Tasso, an Italian poet, was one of the foremost writers of the Renaissance as well as one of its tragic figures. After penning many popular works, Tasso became psychologically unstable and was intermittently confined to a hospital in his later life. He is best known for writing Gerusalemme liberata—Jerusalem Delivered—an epic of chivalric exploits during the First Crusade. Considered his masterpiece, it has influenced countless poets. Why, then, did Tasso heavily revise it? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Carlos “Chuck” Norris is an American martial artist and action star best known for his titular role on the television series Walker, Texas Ranger. After serving in the US Air Force, Norris became a martial arts champion and an actor, starring in many action films. In 2005, Norris became the subject of an Internet phenomenon known as “Chuck Norris Facts,” which document fictional, often absurdly heroic feats and characteristics about him. Which “fact” is reportedly Norris’s favorite? 
A leading figure in Soviet government from the 1920s until 1957, Molotov rose to power as a protégé of Stalin. He was chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars from 1930–41 and foreign minister from 1939–49 and 1953–56. In the early days of World War II, he negotiated a treaty with Germany, but after the 1941 invasion of Russia, he worked to strengthen ties with the West. Why is the Molotov cocktail, a makeshift bomb made of a breakable container filled with flammable liquid, named for him? 
Grahame was an English author best known for writing The Wind in the Willows, whose anthropomorphic animal characters—Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad—captivatingly combine human traits with authentic animal habits. Though a children’s classic, it has been enjoyed by readers of all ages since its publication in 1908. In addition to writing, Grahame worked as at the Bank of England for some time. What happened to him when a man supposedly opened fire on him at the bank in 1903? 
Before becoming the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, race car driver Janet Guthrie worked as an aerospace engineer. She began racing in 1963. By the end of 1977, she had competed in two of racing’s most prestigious events—the Daytona 500 and Indy 500. She has since been inducted into both the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and her race suit and helmet are in the Smithsonian Institution. What record does she hold? 
Among the world’s most celebrated artists, Michelangelo was one of the foremost figures of the Renaissance. The marble David, completed before his 30th birthday, is a sculptural masterpiece, and his paintings in the Sistine Chapel are among the most influential frescoes in the history of Western art. A true “Renaissance man,” he also was an architect and poet and wrote hundreds of sonnets and madrigals. Where in the Sistine Chapel is there a disguised self-portrait of Michelangelo? 
Luxemburg was a Polish-born German revolutionary and Marxist political theorist. She helped found the Polish Socialist party, was a leader in the German Social Democratic Party, and collaborated with Karl Liebknecht in founding the Spartacus League in 1916. Imprisoned during World War I for opposing the war, Luxemburg continued to secretly write politically inflammatory essays and had them illegally smuggled out of prison and published. How did she die? 
Henry the Navigator, a Portuguese prince, figured strongly in Portugal’s early development as a colonial empire. Though not a navigator himself, Henry was a great patron of exploration and is credited with establishing a school for navigators and encouraging the study of navigational instruments and cartography. Under his patronage, Portuguese sailors explored and colonized Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Azores. Where did Henry get the money to fund these expeditions? 
Bell was a scientist and inventor. He patented the telephone in 1876 and months later sent his now-famous telephone message to his assistant, Thomas A. Watson: “Mr. Watson, come here; I want to see you.” Bell also invented a device that transmitted sound in rays of light, a machine that tested hearing and detected auditory deficiencies, and an apparatus capable of locating metallic objects in the human body. This last device was hurriedly assembled in an attempt to find a bullet in whose body? 
Theodor Seuss Geisel, popularly known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss, was a famous American writer and cartoonist. His outlandishly illustrated books captivate readers with their unique blend of whimsy, zany humor, and catchy verse. He is best known for his children’s books, which include enduring classics like The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. How has the pronunciation of “Seuss” changed since Geisel first adopted the pseudonym?