Month: August 2023

The Sinking of PT-109 (1943)

While on patrol in the Pacific during WWII, USS PT-109 was run down by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. The much smaller American boat was torn apart by the impact, and two seamen perished. The surviving crew, commanded by future US President John F. Kennedy, swam to safety on a nearby island and survived on coconuts for days before Solomon Islanders scouting the area found them. Kennedy’s actions made him a war hero. What did he use to send a message to Allies requesting a rescue? Discuss

Peter O'Toole (1932)

O’Toole, a classical stage actor, debuted in London in 1956 and played a variety of Shakespearean roles. Tall and handsome, he catapulted to stardom in 1962 with his portrayal of British Army officer T. E. Lawrence in the desert epic Lawrence of Arabia. He went on to win praise for performances in films ranging from historical dramas to high comedies and, though he never won, was nominated for an Academy Award eight times. Despite this record, he received what award in 2003? Discuss

Ethel Merman

Merman was a Tony Award winning star of film and stage. Her precise enunciation, wide vocal range, and accurate pitch garnered her much acclaim. She began singing while working as a secretary and eventually became a full time vaudeville performer. Her powerful alto voice afforded her great advantages at a time when stage singers performed without microphones. She made her theater debut in Girl Crazy (1930). According to Broadway lore, what did George Gershwin advise her never to do? Discuss

The Nanchang Uprising (1927)

Considered the birthplace of the People’s Liberation Army, the city of Nanchang in the Jiangxi Province of southeastern China was the site of the first revolutionary activities of the Chinese Communist Party in 1927. During the uprising, a force of 30,000 Communist troops rose against the Kuomintang government and briefly established the first soviet republic in China. However, the government soon retook the city, and it became the regular Nationalist capital in 1928. Who led the uprising? Discuss

Francis Scott Key (1779)

After the burning of Washington, DC, by the British in the War of 1812, Key, an American lawyer, was sent to secure the release of a friend from a British ship in Chesapeake Bay. That night, while temporarily detained on a British vessel, Key witnessed the British shelling of Fort McHenry. When he saw the American flag still flying the next morning, he was inspired to write “Defense of Fort M’Henry,” a poem that was adopted as the US national anthem in 1931. To what melody was the poem set? Discuss

Hells Angels

The Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club was formed in Fontana, CA, in 1948; the local chapter remains active, but the club’s popularity and membership has since expanded worldwide. The name, taken from the movie Hell’s Angels, has come to represent the epitome of 1960s biker counterculture. Members have been known to engage in illegal activities, but the club rejects any criminal responsibility. What unlikely company was recently sued by the club for copyright infringement? Discuss