Month: November 2023

Recapitulation Theory

The now discredited theory of recapitulation, also known as the biogenetic law, states that the stages in an organism’s embryonic development and differentiation (ontogeny) correspond to the stages of evolutionary development characteristic to its species (phylogeny). Ernst Haeckel, who proposed the theory in 1866, produced a number of controversial embryo drawings to support this premise. How did he interpret the presence of gill slits in human embryos? Discuss

Johnny Campbell Becomes World's First Cheerleader (1898)

Cheerleading first appeared in the US in the late 1880s with crowds chanting to encourage school spirit. The first recorded instance of organized cheering took place at Princeton University in 1884. Later, a Princeton graduate introduced the idea at University of Minnesota football games. In 1898, Minnesota student Johnny Campbell directed a crowd in a cheer—marking the official birth of organized cheerleading. The first cheer squads were all male. When did women enter the world of cheerleading? Discuss

Haile Selassie's Coronation Day

The Rastafarians of Jamaica worship Haile Selassie I, “Might of the Trinity.” His original name was Tafari Makonnen, and he was emperor of Ethiopia under the name Ras (meaning “Prince”) Tafari. Rastafarians consider the Ethiopian emperor the Messiah and son of God, and the champion of their race. The Rastafarians’ most important celebration is the anniversary of Haile Selassie’s Coronation Day, which occurred on November 2, 1930. The dedication of babies to Ras Tafari, recitations, and singing are typically part of the celebrations on this day. Discuss

Joseph Radetzky von Radetz (1766)

Radetzky was an Austrian army officer. After fighting with distinction against the French in the Napoleonic Wars, he became chief of staff and attempted to modernize the Austrian army. As commander in chief of the Austrian army in northern Italy in 1848—in his eighties at the time—he suppressed a revolt in the Austrian-ruled provinces of Lombardy and Venetia, where he later served as governor-general. His status as a national hero inspired what famous composer to name a march in his honor? Discuss

Pulse Palpation

A pulse is caused by the alternate expansion and contraction of artery walls as heart action varies blood volume within the arteries. The arteries become distended during systole, or heart contraction, and their walls contract during diastole, when the heart relaxes. The pulse, measured in beats per minute, can be felt at a number of points throughout the human body, but is most commonly palpated at the wrist or neck. Where are the pulse points in the lower limbs? Discuss

Seabiscuit Defeats War Admiral in the "Match of the Century" (1938)

Seabiscuit was a famous thoroughbred racehorse. As a colt, he was undersized, knobby kneed, and given to sleeping and eating. He failed to win any of his first races and became the butt of stable jokes. In the midst of the Great Depression, however, he began to win a number of prestigious and unlikely races, becoming a symbol of hope to many Americans. Then, in a race dubbed the “Match of the Century,” he met War Admiral, who had won the elusive Triple Crown, and defeated him by what margin? Discuss