Month: September 2024

Tracer Ammunition

Used in machine guns since World War I, tracer ammunition contains modified bullets packed with a pyrotechnic charge that ignites upon firing, illuminating the bullets. This technology enables a shooter to check a bullet’s trajectory and adjust their aim accordingly. Since the tracer path can also betray a shooter’s position, many modern tracers are designed to become visible only once they have traveled a set distance. Why were tracers especially useful against Zeppelins in World War I? Discuss

Harland David "Colonel" Sanders (1890)

In 1929, Sanders opened a gas station and small restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. His cooking grew so popular that he soon closed the gas station. By 1939, he had developed a secret blend of herbs and spices and a process for cooking chicken more quickly than conventional methods. He sold his restaurant in 1956 and took to the road franchising his fried chicken recipe. By 1964, when he sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken corporation, he had sold more than 600 franchises. How did Sanders get his title? Discuss

Molecular Machines

A molecular machine is a minute mechanism consisting of molecular components that perform mechanical-like movements in response to specific stimuli. Chemists have synthesized a number of simple molecular machines, including molecular propellers and molecular motors, the latter of which are powered by light or reactions with other molecules and are capable of unidirectional rotation. Far more complex biological versions of these artificial nanomachines are found in living cells. What do they do? Discuss

American Pledge of Allegiance First Published (1892)

The Pledge of Allegiance is an oath of loyalty to the United States. It first appeared in the September 8, 1892, issue of The Youth’s Companion, and its authorship has been ascribed to magazine staff member Francis Bellamy. Officially recognized by the government in 1942, the pledge became compulsory in some public schools, but the following year the Supreme Court ruled that recitation could not be required of any individual. What two words were inserted into the pledge in 1954? Discuss

Ansgar (801 CE)

The patron saint of Scandinavia, Ansgar was a missionary and the first archbishop of Hamburg. He was sent by Louis I to help King Harald Christianize Denmark and King Bjorn Christianize Sweden. He initiated a mission to all Scandinavians and Slavs and was appointed archbishop of Hamburg in 832. When Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism by 845, Ansgar thwarted the pagan rebellion. He was recognized as a saint soon after his death. Ansgar is often called the Apostle of what? Discuss

The Seizure of the Grand Mosque

On November 20, 1979, approximately 200 armed Islamic fundamentalist dissidents opposed to the Saudi ruling family took over Islam’s holiest place, the Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After 127 Saudi Arabian National Guard members were killed in an unsuccessful attempt to regain control, the nervous Saudi government called in French and Pakistani forces, which retook the shrine in a battle that left approximately 250 dead and 600 wounded. What happened to the surviving militants? Discuss

First Miss America Pageant Held in Atlantic City, New Jersey (1921)

The Miss America Pageant, now an American institution, began in 1921 as an attempt by Atlantic City businessmen to keep tourists in town after Labor Day. The weeklong event features the 50 state pageant winners and includes evening gown, swimsuit, and talent competitions. Its winner receives a $50,000 scholarship and spends the next year traveling and making lucrative personal appearances. What unusual skills have contestants demonstrated in the talent competition over the years? Discuss