“Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?” (1813)

David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary and explorer, was the first European to cross the African continent. Among his many discoveries are the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. Though he aimed to facilitate the abolition of the slave trade by opening Africa to commerce and missionary stations, he inadvertently contributed to the “Scramble for Africa” instead. He is the subject of the popular quotation, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Who uttered the famous phrase upon meeting him in 1871? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. Joseph’s Day

In Valencia, Spain, the feast of the foster-father of Jesus is a week-long festival called Fallas de San Jose (Bonfires of St. Joseph). On St. Joseph’s Eve, March 18, fallas—huge floats of intricate scenes made of wood and papier-mâché, satirizing everything from the high cost of living to political personalities—parade through the streets. At midnight on March 19, the celebration ends with the spectacular ceremony known as the crema, when all the fallas are set on fire. The festival is said to reflect the happy and satirical nature of the Valencians. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tuskegee Airmen Activated for Service (1941)

The Tuskegee Airmen, trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Army Air Field during WWII, made up the US military’s first African-American flying unit. In 1941, congressional legislation forced the Army Air Corps to create an all-black combat unit, and though the War Department aimed to block its formation by instituting a number of restrictive guidelines for applicants, many qualified for service. In all, these airmen flew 1,578 missions, destroyed 261 enemy aircraft, and were awarded how many medals? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tyne Bridge

The Tyne Bridge is a compression arch suspended-deck bridge over the River Tyne, in northeastern England, near the site of the earliest bridge built there by the Romans. The design of the bridge was based on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which in turn derived its design from New York’s Hell Gate Bridge. The plan for the bridge was approved in 1924, and it was officially opened in 1928 by King George V. What parts of the bridge were never completed and remain unused? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844)

Rimsky-Korsakov, a Russian composer noted for his skill in orchestration, completed his first symphony at the age of 21, while serving as a midshipman with the Imperial Russian Navy. In 1871, he became a professor at St. Petersburg Conservatory, and he taught many famous future composers, including Igor Stravinsky. As a member of a group of nationalist composers known as “The Five,” Rimsky-Korsakov aimed to write music of distinctively Russian character. What often inspired his work? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Largest Art Theft in US History (1990)

On March 18, 1990, thieves disguised as police officers broke into Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 works of art, including paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Manet, and Degas. The crime, considered the largest art theft in US history, remains unsolved. Due to the strict provisions of Gardner’s will, which stipulate that the collection remain unchanged, the paintings’ empty frames remain on display in their original locations. What group is suspected of carrying out the heist? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary