Martin Luther Marries a Catholic Nun (1525)

Eight years after he issued his 95 Theses and sparked the Protestant Reformation, Luther married former Catholic nun Katherina von Bora, with whom he raised six children. Though little is known about her, she is considered an important figure of the Reformation due to her role in helping to define Protestant family life and setting the precedent for clergy marriages. Von Bora was one of 12 nuns Luther helped escape from a convent in 1523. How was he said to have smuggled them out? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Philippine Declaration of Independence (1898)

After Spain’s defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands. However, neither the US nor Spain recognized Philippine independence. Instead, the Spanish government ceded the islands to the US in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, sparking a period of hostilities between US and Filipino forces. When did the US finally recognize the islands’ independence? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thich Quang Duc Commits Self-Immolation (1963)

In the early 1960s, the policies of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, a member of the Catholic minority, generated claims of religious bias against the vast Buddhist majority. In 1963, Duc, a Buddhist monk, protested by dousing himself with gasoline and burning himself to death at a Saigon intersection. Photos of his self-immolation quickly spread around the world, and the event is widely seen as the turning point that led to a regime change. Which of Duc’s organs has been preserved? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mount Tarawera Erupts (1886)

Mount Tarawera, a 3,646-ft (1,111-m) high volcanic peak on New Zealand’s North Island, consists of several lava domes that were split apart by an explosive eruption in 1886, which destroyed surrounding villages and killed more than 100 people. It also destroyed the nearby Pink and White Terraces, considered by some to have been the eighth wonder of the natural world. What ghostly apparition witnessed by a boatful of tourists, including a clergyman, is said to have been a portent of the eruption? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Completes First Transpacific Flight (1928)

The first successful transpacific flight was carried out by Australian aviator Charles Kingsford-Smith and his crew, who piloted the trimotor monoplane Southern Cross from Oakland, California, to Brisbane, Australia. During the 7,250-mi (11,668-km) journey, the Southern Cross stopped to refuel in Hawaii, then flew on to Fiji—where it was the first aircraft ever to land on the island—and then embarked on the final leg of its trip. How many days did the entire crossing take? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Iceland’s Laki Volcano Begins 9-Month-Long Eruption (1783)

In 934, an eruption of Iceland’s Laki volcanic fissure released 4.7 cu mi (19.6 cu km) of basalt lava, one of the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth in historical times. In 1783, the system erupted again, pouring out an estimated 3.4 cu mi (14 cu km) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous compounds that killed over half of Iceland’s livestock and led to a famine that killed approximately a quarter of its human population. How did Laki’s eruption help trigger the French Revolution? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Zoot Suit Riots Come to an End (1943)

Named for the style of clothing favored by the mainly Mexican-American victims of these clashes, the Zoot Suit Riots erupted between American servicemen stationed in Los Angeles, California, during World War II and the city’s minority residents. While the local press lauded the attacks by the servicemen and described them as having a “cleansing effect,” First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt denounced them as “race riots” rooted in discrimination. What happened to the nine sailors arrested in the riots? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

First Drive-In Theater Opens in New Jersey (1933)

The drive-in theater was the creation of New Jersey chemical company magnate Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. In 1932, Hollingshead nailed a screen to trees in his backyard and set a projector on the hood of his car. After applying for a patent for his creation, Hollingshead opened the first drive-in the next year. Though it only operated for three years, the concept soon caught on in other states. How many drive-ins are estimated to have existed in the US at the height of their popularity? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Six-Day War Begins (1967)

After a period of relative calm, border incidents between Israel and Syria, Egypt, and Jordan increased during the early 1960s. Palestinian guerrilla attacks on Israel from bases in Syria led to increased hostility between the two countries. After Egypt signed a defense treaty with Jordan, Israel launched a preemptive air strike against the three Arab states, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. How many were killed in the fighting? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

First Pulitzer Prizes Awarded (1917)

The Pulitzer Prizes—prestigious awards presented annually by Columbia University for achievements in American journalism, literature, and music—were created by journalist and publisher Joseph Pulitzer, whose will funded the establishment of Columbia’s school of journalism as well as the prizes. Ironically, Columbia had rejected donation offers from Pulitzer during his lifetime because, as one of the originators of yellow journalism, he was regarded as unscrupulous. What do prizewinners receive? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary