Month: January 2023

Private Slovik Executed for Desertion (1945)

US Army private Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion in 1945. His was the first such execution after the Civil War and the only one of 49 World War II desertion death sentences to be carried out. Slovik was initially separated from his unit during an artillery attack. He rejoined them but deserted after being assigned to the front lines. He later confessed in writing that he would do it again and refused offers to destroy his note and return to battle. How old was Slovik when he died? Discuss

Norman Mailer (1923)

American writer Norman Mailer was catapulted to fame at 25 with the publication of The Naked and the Dead, a partially autobiographical novel based on his World War II service. He pioneered the use of novelistic techniques in nonfiction works, a style known as New Journalism, and won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for The Armies of the Night. He won his second Pulitzer in 1980 with The Executioner’s Song, a novel depicting the events surrounding whose execution? Discuss

Depression Glass

Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed throughout the US during the Great Depression era of the 1920s and 30s. During that time, the Quaker Oats Company began putting glassware in boxes of food as an incentive to purchase, much like modern cereal box prizes. Movie theaters and businesses sometimes offered pieces simply for coming in the door. Though of marginal quality, Depression glass has become highly collectible. In what colors was it made? Discuss

Hitler Is Appointed Chancellor of Germany (1933)

Hitler’s rise to power began long before 1933, with his development of the Nazi party in the early 1920s and the release of his book, Mein Kampf. When the Nazis were elected the largest party in the Reichstag in 1932, German President Paul von Hindenburg offered Hitler a subordinate position in the cabinet. Hitler held out for a more powerful post and only had to wait six months to be named chancellor. How did Hitler then work to eliminate the communists as a political opponent? Discuss

Abdullah's Birthday in Jordan

Since 1999, the year Adbullah II bin al-Hussein succeeded his father, King Hussein, as national monarch, Jordan has celebrated the king’s birthday. It is typical on this date for the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan to publish various well-wishes that arrive from international dignitaries. Before 2007, the country also observed the day as an official national holiday by closing all its banks and stores. However, that year, King Abdullah announced that in order to help “boost productivity and dedication,” banks and businesses would remain open on his birthday. Discuss

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882)

Elected to an unprecedented four presidential terms, Roosevelt guided the US through the Great Depression and World War II. He instituted the New Deal program to promote economic recovery and social reform and, as war spread in Europe, prepared for the possibility that the US would enter the war. When it finally did, he led the nation to the threshold of victory, dying in office less than a month before Germany’s surrender to the Allies. What quote about fear is attributed to FDR? Discuss

Jessica Tandy

Tandy was a noted British-American theater, film, and TV actress. She made her London stage debut in 1927 and soon became a leading lady, appearing as Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier’s Henry V, and Ophelia opposite John Gielgud’s Hamlet. She became known for her incisive portrayals of diverse characters and won a Tony Award playing Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. Tandy often took the stage with her husband, actor Hume Cronyn. In 1989, she won an Academy Award for what film? Discuss