The Potsdam Conference

Held in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945, the Potsdam Conference was a meeting between the three principal Allies in World War II—the US, UK, and USSR. Although the summit was largely devoted to establishing post-war order after the surrender of Nazi Germany, the Allies also used it to issue a statement outlining terms for Japan’s surrender and threatening “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan failed to comply. Who represented the UK along with Winston Churchill? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Quinceañera

The Quinceañera is, in many Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas, the celebration of a young woman’s fifteenth birthday and marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. In this latter respect, the Quinceañera is similar to the “sweet sixteen” or debutante ball of the English-speaking world. Observed differently in different countries, Quinceañera festivities range from modest religious ceremonies to lavish, wedding-style celebrations. What is the origin of the tradition? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Forget-Me-Nots

Though they belong to a genus with roughly 50 species, most forget-me-nots are small, flat, five-petalled blue flowers with straggly stems. According to legend, the flowers received their name when a medieval knight, picking a posy for his lady by a riverside, fell into the water and drowned under the weight of his armor. As he was drowning, he threw the bouquet to his lover and shouted, “Forget me not!” Christian tradition, however, attributes the flower’s name to what event? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bog Bodies

Because of their extreme acidity, bogs form a natural preservative and have been found to be a valuable repository of human remains. Over the past two centuries, hundreds of bodies—some of which date back 10,000 years—have been recovered from bogs throughout Europe. These unusually preserved corpses often remain so intact that even intricate details like tattoos and fingerprints can still be distinguished. How did many of the people whose remains have been recovered from the bogs die? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Hammond Circus Train Wreck

On June 22, 1918, a locomotive pulling 20 empty passenger cars rear-ended the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train near Hammond, Indiana. The wreck and subsequent fire—likely ignited by the oil lamps in the circus train’s wooden sleeping cars—resulted in 86 deaths and 127 injuries. Most of the dead were buried five days later in a nearby cemetery in a section called Showmen’s Rest, which had been purchased by the Showmen’s League of America just months earlier. What caused the collision? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Storm Chasing

Broadly defined as the pursuit of any severe weather condition, storm chasing is an endeavor with motives ranging from thrill-seeking to serious scientific research. Although witnessing a tornado is the primary goal for most storm chasers, many enjoy watching thunderstorms, hail, lightning, and other meteorological events as well. Storm chasers are most active in May and June in the American Great Plains region. Who is generally considered the first storm chaser? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Operation Praying Mantis

In April 1988, US naval forces launched Operation Praying Mantis, attacking several Iranian targets in retaliation for the mining of an American warship in the Persian Gulf. The battle, the largest for American surface forces since World War II, was the first surface-to-surface missile engagement in US Navy history. It resulted in the sinking of two Iranian warships and three speedboats and helped pressure Iran into a ceasefire that ended its eight-year war with what neighboring country? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Horae

The Horae, whose name literally means the “Hours,” are three goddesses in Greek mythology who are said to control orderly life. Traditionally, there are thought to be two generations, or sets, of Horae: Thallo, Auxo, and Carpo—the goddesses of spring, summer, and autumn—and Eunomia, Dike, and Eirene, charged with maintaining the stability of society. In addition, there are the 12 tutelary goddesses also called hours, each of which presides over an hour of the day. Who parented the Horae? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Radiocarbon Dating

Radiocarbon dating is a method for determining the age of carbonaceous materials—especially ancient archaeological specimens—that relies on the presence of a naturally occurring isotope called carbon-14. After an organism dies, the amount of carbon-14 in its remains gradually decreases through radioactive beta decay. Measuring the amount of carbon-14 in an organism’s remains thus allows scientists to determine how long it has been dead. How do atomic bombs affect atmospheric carbon-14 levels? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Caribou

Caribou, or reindeer, are wild, North American arctic and subarctic deer that are capable of traveling 3,000 mi (5,000 km) a year and reaching speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h). Each year, millions of caribou in northern Canada and Alaska migrate in large herds, using their wide, sharp-edged hooves to travel on snow and ice and even swim across wide lakes or rivers. Caribou derive their name from a word in the Mi’kmaq language meaning “snow-shoveler”—a reference to their habit of doing what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary