Month: December 2022

Roberto Clemente Dies in Plane Crash (1972)

Right fielder Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the National League MVP award in 1966, as well as 12 Gold Glove Awards throughout his career. In 1973, he became the first Latin-American player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Clemente, who was dedicated to charity work, was traveling to Nicaragua to deliver aid to earthquake victims when his plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico. Why did Clemente’s teammate and good friend miss his funeral? Discuss

Hogmanay

In Scotland and the northern part of England, the last day of the year is known as Hogmanay. Scottish children used to call at the homes of the wealthy on this day and ask for their traditional gift of an oatmeal cake. They would call out, “Hogmanay!” and recite traditional rhymes or sing songs in return for which they’d be given their cakes to take home. Today, Hogmanay is celebrated much as is New Year’s Eve around the rest of the Western world, with street and house parties. Such fire ceremonies as torchlight processions and lighting New Year’s fires are popular traditions as well. Discuss

Simon Wiesenthal (1908)

One of just a few hundred Galician Jews to have survived the Nazi death machine that was Hitler’s Final Solution, Wiesenthal devoted his remaining years to tracking down fugitive Nazi war criminals and bringing them to justice. “Many times I was thinking,” he told his biographer, “that everything in life has a price, so to stay alive must also have a price. And my price was always that, if I lived, I must be deputy for many people who are not alive.” How many of Wiesenthal’s relatives perished? Discuss

Redwoods

Redwoods are the tallest living trees, often exceeding 300 ft (90 m) in height. Nearly exterminated by the ice sheets of the glacial ages, redwoods are found only in a narrow strip near the Pacific coast of the northwest US. They take up to 500 years to reach maturity, and some are known to be more than 1,500 years old. As redwoods age, their lower limbs fall away, leaving a columnar trunk that can reach a diameter of more than 20 ft (6 m). What is the largest tree in the world? Discuss

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Formed (1922)

Traditionally considered the successor state of the Russian Empire, the USSR was established in 1922 and unified the Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, and Transcaucasian Soviet republics under one government. The largest country in the world, the USSR occupied a seventh of the land surface on Earth. It became a superpower that rivaled the US in domination of global affairs until its collapse and dissolution in 1991. In what year were diplomatic relations between the US and USSR first established? Discuss

Hideki Tojo (1884)

Tojo’s accession as prime minister of Japan in 1941 marked the final triumph of the military faction that advocated war with the US and Great Britain. As the most powerful leader in the government during World War II, he approved the attack on Pearl Harbor and pushed the Japanese offensive in China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. Tojo resigned after a string of military failures and later attempted suicide. He was arrested by the Allies and tried, convicted, and executed for what war crimes? Discuss

Gargoyles

Gargoyles are waterspouts that were used in medieval Europe to draw rainwater from church and cathedral roofs. They were fashioned imaginatively in the forms of human grotesques, beasts, and demons, supposedly to scare off evil spirits. This form of sculpture reached its peak in the Gothic period and declined with the introduction of lead drainpipes in the 16th century. A similar type of sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental function is called what? Discuss