Sometimes referred to as the “Lady of the House,” Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives and the first female member of Congress. Just days into her term, she drew the ire of the press by voting, along with 56 others, against the resolution to enter WWI. In 1940, Rankin was again elected to Congress and once again voted against entering a world war, though this time she was the only Congress member to do so. What was the Jeanette Rankin Brigade? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In 1997, a Dutch parliamentary commission tasked with investigating the advisability of same-sex unions concluded that same-sex couples should be given the right to enter into civil marriages. Legislation was finalized in late 2000, and at the stroke of midnight on April 1, 2001, four same-sex couples were married by the mayor of Amsterdam, making the Netherlands the first nation to legally recognize same-sex marriages. How many same-sex couples took advantage of the new law in that first year? 
Among the most recognized and visited structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower was built beside the Seine River in Paris between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World’s Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was constructed by 300 workers who joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron using 2,500,000 rivets. How many people died during the tower’s construction? 
Just 69 days into his presidency, Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington, DC, along with three others. The would-be assassin, John Hinckley, Jr., was motivated by an obsession with actress Jodie Foster and the film Taxi Driver. Reagan soon recovered, and Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and confined to a psychiatric facility. While Reagan was hospitalized, Secretary of State Alexander Haig made a controversial statement about presidential succession. What did he say? 
In the latter part of the 20th century, research on the health risks of secondhand tobacco smoke spurred legislative bodies throughout the world to consider smoking bans. On March 29, 2004, Ireland became the first country to implement a nationwide ban on smoking in public places, including all enclosed workplaces. Many nations have since followed with similar legislation. Which Pope instituted the first known public smoking ban in 1590 by threatening smokers with excommunication? -2.jpg)
Both mechanical failure and human error contributed to the 1979 failure of a nuclear reactor cooling system at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania, which led to overheating, partial melting of the reactor’s uranium core, and the release of radioactive gases. Though it caused no immediate deaths or injuries, the incident increased public fears about the safety of nuclear power. What nuclear accident-themed film was released just two weeks before the incident? 
Charles I was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from March 27, 1625, until his execution in 1649. An advocate of the divine right of kings, Charles drew ire during his reign by engaging in a power struggle with Parliament, marrying a Catholic, and allying himself with controversial religious figures. His last years were marked by civil war, and he was defeated twice before being captured, tried, convicted, and executed for high treason. What happened after the monarchy was abolished? 
The Bangladesh Liberation War was fought between West Pakistan and East Pakistan—now Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively. It began as an uprising in East Pakistan led by a guerilla force called the Mukti Bahini. Indian support bolstered the Bangladeshi rebellion and led to a separate but simultaneous war between India and Pakistan. Eventually, West Pakistan’s forces were defeated and East Pakistan gained its independence, becoming the new nation of Bangladesh. Why did India support the rebels? 
In 1804, British Parliament approved the laying of a railway line between Swansea and Oystermouth in South Wales to move limestone from the quarries of Mumbles to Swansea and to the markets beyond. Later renamed the Swansea and Mumbles Railway, the line was approved to carry passengers in 1807. The world’s first regular passenger service began that same year and operated in one form or another for more than a century and a half before it was decommissioned. What powered the line’s first trains? 
On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker hit Prince William Sound’s Bligh Reef and spilled approximately 11 million US gallons (41 million liters) of crude oil into the sea, covering 11,000 square miles (28,000 km²) of ocean. As a result of the spill, an estimated 250,000 sea birds, 1,000 sea otters, and countless fish and other wildlife died. The ship’s captain was widely criticized after the incident, but many others factors contributed to the crash. What are some examples?