Month: July 2023

Hollywood Sign Is Dedicated (1923)

The iconic Hollywood sign overlooking the community and spelling out its name in 50-foot (15-meter) high white letters originally said “Hollywoodland” and was erected as an advertisement for a real estate firm promoting a new housing development with that name. Though not intended to be permanent, the sign quickly became an internationally recognized landmark, and the last four letters were removed in 1949. What are some of the ways that pranksters have altered the sign over the years? Discuss

Alberto Ascari (1918)

Alberto Ascari was just 7 years old when his racecar driver father was killed in the 1925 French Grand Prix, but that did not deter him from following in his father’s footsteps. He went on to become a successful driver and remains one of only two Italian Formula One World Champions in the history of the sport. In 1955, he was thrown from his car during a crash and killed. Both he and his father were 36 when they died. What other eerie similarities exist between his death and that of his father? Discuss

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is a human-rights organization founded in 1961 by Englishman Peter Benenson. It campaigns internationally against the detention of prisoners of conscience, for the fair trial of political prisoners, to abolish the death penalty and torture of prisoners, and to end extrajudicial executions and “disappearances.” It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977. The organization’s official symbol is a candle surrounded by what? Discuss

Pablo Neruda (1904)

Born in Chile as Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, Neruda began writing poetry at age 10, published his most popular work, Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, at 20, and was later awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. A surrealist, he revitalized everyday expressions and employed bold metaphors in free verse. In his writings and his political career as a leader of the Chilean Communist party and as a diplomat, he exerted a wide influence in Latin America. Why did he use a pen name? Discuss

The Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge was a Cambodian Communist movement that was active as a guerrilla force from 1970 to the late 1990s and held power under the leadership of Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979. The Khmer Rouge is remembered largely for causing the deaths of up to 1.5 million people through execution, starvation, and forced labor. A tribunal consisting of both Cambodian and international judges was established in 2006 to try former Khmer Rouge leaders. Who were the “New People?” Discuss