Month: September 2023

Nursery Rhymes

Nursery Rhymes are generally brief, anonymously written songs or verses intended for children. Though these rhymes are thought to help develop vocabulary and counting skills, scholars have actually linked many of these rhymes to historic events. For example, some believe that “Pop Goes the Weasel” is about silk weavers bringing their shuttles or bobbins (known as “weasels”) to pawnbrokers to exchange for drinking money. What event does “Ring a Ring O’Roses” supposedly reference? Discuss

Maiden Flight of the First US Airship (1923)

The USS Shenandoah was the first American-built rigid dirigible. Its design was based on a German zeppelin downed during WWI, and it was the first ship to be filled with helium—making it safer than hydrogen-filled crafts. A year after its maiden voyage, it became the first rigid airship to cross North America. While on another tour in 1925, it passed through a storm and was torn apart. Thirteen crew members died in the crash. How did those who survived the disaster manage to do so? Discuss

Constantijn Huygens (1596)

Constantijn Huygens was a Dutch humanist and poet and the father of famed scientist Christiaan Huygens. His descriptive and satirical poems were highly esteemed, and both English and French monarchs knighted him in recognition of his genius. Thousands of his letters have survived to this day and attest to his wide acquaintance with contemporary scholars, including Descartes and Donne. Huygens was also an accomplished musician and composer. How old was he when he died? Discuss

Mother-of-Pearl

Nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent substance that forms the shell lining of some fresh-water and salt-water mollusks. Just like the pearl, it is a mantle tissue secretion and is composed of alternating layers of calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It serves to both smooth the shell and defend it against parasitic organisms and damaging debris. Its iridescent beauty makes it a popular ornamentation in jewelry, watches and guitar inlays. What other decorative uses does it have? Discuss

Malcolm Campbell Becomes First to Drive over 300 MPH (1935)

Campbell, an English automobile and speedboat racer, set many speed records for motorcycles, airplanes, automobiles, and motorboats. In 1931, he was knighted for his accomplishments. Four years later, driving his famed automobile Bluebird at Bonneville Flats, Utah, Campbell set his final land speed record, becoming the first person to drive an automobile faster than 300 mph (483 km/h). He later turned to speedboat racing and set a new record in 1939, when his boat reached what speed? Discuss

St. Marinus Day

This is the official foundation day of the Republic of San Marino, a landlocked area of less than 30 square miles on the Adriatic side of central Italy. The oldest independent country in Europe, San Marino takes its name from St. Marinus. According to legend, he was a deacon and stonemason when one day a woman wrongly identified him as the husband who had deserted her. He barricaded himself in a cave until she gave up, and he spent the rest of his life on Monte Titano as a hermit. The present-day city of San Marino was built on the site where his original hermitage was believed to be. Discuss

Urho Kekkonen (1900)

The leading spokesman of the Center Party, Kekkonen became Finland’s prime minister in 1950 and succeeded Juho Paasikivi as president in 1956. After his reelection in 1962 and 1968, the Finnish parliament voted to extend his term, which was to expire in 1974, until 1978, at which time he was elected to his final term as president. Throughout his career, Kekkonen succeeded in maintaining friendly neutrality with the USSR. What caused him to resign the presidency in 1981? Discuss