In order to promote more social tolerance and a greater awareness of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared December 1 as World AIDS Day in 1988. Every year, various global agencies take the lead in coordinating this day and in educating people about HIV/AIDS. In the United States, local communities, organizations, and schools have observed World AIDS Day by disseminating education and prevention materials and holding candlelight memorial services, among many other events. Discuss
Month: December 2022
Anna Comnena (1083)
The daughter of Emperor Alexius I of Byzantium, Anna plotted, both during and after her father’s reign, against her brother, John II, in the hopes of placing her husband on the throne. After the plot failed, the princess retired to a convent, where she proceeded to pen a biography of her father, the Alexiad, that is recognized today as one of the outstanding Greek historical works of the Middle Ages. Who was Anna’s coconspirator in the plot against her brother? Discuss
be (someone's) huckleberry
dated To be well or perfectly suited to someone’s job, need, or purpose. Primarily heard in US. Watch the video
Beta Israel
The Beta Israel, or “House of Israel,” are Jews of Ethiopian origin. Long isolated from mainstream Judaism, they do not use the Talmud but adhere strictly to the Mosaic law and observe some festivals of Judaism. In 1975, the Israeli rabbinate legally recognized them as Jews, and during the Ethiopian civil war, about 10,000 were airlifted to Israel in an effort to save them from persecution. A second airlift of more than 14,000 occurred in 1991. What were these secret operations called? Discuss
hovercraft
Definition: (noun) A craft capable of moving over water or land on a cushion of air created by jet engines.
Synonyms: ground-effect machine.
Usage: The police lost track of the bank robbers at the water’s edge, where the thieves escaped in a hovercraft.
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