Month: March 2024

Alexander II of Russia Signs the Edict of Emancipation (1861)

Signed by Czar Alexander II, the 1861 Edict of Emancipation granted liberty to more than 23 million serfs, about a third of the Russian population. The edict extended to the serfs the full rights of citizens, in particular, the right to own property—which they were to receive from the landlords and pay off over time. However, the process by which they were to acquire the land was slow, complex, and expensive. What was the village commune that controlled the peasants’ landholdings called? Discuss

Jamsetji Tata (1839)

Tata was an Indian entrepreneur and pioneer industrialist known as “the father of Indian industry.” He began his career at his father’s trading firm but formed his own company in 1868 and had early success in the textile industry, buying, selling, and setting up cotton mills. He went on to establish the Tata Group of companies, which now has interests in steel, automobiles, information technology, energy, tea, and hotels. Tata died in 1904 while on a trip where? Discuss

Pandora

According to Greek mythology, Zeus ordered that the first woman, Pandora, be created as a punishment to humankind for Prometheus’s theft of fire. The gods endowed her with every charm, but also with curiosity and deceit. Zeus sent her to marry Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus, and gave her a box that he forbade her to open. Despite Prometheus’s warnings, Epimetheus allowed Pandora to open the box, letting out all the evils that have since afflicted man. What alone remained inside the box? Discuss

Charles the Good Is Assassinated (1127)

As count of Flanders from 1119 until his death, Charles the Good strove to help the poor, distributing bread in times of famine and working to ensure that grain was sold to them at a fair price. Angered by this policy, one influential family had Charles hacked to death while in church. The popular count’s brutal murder provoked public outrage, and though he was not formally beatified until the 19th century, he was almost immediately regarded popularly as a martyr. What became of his murderers? Discuss

Sholem Aleichem (1859)

One of the great Yiddish writers, Aleichem is best known for his humorous tales of life among the poverty-ridden and oppressed Russian Jews of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works include five novels, many plays, and some 300 short stories. In the last years of his life, Aleichem lived in the US and died in New York City, where, through his work, he helped to found the Yiddish Art Theater. Many of his works have been adapted for the stage, most notably what musical? Discuss

Amenhotep III

Amenhotep III, 9th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, ruled Egypt during the 14th c BCE. He enjoys the distinction of having the largest number of surviving statues depicting his likeness of any Egyptian pharaoh; these include the Colossi of Memnon, 2 massive stone statues built at the gateway of his mortuary temple. His lengthy reign saw a period of unprecedented prosperity and artistic splendor. As pharaoh, Amenhotep elevated 2 of his daughters to the role of Great Royal Wife, a title meaning what? Discuss