Month: April 2023

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

Named for the enclosed park where it took place, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred in India on April 13, 1919, when British troops under the command of General Reginald Dyer opened fire without warning on a crowd of roughly 10,000 Indians protesting the arrest of two Indian National Congress leaders. At least 379 demonstrators were killed and another 1,200 were wounded during the barrage, which is said to have lasted 10 minutes. Who was killed 21 years later in retribution for the massacre? Discuss

Butch Cassidy (1866)

Born Robert LeRoy Parker, Butch Cassidy was a notorious outlaw who began robbing trains and cattle rustling in the mid-1880s. By 1900, he had partnered with Harry Longabaugh—the “Sundance Kid,” whose nickname was derived from the name of a town where he had once been imprisoned. They became the foremost members of the Wild Bunch, a notorious group of bank and train robbers. The two evaded US authorities by escaping to South America, where they continued their criminal pursuits. How did they die? Discuss

Mentmore Towers

Mentmore Towers is a large Neo-Renaissance English country house built in the 1850s for Baron Mayer de Rothschild. It was passed down to members of his family until the 1970s, when the government refused to accept the contents of the house in lieu of inheritance taxes, at which point the property was sold at public auction. The house has been featured in what recent films? Discuss

Record-Setting Wind Gust Recorded on Mt. Washington (1934)

The highest peak in the northeastern US, New Hampshire’s Mount Washington is famous for its erratic weather, caused partly by the convergence of storm tracks from the South Atlantic, Gulf region, and Pacific Northwest. Winds exceeding hurricane force occur there an average of 110 days a year. It is also where the highest directly measured surface wind speed—not including tornadoes or hurricanes—was recorded: 231 mph (372 km/h). What broke the world’s wind speed record? Discuss

Liberia National Redemption Day

On April 12, 1980, 13 soldiers stormed Liberia’s executive mansion, killing William R. Tolbert and 26 other government leaders. After the massacre, 13 cabinet members were publicly executed. The soldiers were led by Samuel Kanyon Doe, who immediately set up a military regime called the People’s Redemption Council. He also declared April 12 National Redemption Day; for Doe’s political opponents, National Redemption Day was a time to memorialize the many individuals who were killed in 1980. Today, many Liberians observe the anniversary by remembering the slain. Discuss

Tom Clancy (1947)

Before beginning his writing career, American novelist Tom Clancy worked as an insurance agent. His first novel was the hit The Hunt for Red October, one of the defining works of the “techno-thriller” genre—suspenseful narratives in which military technology and espionage play a prominent part. He has 17 other bestsellers to his name, including Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, the latter the bestselling novel of the 1980s. What are some of his nonfiction titles? Discuss