According to baseball lore, the Boston Red Sox became cursed after Babe Ruth, the “Bambino,” was sold to the New York Yankees in 1920. Before the sale, the Red Sox had won five World Series titles. After the sale, Ruth became a superstar, and the previously lackluster Yankees went on to win 27 World Series titles. The Red Sox, meanwhile, failed to win another series for more than eight decades, finally breaking the “curse” in 2004. How did some Red Sox fans attempt to “reverse the curse”? Discuss
Month: January 2023
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892)
Though we know him today as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings—the creator of the fantastic Middle Earth, the inventor of hobbits and orcs and Elvish, indeed the “father of modern fantasy literature”—Tolkien was also a respected medieval scholar and professor. He worked briefly for The Oxford English Dictionary, taught at Leeds University and then Oxford, and produced a landmark lecture on Beowulf. For whom did Tolkien write The Hobbit? Discuss
Captain Obvious
A person who makes a statement or statements of such obvious meaning or implication as to be entirely redundant, superfluous, or unnecessary. Watch the video
The United States Secret Service
The Secret Service was originally established in 1865 under the Department of the Treasury, with the primary task of preventing the counterfeiting of US currency. It assumed the role of protecting the president after President McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Today, in addition to its original duties, the Secret Service is responsible for guarding high-ranking government officials, their families, and foreign dignitaries. In 2003, the Secret Service became part of what new federal department? Discuss
medial
The "Trial of the Century" Begins (1935)
Bruno Hauptmann, a German immigrant to the US, was convicted and sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., the young son of famed pilot Charles Lindbergh. Hauptmann had been found with part of the ransom money, but the case against him has since come under scrutiny. It has been alleged that some of the evidence used to convict him was planted and that false testimony was given at the trial. What was discovered in 1985 that shed new light on the case? Discuss
Isaac Asimov (1920)
Asimov was an exceptionally prolific Russian-American author who achieved great success with his science-fiction and popular science books. Along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the “Big Three” science-fiction authors of his era. Though best known for his scientific works, Asimov wrote on a diverse range of subjects, including the Bible and Shakespeare, penning more than 400 volumes in all. What robot-related term did he coin in the course of his writings? Discuss
farmer's tan
A tan line or sunburn on the neck and lower arms that results from wearing a T-shirt during prolonged sun exposure and that is clearly demarcated from the pale skin of the chest and upper arms that remained covered. Watch the video
Ticker-Tape Parades
Ticker-tape parades were originated in New York City by Grover Whalen, the city’s official greeter from 1919 to 1953. The welcome ceremonies he staged for Charles Lindbergh and returning soldiers from both world wars, among others, featured a festive snow of confetti—originally ticker-tape from stockbrokers’ offices in lower Manhattan—thrown onto the parade from the tall buildings along the route. Today the parades most often fete sports champions. What is the “Canyon of Heroes”? Discuss