Month: May 2023

The Scripps National Spelling Bee

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee run on a non-profit basis by The E. W. Scripps Company, held at a hotel in the Washington, DC, area. The competition came into existence in 1925, and the first winning word was “gladiolus.” The bee is open to the winners of sponsored regional spelling bees held mostly throughout the US, and participants must be in eighth grade or below, or 15 years old or younger. Why is it called a spelling “bee”? Discuss

Diego Marín Aguilera Makes Early Attempt at Flight (1793)

Inspired by the eagles he saw while out in the fields, Spanish inventor and aviation pioneer Diego Marín Aguilera built a flying machine from wood, iron, cloth, and feathers whose design was based on his observations of birds of prey. His attempt to fly the vehicle was somewhat successful—he reportedly reached a height of about 20 ft (6 m) and glided some distance—but he crash-landed when the device suffered a structural failure. What did the locals do when they learned of his invention? Discuss

Wavy Gravy (1936)

Born Hugh Romney, Wavy Gravy is a peace activist known for his whimsical hippie appearance and clown persona. After being repeatedly arrested at political demonstrations, he adopted his flamboyant look in the hopes that police officers would be less likely to arrest someone dressed as a clown. Gravy was a master of ceremonies during the first Woodstock Festival and the two subsequent events and is now the official clown of the Grateful Dead. Who gave him his unusual moniker? Discuss

above the salt

Of or in a position of high standing, rank, regard, or repute. The term is derived from the social hierarchy of nobility in medieval times, in which salt, a precious commodity then, was set in the middle of the dining table. Those of high noble rank were seated “above the salt,” that is, closer to the lord and lady of the house, while those in lower social standing were seated “below” it. Watch the video

The Black Death

The Black Death was a form of bubonic plague that was pandemic throughout Europe, the Middle East, and much of Asia in the 14th century. Thought to have been caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, it killed between one-third and half of Europe’s population and at least 75 million people worldwide. Recently, it has been argued that the Black Death was not caused by bubonic plague, at all, but by what? Discuss

Skylab Is Launched (1973)

Launched into orbit in 1973, Skylab was the first US space station. It carried a laboratory for studying the human body’s adaptation to weightlessness and a powerful solar telescope. Three successive astronaut crews conducted research aboard Skylab for a total of 171 days in 1973–74. Though Skylab was intended to be reused, increased solar activity caused its orbit to degrade faster than expected. In 1979, the 75-tonne station reentered Earth’s atmosphere and broke up. Where did the debris land? Discuss

Merkava

The Merkava series of main battle tanks is developed and manufactured by Israel Military Industries, Ltd for the Israel Defense Forces. It is designed to ensure crew survival, battle perseverance, and quick revival in case of bad damage, though it is still is vulnerable to remotely operated land mines. The heavily shielded engine is placed at the front of the tank, while the crew is able to escape through doors at the rear. When and why did Israel decide to develop the Merkava? Discuss