Month: February 2024

German Socialist Kurt Eisner Is Assassinated (1919)

Eisner was a German journalist and politician. From 1898, he was editor of Vorwärts, the official Social Democratic Party newspaper. He joined the Independent Social Democratic Party in 1917, later becoming its leader. In November 1918, he organized a Socialist revolution that overthrew the monarchy in Bavaria, and he became the first prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the new Bavarian republic. In February 1919, Eisner was assassinated while on his way to do what? Discuss

Lemon Festival (La Fête du Citron)

Since the 1930s the town of Menton, France, has celebrated its annual Lemon Festival. Festival organizers expect about 300,000 people to visit the town during the festival in order to enjoy the parades—featuring larger-than-life-sized figurines made entirely of citrus fruit, a specialty of the region—and other activities. Performances of local folk music and dance also take place during the festival. In addition, visitors may stroll by scenes from famous stories reconstructed out of citrus fruits and displayed in one of the city’s parks. Discuss

Andrés Segovia (1893)

Segovia was a Spanish guitarist whose transcriptions of early contrapuntal music, along with his concerts and recordings, were largely responsible for the 20th-century resurgence of interest in the guitar and its possibilities as a concert instrument. Almost entirely self-taught, he made his debut in Grenada in 1909 and by the 1920s was touring internationally. He continued to perform into his 90s. Which composers wrote works just for Segovia? Discuss

PFOA

Though the US Environmental Protection Agency labeled perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) a likely carcinogen in 2006, it continues to be widely used in food packaging and in the processing of Teflon non-stick coatings. Traces of PFOA-family chemicals can now be found in the blood of most Americans and in the environment worldwide. Of particular concern is the grease resistant fluorotelomer coating used in the production of microwave popcorn packages. How does the PFOA from popcorn bags get ingested? Discuss

The Barber of Seville's Disastrous Debut (1816)

In 1816, Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini produced The Barber of Seville, based on the comedy by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais. Though Rossini created much of the opera’s music in just weeks, it resounds with his brilliant arias, ensemble numbers, and famous crescendos. Still, several on-stage accidents and constant jeers from the audience, likely spurred by supporters of one of Rossini’s rivals, made its debut in Rome a disaster. What happened during the second performance? Discuss

Kurt Cobain (1967)

Cobain formed the rock trio Nirvana in his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington, in 1986. The group’s second album, Nevermind, featured the iconic hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and was the first punk-oriented album to achieve popularity with a mainstream audience. However, Cobain railed against his fame in Nirvana’s next album, In Utero. Known for his self-destructive behavior and heroin use, he committed suicide in 1994. What tribute to Cobain is featured on a sign in his hometown? Discuss