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
Author: Ian
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
Theatre Royal Opens at Covent Garden in London, England (1732)
The original Covent Garden playhouse, called the Theatre Royal, was built in 1732 and hosted performances of plays, pantomimes, and opera. Twice destroyed by fire and rebuilt, the theater that stands today is the third built on the site. The Royal Ballet began performing there in 1946. The Royal Opera House reopened in 1999 after an 18-month renovation. It seats 2,268 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies. What actor financed the construction of the original theater in 1732? Discuss
Larry Bird (1956)
Bird was an American basketball player. After spending most of his collegiate career at Indiana State University, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1978 and became a perennial all-star. He led the Celtics to three championships and was named the league’s most valuable player as many times. He retired after winning gold with the 1992 US Olympic “Dream Team.” What future rival did Bird face in a college basketball championship game and then again in three professional championship series? Discuss
Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898)
Widely considered the father of photojournalism, Eisenstaedt began creating photo essays in Berlin during the 1920s. He emigrated to the US in 1935 and joined the original photography staff at Life magazine. Soon Eisenstaedt came to epitomize the magazine’s style with his topically important and beautifully composed photographs and his candid portraits of the great and the anonymous. His most famous photograph is of the joyous Times Square kiss of a sailor and a nurse on what day? Discuss
The Battle of Kadesh
Likely the largest chariot battle in history, the Battle of Kadesh was fought between the Egyptians and the Hittites in 1274 BCE at the city of Kadesh in what is now Syria. Pharaoh Ramses II mounted the attack to regain lost territory, but he was eventually forced to retreat to Egypt. Hostilities between the two peoples were finally ended with a peace agreement in 1258 BCE—one of the earliest international peace treaties. A replica of the agreement is held at what organization’s headquarters? Discuss
The Washington Monument Is Completed (1884)
In 1783, Congress passed a resolution approving an equestrian statue of George Washington. Plans were made to erect it at the site of the present Washington Monument, but Washington objected to the idea. After his death in 1799, plans for a memorial were discussed but none was adopted until 1832, when blocks of stone began to be collected from each state, some foreign countries, and private individuals. The 555-ft (169-m) monument was finally completed in 1884. Its tip is made of what? Discuss
Paul Painlevé (1863)
A mathematical prodigy, Painlevé embarked on a career devoted to science, but he turned to politics after the Dreyfus Affair sparked his interest. In World War I, he held several French cabinet posts and was briefly premier in 1917. He was premier again in 1925 and was later minister of war and minister of aviation. In mathematics, Painlevé ranked among the best minds of his time, and he made important contributions in the field of differential equations. What are the Painlevé transcendents? Discuss
Local Currency
A local currency is a currency that is not backed by a national government and is intended for trade only in a small area. Today, more than 2,500 local currency systems operate throughout the world. Though advocates say local currencies enable people in economically depressed regions to improve their situation, opponents argue that such systems can interfere with economies of scale and lead to tax evasion. What are some examples of local currencies? Discuss
Flight 19 Is Lost in the Bermuda Triangle (1945)
Flight 19 was the designation of five US Navy bombers that disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle during a navigation training flight from a naval air station in Florida. All 14 airmen involved in the exercise were lost. The search-and-rescue flight that went after them also disappeared, along with its 13-man crew, and is assumed to have exploded in midair. No wreckage from any of the six aircraft has ever been positively identified. What did Navy investigators conclude happened to Flight 19? Discuss