Author: Ian

Nancy Wake (1912)

Wake, who lived to the age of 98, was one of World War II’s most decorated servicewomen. A New Zealand native, she left home at 16 and eventually settled in Paris. When the Germans occupied France, Wake joined the resistance. Pursued by the Gestapo, she fled to Britain, where she joined the Special Operations Executive. In 1944, she parachuted back into France to help establish communications between the British military and French Resistance. What nickname did the Gestapo have for her? Discuss

The Total Solar Eclipse of 1999

Often considered the most-viewed total solar eclipse in human history, the eclipse of August 11, 1999, was the first total eclipse visible from Europe in nearly a decade. The path of the moon’s shadow began in the Atlantic Ocean just before noon and traversed England, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Serbia before reaching maximum coverage in Romania and continuing across Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and India. What spacecraft also observed the moon’s shadow? Discuss

Ingrid Bergman (1915)

Bergman was a Swedish actress who specialized in portrayals of strong, sophisticated women. Her radiance and unaffected charm made her a star in films such as Casablanca, Gaslight, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious. A scandal caused by her affair with director Roberto Rossellini kept her off the US screen for seven years and forced her to return to Europe until 1956, when she made her successful Hollywood comeback in Anastasia. How many Academy Awards did she win? Discuss

Carnivorous Plants

Usually found in places with thin or nutrient-poor soil, carnivorous plants derive some or most of their sustenance by attracting, trapping, and digesting insects, small animals, and protozoans. Though there are hundreds of species of carnivorous plants, they all attract and trap prey using any of 5 basic mechanisms: pitfall traps, flypaper traps, snap traps, bladder traps, and lobster-pot traps. Just two species are classified as “active” snap traps; one is the Venus flytrap, what is the other? Discuss

US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Incident (2007)

In 2007, six cruise missiles with nuclear warheads were mistakenly loaded onto a US Air Force bomber and transported from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana without the knowledge the flight crew. A military investigation of the incident found that a number of procedures for handling nuclear weapons had been carried out improperly by numerous service members. Disciplinary actions were taken against many officers, including what high-ranking officials? Discuss

Subvertising

Subvertising is the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements. Taking its name from a combination of the words “subvert” and “advertising,” the act is often intended to sabotage its targets by presenting easily recognizable images that are shocking upon second glance. Still, some critics say subverts, which are often modified versions of existing images, merely increase public awareness of the original symbols. How have subverts been used politically? Discuss

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749)

Goethe was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, and scientist whose dramatic poem Faust is considered one of the world’s greatest poetic and philosophic creations. In it, he represents Faust, the legendary scholar who sold his soul to the devil, tragically, as a singularly modern figure who is condemned to remain unsatisfied by life. In his later years, Goethe was celebrated as a sage and visited by world luminaries. Goethe wrote which of his novels while suicidal over an unrequited love? Discuss