Month: July 2023

Construction of Hoover Dam Begins (1930)

Standing 726 ft (221 m) high and 1,244 ft (379 m) long, the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River between the US states of Nevada and Arizona is one of the world’s largest dams, impounding Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir. Upon its completion, it was the world’s largest electric power producing facility and the world’s largest concrete structure. In fact, some of the concrete is still curing today, and there is enough concrete in the dam to pave a two-lane highway from New York to where? Discuss

Festival of Juno Caprotina

Juno was the ancient Roman goddess of women and marriage, identified with the Greek goddess Hera. As the highest deity in the Roman pantheon next to Jupiter, her brother and husband, she ruled all aspects of women’s lives, including sexuality and childbirth, and served as a kind of guardian angel for women. The two most important festivals in honor of Juno were the Juno Caprotina (or Nonae Caprotinae) and the Matronalia. The former was held under a wild fig tree in the Campus Martius, or Field of Mars, a floodplain of the Tiber River. Discuss

Satchel Paige (1906)

Reputed to have won 2,000 of the 2,500 games he pitched during his nearly 30-year career, Paige first made a name for himself playing in the Negro baseball leagues. In 1948, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s race barrier, the 42-year-old Paige entered the major leagues. In his first season, he helped his team earn a World Series victory. In 1971, he became the first Negro leagues star to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Who called Paige the best pitcher he ever faced? Discuss

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel refers to a family of trees and shrubs found in Japan, China, and North America. They are deciduous shrubs that usually grow 10-26 ft (3-8 m) tall but can reach 40 ft (12 m). The fruit of the witch hazel is a two-parted capsule, 1 cm long, that bursts in Autumn and shoots seeds up to 33 ft (10 m) away. The plant’s hard wood is used in cabinet making, and an astringent is extracted from its bark and leaves. The plant’s branches have been used in what form of divination? Discuss

Nigerian Civil War Begins (1967)

Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, and its first years of autonomy were characterized by severe conflict between its many ethnic groups. In 1967, the predominantly Igbo Eastern Region of Nigeria seceded amid fears that the rival Hausa tribe was gaining increasing power in Nigeria’s central government. Though the newly proclaimed Republic of Biafra made advances early in the war, it was no match for Nigeria’s forces. What medical organization was established as a result of the war? Discuss

Frida Kahlo (1907)

Kahlo, a Mexican artist noted for her self-portraits, taught herself to paint while recovering from a severe bus accident that crippled her as a teen and required her to undergo some 35 operations. Drawing on her personal experiences, her works often starkly portray pain and the harsh lives of women. Though once known only as the wife of famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera, she eventually eclipsed his fame. Of her 143 paintings, how many are self-portraits? Discuss

Medusa

In Greek mythology, Medusa was the most famous of the three monstrous Gorgon sisters. She was once a beautiful woman, but she offended Athena, who changed her hair into snakes and made her face so hideous that all who looked at her were turned to stone. When Medusa was with child by Poseidon, Perseus beheaded her. What creatures sprang from her blood? Discuss