Month: October 2024

The Old Summer Palace

Known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Clarity, the Old Summer Palace was a complex of palaces and gardens built in the 18th and early 19th centuries near the walls of Beijing. Hundreds of invaluable Chinese art masterpieces and antiquities were stored in its halls, making the Imperial Gardens one of the largest museums in the world. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, British and French troops looted and destroyed the gardens. Why have the Chinese decided not to rebuild the complex? Discuss

The Great Hurricane of 1780 Forms (1780)

The Great Hurricane of 1780 was the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history. Coming during a very active hurricane season, the storm formed on October 9 and struck Barbados the next day with winds possibly exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h). It then passed over several other islands, leaving mass destruction in its wake. Thousands of deaths were reported on each island, and more than 20,000 people had died by the time the storm dissipated. How did the hurricane impact the American Revolution? Discuss

Walter O'Malley (1903)

Born in New York City, O’Malley was the owner of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team from 1950 to 1979. In 1958, he moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and helped to coordinate the move of the New York Giants to San Francisco at a time when there were no teams west of Missouri. Though ultimately successful, the transplantation of the Dodgers made O’Malley a target of vilification by Brooklyn fans. However, some blame what powerful official for the team’s move? Discuss

The Capgras Delusion

The Capgras Delusion is a rare disorder in which a person holds the delusional belief that an acquaintance—usually a spouse or other close family member—has been replaced by an identical impostor. Found in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, or those suffering from a brain injury, the disorder is named after Joseph Capgras, the French psychiatrist who first described it in 1923. What have researchers since learned about the disorder? Discuss

Harriet Taylor Mill (1807)

Harriet Taylor Mill was a philosopher and women’s rights advocate who is largely remembered for the influence she had on her second husband, John Stuart Mill, one of the preeminent thinkers of the 19th century. The two met while Harriet was still married. Two years after her first husband died, Harriet and John married following a 20-year friendship. She read and commented on all of his material, and he considered her an equal collaborator. What essays did Harriet write during their marriage? Discuss

Kshatriya: The Warrior Class

Kshatriya is Hindu India’s military varna, or caste. In ancient times, it was considered the highest varna, but it was later supplanted by the priestly Brahman class. The legend of the caste’s demotion by Vishnu may reflect a historical struggle for power between priests and rulers. According to Hindu texts, Kshatriyas studied the ancient martial arts, which were eventually carried by Buddhist monks to China and Japan. “Kshatriya” derives from the Sanskrit word meaning what? Discuss

William II Becomes King of the Netherlands (1840)

William served in the Peninsular War, was wounded at Waterloo, and led the Dutch army in the Belgian revolution after his father failed to approve his conciliation efforts. Called to the throne upon his father’s abdication in 1840, William was immediately confronted with a financial crisis, which was solved by raising a “voluntary loan” among the people. A conservative leader, he resisted constitutional revision until the revolutionary spirit of 1848 induced him to grant what desired reforms? Discuss