In 1866, a small, white pebble, which turned out to be a 21-carat diamond, was found on the banks of the Orange River in South Africa. When a second, larger diamond was found in 1871, a diamond rush brought miners to the area by the thousands. Eventually, five big holes were dug, and the largest, known as the “Big Hole,” yielded three tons of diamonds before it was closed in 1914. What company, founded during the rush, is now responsible for about 40 percent of the world’s diamond production? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Between May and December 1946, a number of mysterious rocket-shaped objects, termed “Ghost Rockets,” were spotted in several European countries. These reports are considered by many ufologists to be the first widespread post-World War II sightings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. Though many of the objects were attributed to meteors, especially those seen during the annual Perseid meteor shower, most were not. What led investigators to conclude that the objects were not merely meteors? 
Michel was a German woman who died in 1976 while undergoing exorcism treatments for demonic possession. She began suffering from seizures and depression when she was 16, the symptoms of which were not eased by conventional medical treatment. Convinced her condition was the result of demonic possession, Michel began a series of hour-long exorcism sessions that lasted nearly a year and ended with her death. Why were her parents and the priests who performed the exorcisms convicted of manslaughter? 
Zzyzx is a settlement in San Bernardino County, California. The name was given to the area in 1944 by American radio evangelist Curtis Howe Springer, who claimed it was the last word in the English language. He established the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa on the plot, which was actually federal land that he had not received permission to use. In 1974, he was arrested for misusing the land, and the government seized the property. Who oversees the area today? 
In 1859, French physicist Gaston Planté invented the lead acid battery, the world’s first rechargeable electric battery and the forerunner of the modern automobile battery. His early model consisted of two sheets of coiled lead soaked in sulfuric acid, but he soon revised this design, and just a year later, he presented a nine-cell version to the Academy of Sciences. What mechanical device did Planté invent as part of his investigation into the differences between static and dynamic electricity? 
Colloidal silver is a mixture of silver particles and water that has antimicrobial properties. Formerly used on external wounds and burns to prevent infection, colloidal silver is cited by some alternative-health practitioners as a beneficial nutritional supplement and a powerful antibiotic that is relatively safe for human consumption. However, most members of the mainstream medical community warn users that it can lead to argyria, a rare but permanent condition that turns the skin what color? 
Famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright led a turbulent life rife with personal tragedy as well as several failed marriages. In 1909, Wright left his first wife and eloped to Europe with Mamah Cheney, who was also married at the time. When the pair returned to the US, Wright began building a new home, called Taliesin. In August 1914, while Wright was away, one of his workers set fire to Taliesin and murdered 7 people with an axe, including Cheney and her 2 children. Who survived the attack? 
Alan Magee was an American airman who amazingly survived a 22,000-ft (6,700-m) fall from his damaged B-17 bomber during World War II. In 1943, Magee was on a daylight bombing run over France when German fighters shot off a section of his plane’s right wing, causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. His parachute had been damaged and rendered useless, yet the wounded airman had no choice but to leap from the plane. He fell over four miles before what broke his fall? 
Two weeks after their 1944 escape from Auschwitz, Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler met with Jewish officials in Slovakia and gave them a detailed report on the Nazi concentration camp as well as sketches of its layout, gas chambers, and crematoria. Although the report’s release to the public was controversially delayed, it was the first detailed report on Auschwitz that the Allies found credible and is credited with having saved many lives. Why did Vrba claim the report was deliberately withheld? 
Philippe Petit is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his illegal 1974 walk between the former Twin Towers in New York. After six years of planning, Petit used a 450-pound (204-kg) cable and a 26-foot (8-m), 55-pound (25-kg) balancing pole to make eight crossings between the still unfinished towers—walking, jumping, and lying down on the wire for more than an hour before being arrested when he returned to the tower roof. What punishment did Petit receive for his stunt?