Month: January 2024

Death of George Fox

George Fox (1624-1691) was the founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, which he organized in 1650 to protest the overly formal religion of his time. Fox believed that creeds and scriptures were unimportant in religion; all that really counted was the divine light of Christ as it manifested itself in all people. Church was merely a gathering of friends who were guided by the Inner Light and who were thus able to provide guidance for each other. Quakers all over the world observe the anniversary of their founder’s death in their meetinghouses. Discuss

Sophie Tucker (1884)

Tucker was a Russian-born American singer and entertainer who began performing vaudeville as a child, singing ragtime melodies in blackface. She later abandoned the makeup but continued in the African-American style, helping popularize the songs of black composers. Known for her racy songs, she enjoyed great success on tour and went on to appear in several stage and movie musicals but was best known as a nightclub torch singer. In her later years, she was billed under what moniker? Discuss

Hotham the Hatter

Sir Richard Hotham was an 18th century politician and property developer who rose to a position of prominence from his humble beginnings as a hatter. During the 1760s, Hotham gained control of a number of ships belonging to the British East India Company and used the money from this venture to enter into property development. A short time later, he began his political career, eventually becoming a Member of Parliament. What led him to develop the village of Bognor into a seaside resort? Discuss

Hermann Göring (1893)

Göring was one of Hitler’s most loyal supporters and held numerous Nazi posts, including interior minister of Prussia, where he established the Gestapo, and head of the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force. When the Luftwaffe failed to win the Battle of Britain, Göring semiretired to his country estate, where he displayed the vast art collection he had confiscated from Jews in occupied countries. In 1946, he was condemned to death by hanging at the Nuremberg trials but was never executed. Why? Discuss

The Money Pit of Oak Island

According to newspaper records, in 1795 excavations began at the site of a mysterious depression on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island. A layer of flagstones was found buried a few feet below the surface, and layers of logs were uncovered at 10 ft (3 m) intervals. At a depth of about 90 ft (27 m), a large stone bearing an inscription of symbols was recovered; and translations revealed the secret message, “forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried.” Whose treasure is believed to be buried there? Discuss

Lawrence Textile Strike Begins in Massachusetts (1912)

The Lawrence Textile Strike was a strike of immigrant workers led by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a revolutionary industrial union aimed at uniting all workers in an effort to promote socialism and overthrow capitalism. Of the 150 strikes conducted by the IWW, the Lawrence strike was one of the most notable, growing to more than 20,000 workers in one week and lasting more than two months. Were the strikers’ demands met, or did the companies proceed with planned wage reductions? Discuss