Month: September 2023

John the Fearless Assassinated (1419)

Son of Philip the Bold, John the Fearless was duke of Burgundy from 1404–1419. He continued his father’s feud with Louis, Duke of Orléans, brother of King Charles VI, and became popular by advocating reforms. In 1407, he had Louis assassinated and later obtained control of the French government. Rivalry with the supporters of Orléans led to civil war in 1411, and he seized Paris in 1418. At a negotiation meeting with the dauphin—the future King Charles VII—John was assassinated. Who killed him? Discuss

Arnold Palmer (1929)

One of golf’s most charismatic players, Palmer was instrumental in popularizing the sport in the US. After winning the US Amateur championship, Palmer turned professional in 1954 and won the Canadian Open in 1955. Between 1958 and 1964, he won the Masters four times, the British Open twice, and the US Open once. In 1967, he became the first golfer to earn more than $1 million in prize money. One of the first television-age golfing personalities, he attracted a loyal following known as what? Discuss

Sudoku

Sudoku is a number puzzle based on the Latin squares described by the 18th-century Swiss mathematician Euler. The modern version consists of a box divided into nine squares, each of which is again divided into nine smaller boxes, making 81 boxes in total. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid so that there is only one solution. The objective is to fill the grid so that every column, every row, and every 3×3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. What was sudoku originally called? Discuss

Tajikistan Gains Independence from the Soviet Union (1991)

Russia first took control of Tajik lands in the 1880s. In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Tajiks rebelled against Russian rule, and the Red Army did not retake control until 1921. Tajikistan was made an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924 and joined the USSR in 1929. In 1991, at around the time the USSR was being dissolved, the Republic of Tajikistan declared its independence. Civil war broke out a year later. When was a peace agreement reached? Discuss

William Bligh (1754)

Though he had a long and notable career in the British Royal Navy, Bligh is chiefly remembered for the 1787 mutiny on his ship, the HMS Bounty, during which he and those crew members who remained loyal to him were set adrift in a longboat. In a remarkable act of seamanship, with neither a map nor a compass, Bligh guided them across 3,618 mi (5,822 km) of ocean to the nearest European outpost, Timor. In the 1770s, Bligh served as the sailing master on what famous explorer’s final voyage? Discuss

The Legendary Griffin

In ancient and medieval legend, the griffin is a creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. Some traditions also give it a serpent’s tail. The griffin is thought to have originated in ancient Middle Eastern legend and is often found in Persian sculpture. Although its significance is obscure, the griffin is thought to have been a protective symbol, representing strength and vigilance. When is a griffin called an “alce” or “keythong”? Discuss