Boy Scouts of America Founded (1910)

One of the largest youth organizations in the US is the Boy Scouts of America, which promotes community service and character building. The scouts’ activities aim at mental, moral, and physical development, stressing outdoor skills and training in citizenship and lifesaving. Scouts receive recognition in the form of merit badges and awards. The basic scout unit is a troop of about 15 boys, under the leadership of an adult scoutmaster. How many of the 12 men to walk on the moon were Boy Scouts? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Maastricht Treaty Establishes the European Union (1992)

The history of the European Union (EU) began soon after World War II, when there developed in Europe a strong revulsion against national rivalries and parochial loyalties. European strength and security seemed to lie in a united Europe, and the European Coal and Steel Company—established in 1952—was the first attempt at accomplishing such a union. In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty, formally the Treaty on European Union, officially established the EU. How many member states does the EU have? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Singapore Established as a Trading Post (1819)

A trading center as early as the 14th century, Singapore was later part of Johor, a region of the southern Malay Peninsula. In 1819, the island of Singapore was ceded to the British East India Company, and the city was founded the same year by Sir Thomas Raffles. Under Raffles’ direction, Singapore developed a vital role in the lucrative China trade. Today, the city is one of the world’s biggest ports. The earliest known settlement on the island of Singapore was referred to by what name? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hydrogen Bomb Lost in the Ocean (1958)

The Tybee Bomb is a 7,600-pound (3,500-kg) nuclear bomb containing 400 pounds (180 kg) of conventional high explosives and highly enriched uranium. During a simulated combat mission, the B-47 bomber carrying it collided with an F-86 fighter plane, and the bomb was jettisoned and lost. It is presumed to be somewhere in Wassaw Sound, off the shores of Georgia’s Tybee Island, but recovery efforts have been unsuccessful. In 2004, a retired air force pilot made what discovery in the case? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Confederate States of America Established (1861)

Although Abraham Lincoln had stated his willingness to tolerate slavery where it currently existed, his election as US president precipitated the secession of several Southern states. South Carolina, the first to secede, was soon followed out of the Union by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. On February 4, 1861, delegates from the seceding states met in Alabama to organize a provisional government. Who was elected president of the Confederate States of America? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

15th Amendment to the US Constitution Ratified (1870)

Ratified during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Period, the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution was intended primarily to enfranchise former slaves. It states: “The right of citizens…to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Though the amendment’s purpose was not fully achieved until 1965, the first African American to exercise this right did so the day after the amendment was ratified by participating in what election? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Hama Massacre (1982)

In the late 1970s, the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood sought to drive President Hafez al-Assad from power through a terror campaign that culminated in an uprising in the Syrian city of Hama. Government forces allegedly led by al-Assad’s brother quelled the revolt, destroying much of the old city in the process. The Syrian military shelled the town for weeks, and estimated deaths numbered more than 20,000. What incident involving al-Assad and the Muslim Brotherhood occurred in June 1980? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Director Skips Bail and Flees to France (1978)

The films of renowned director Roman Polanski are marked by dramatic situations presented with irony and a cool lack of sentimentality. Born in Paris and educated in Poland, he moved to Hollywood in 1968 to pursue his filmmaking career. His pregnant wife was murdered by the Manson “family” shortly thereafter. In 1978, he fled to France to avoid sentencing after pleading guilty to statutory rape. A survivor of the Holocaust, he recently received an Academy Award for what World War II film? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Private Slovik Executed for Desertion (1945)

US Army private Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion in 1945. His was the first such execution after the Civil War and the only one of 49 World War II desertion death sentences to be carried out. Slovik was initially separated from his unit during an artillery attack. He rejoined them but deserted after being assigned to the front lines. He later confessed in writing that he would do it again and refused offers to destroy his note and return to battle. How old was Slovik when he died? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hitler Is Appointed Chancellor of Germany (1933)

Hitler’s rise to power began long before 1933, with his development of the Nazi party in the early 1920s and the release of his book, Mein Kampf. When the Nazis were elected the largest party in the Reichstag in 1932, German President Paul von Hindenburg offered Hitler a subordinate position in the cabinet. Hitler held out for a more powerful post and only had to wait six months to be named chancellor. How did Hitler then work to eliminate the communists as a political opponent?

Source: The Free Dictionary