Christopher Robin Milne was the son of author A.A. Milne. When Christopher was a young child, his father wrote poetry for him, which grew into the collections When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. Later, Christopher and his toy animals were incorporated into stories about the adventures of the now-classic characters Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh. How did Christopher feel about his name being used in his father’s stories? Discuss
Author: Ian
The Big Burn (1910)
The Great Fire of 1910 was a wildfire that burned approximately three million acres (12,000 sq km) in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Spurred by hurricane-force winds, it destroyed parts of several national forests. Since known as the Big Burn, the firestorm burned over two days and killed more than 80 people, including 78 firefighters. It is believed to be the largest, although not the deadliest, fire in US history. How did the Great Fire of 1910 shape future US Forest Service policy? Discuss
Jöns Jakob Berzelius (1779)
Regarded as one of the founders of modern chemistry, Berzelius was a Swedish professor who achieved an immensely important series of innovations and discoveries. He developed chemistry’s modern system of symbols and formulas, prepared a remarkably precise table of atomic weights, analyzed numerous chemical compounds, and discovered the elements selenium, thorium, and cerium. He also introduced basic laboratory equipment that remains in use today. What common scientific terms did Berzelius coin? Discuss
Czech Dream
As their final film-school project, two Czech students, Vít Klusák and Filip Remunda, perpetrated a massive hoax—and filmed it. Called Czech Dream, the 2004 documentary follows the pair as they convince a public relations agency to create an advertising campaign—complete with billboards, TV commercials, and a jingle—for the launch of a fake department store. It worked; 3,000 shoppers showed up to an empty field for the grand opening of the “store.” How did the customers react to the ruse? Discuss
scathing
Definition: (adjective) Bitterly denunciatory; harshly critical.
Synonyms: vituperative.
Usage: This scathing remark caused the Prince to hide his face for shame, and Steve to erect his head in the proud consciousness that this shot was not meant for him.
Discuss
Madame du Barry (1743)
Madame du Barry was the mistress of Louis XV. She was first the mistress of Jean du Barry, who introduced her into Parisian high society. Admired for her beauty, she joined Louis XV’s court in 1769 after a nominal marriage to Jean’s brother, a nobleman, qualified her to be Louis’s official royal mistress. Though she exercised little political influence, her unpopularity contributed to the decline of the prestige of the crown in the early 1770s. What happened to her during the French Revolution? Discuss
Babylonian Law
The study of ancient Babylonian law, supported by thousands of primary sources that include contracts, deeds, and legal decisions, was greatly advanced by the discovery of a set of 282 laws known as the Code of Hammurabi. Created around 1760 BCE by the sixth Babylonian King, Hammurabi, the Code loosely divided the population into three classes and established an “eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth” style of punishment for criminals. What was the penalty for perjury? Discuss
American Outlaw John Wesley Hardin Shot Dead (1895)
Hardin was an American desperado who claimed to have killed 42 men, one of them allegedly for snoring. He became a gambler and a gunman very early in life, but his friends and gunfighting skills helped him evade the authorities until 1877, when he was sentenced to 25 years for killing a sheriff. He studied law in prison and was released after serving 16 years. Pardoned in 1894, he passed the bar exam and began to practice law, but a local constable shot him to death a year later for what reason? Discuss
pathos
Definition: (noun) A quality, as of an experience or a work of art, that arouses feelings of pity, sympathy, tenderness, or sorrow.
Synonyms: poignancy.
Usage: The documentary film captured the pathos of the refugee’s situation, and there was not a dry eye in the theater when the movie ended.
Discuss
Meriwether Lewis (1774)
After serving as a captain in the US army, Lewis became secretary to President Thomas Jefferson. When Congress approved a plan to find a land route to the Pacific Ocean, Jefferson selected his trusted associate, along with William Clark, to head the expedition. In 1807, Lewis was made governor of the Louisiana Territory. His sudden death—either by murder or suicide—in 1809, while on his way to Washington, DC, is still the subject of controversy. Why have requests to exhume his body been denied? Discuss