Month: December 2023

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Assassinated (1170)

Becket was a brilliant administrator and diplomat who served as chancellor of England under Henry II. In a bid to reinforce royal control of the church, Henry appointed Becket archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. However, Becket embraced his duties devoutly and opposed royal interference in the church. This led him to be denounced as a traitor, whereupon he fled to France to live in exile. Upon his return in 1170, he once again drew the ire of the king and was murdered by whom soon after? Discuss

William Ewart Gladstone (1809)

Gladstone, a British statesman, served as prime minister four times between 1868 and 1894, a period in which he was the Liberal party’s dominant personality. A great orator and master of finance, he was deeply religious and brought a highly moralistic tone to politics. To many, he represented the best qualities of Victorian England, but he was also passionately disliked, most notably by Queen Victoria and his chief political rival, Benjamin Disraeli. What famous quips resulted from the rivalry? Discuss

Eartha Kitt

Kitt, whose career as an actress, singer, and cabaret star has spanned nearly 6 decades, was born to an African-American and Cherokee mother and a Caucasian father during a time when laws prohibiting miscegenation, or interracial marriage, were still in place. Kitt’s first starring role was in Orson Welles’ production of Dr. Faustus, but she is best known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman. What oft-covered Christmas song is Kitt famous for having recorded? Discuss

Endangered Species Act Established in US (1973)

Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction and preserve the ecosystems they inhabit, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 prohibits harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting an “endangered” or “threatened” species and establishes penalties for doing so. A citizen suit clause allows citizens to sue others, even the government, to enforce the law. What species’ populations have increased since the act’s adoption? Discuss

Stan Lee (1922)

A giant in the world of comic books, Lee is the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics and the creator of numerous comic book superheroes. With several artist collaborators, Lee co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk, among many others, and is credited with introducing complex, naturalistic characters into superhero comic books. Lee has made cameo appearances in what films featuring characters that he helped create? Discuss

The Seven Summits

The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the world’s seven continents. Richard Bass compiled this list in the 1980s and established as a mountaineering challenge the summiting of all seven. Reinhold Messner, another climber, proposed substituting one of the mountains with New Guinea’s Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m). From a mountaineering standpoint, Messner’s list is considered the more challenging one. As of March 2007, how many climbers had scaled all of the peaks on both lists? Discuss