Dickinson is widely considered one of the greatest American poets. After attending Amherst Academy and Mount Holyoke Seminary, she returned to her family home and spent the rest of her life there, writing. By 1860, she was boldly experimenting with language. Few of her poems were published in her lifetime, but after her death, her cache of poems was discovered, and heavily edited collections were published starting in 1890. It was not until what year that an unaltered collection was published? Discuss
Author: Ian
UN General Assembly Adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Drafted by a committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the world’s most translated document. Among its 30 articles are definitions of civil and political rights, as well as definitions of economic, social, and cultural rights—all of which are owed by UN member states to those under their jurisdiction. Since its adoption, it has acquired more juridical status than originally intended and has been widely used, even by national courts, in what ways? Discuss
The Incense Route
The Incense Route was a series of important ancient trade routes linking Egypt to India by way of Arabia. The incense trade flourished between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, during which time these routes played a vital role in the transport of frankincense and myrrh from Arabia; spices, ebony, and textiles from India; and wood, feathers, hides, and gold from East Africa. Spectacular evidence of the ancient trade can be seen in 16th-century BCE Egyptian frescos that depict what? Discuss
John Birch Society Founded (1958)
The John Birch Society was founded in 1958 by Robert H. Welch, Jr., a retired candymaker, to combat communism and promote ultraconservative causes in the US. It was named for an American missionary and army intelligence officer killed by Chinese communists in 1945, considered by the society the first hero of the Cold War. Its membership reached more than 70,000 in the 1960s. Since then, it has promoted many objectives, including pressing for the US to withdraw from what organization? Discuss
Calligraphy
Calligraphy, a term derived from the Greek word for “beautiful writing,” is a form of artistic writing practiced by cultures throughout the world for millennia. Calligraphic works can range from functional, hand-lettered inscriptions to abstract fine art pieces. Regarded in China and Japan as the greatest of the visual arts, calligraphy also figures prominently in Islamic art, which forbids the depiction of human and animal forms. What kind of glyphs are found carved into structures in Mexico? Discuss
William Whiston (1667)
Whiston was an English clergyman and mathematician. He won favor through his New Theory of the Earth and in 1701 was made deputy to Sir Isaac Newton, whom he succeeded as a professor of mathematics at Cambridge. Well known as a preacher, Whiston aroused opposition by proclaiming his opinions about early Christianity, and in 1710 he was dismissed from the university for heresy. In 1736, he caused widespread panic when he predicted that what would bring the world to its end within the year? Discuss
SpaceX Launches and Returns a Spacecraft from Orbit (2010)
In 2002, PayPal cofounder Elon Musk established the space transportation company SpaceX. In 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to place a spacecraft into orbit and successfully recover it. The craft, called Dragon, was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. In 2012, Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous with and be attached to the International Space Station (ISS). When did Dragon begin regular cargo flights to the ISS? Discuss
Hashshashin
The historical referents of the term “assassin,” the Hashshashin were a secret society of Ismaili Shia Muslims who specialized in politically motivated killings of Crusaders and Muslim rulers. Much of the lore surrounding the feared sect, which originated in Persia and was active from 1090 to 1272, stems from Marco Polo’s likely fictional account of his visit to the city of Alamut in 1273. What drug is believed to be the root of the term “Hashshashin,” and what was its connection to the sect? Discuss
James Thurber (1894)
After working at various newspapers, Thurber served on the staff of The New Yorker from 1927 to 1933 and was later a principal contributor to the magazine, publishing drawings, stories, and anecdotes of his misadventures. He is especially known for his short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” In 1940, his failing eyesight forced him to curtail his drawing, and by 1952 he had to give it up altogether as his blindness had become nearly total. What is said to be Thurber’s last drawing? Discuss
Mahjong Tiles
These popular tiles are used to play many games of Chinese origin, most notably Mahjong. Traditionally, the pieces were made of bone and backed with bamboo, but most modern sets are constructed from various plastics and contain between 136 and 144 tiles. The symbols on the tiles—the majority of which have a rank and suit like playing cards—are almost always engraved or pressed into the material. How do some expert players determine the face value of their tiles without actually looking at them? Discuss