Month: January 2023

The Caves of Nerja Are Rediscovered (1959)

One of Spain’s major tourist attractions is the Caves of Nerja, a series of caverns near the town of Nerja in the Province of Málaga. The caves were inhabited by prehistoric peoples, who left their mark in the form of paintings and other artifacts. Today, visitors can tour parts of the caves’ three galleries and view skeletons and other items on display there. Concerts are also regularly held in one of the caves’ many chambers. How did five friends inadvertently rediscover the caves in 1959? Discuss

Spiridon Louis (1873)

Following the decision to revive the Olympic Games at the end of the 19th century, all eyes were on Athens, where the first modern games were held in 1896. Greek competitor Spiridon Louis won the first marathon event of the games and instantly became a national hero. He was first across the finish despite having allegedly taken a break from the race to have a glass of wine at an inn. It helped that some of his competitors collapsed along the way. Why was the third-place finisher disqualified? Discuss

The Daily Planet

The Daily Planet is a newspaper featured in the Superman stories of DC Comics. Joe Shuster, Superman’s co-creator, based the newspaper on his former employer, The Toronto Daily Star. In the fictional city of Metropolis, Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent, works at the Daily Planet alongside fellow journalist Lois Lane. Though the Daily Planet and its globe-topped building are famous today, the paper had a different name when Superman debuted in 1938. What was it called? Discuss

Insulin First Used to Treat Diabetes (1922)

Insulin, a hormone produced in clusters of pancreatic cells called islets of Langerhans, regulates carbohydrate metabolism and allows the body to use and store glucose. Patients with diabetes have a decreased ability to either produce or absorb insulin. Canadian physiologists Charles Best and Sir Frederick Banting revolutionized the treatment of diabetes when they discovered how to isolate insulin in 1921. What happened when a 14-year-old diabetic was given the first insulin injection in 1922? Discuss

John A. Macdonald (1815)

Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. He played a crucial role in expanding Canada’s territories to include the Northwest Territories and British Columbia and earned much praise for his role in forging a nation of sprawling geographic size, with two disparate European colonial origins and a multiplicity of cultural backgrounds and political views. What was the Pacific scandal, and how did it affect Macdonald’s career? Discuss