotel, also known as the “First Lady of Waikiki,” is a famous historic hotel on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Built at the urging of a wealthy Honolulu landowner, the Moana was the first hotel in Waikiki and its opening in 1901 marked the beginning of tourism there. Over the years, it has hosted numerous luminaries on its beachfront grounds. Today, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. What unsolved murder mystery is associated with the Moana? Discuss
hillock
Brazil Becomes a Republic (1889)
In 1889, discontented Brazilian militarists staged a coup and exiled Emperor Pedro II. Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, leader of the revolutionaries, led the provisional government that established the republic and became president. Although Brazil was flourishing financially thanks to coffee and wild rubber exports, its political situation remained uneasy. Faced with growing opposition, Fonseca dissolved Congress in 1891 and was forced to resign. What was Brazil’s official name during this period? Discuss