US Department of Agriculture Is Created (1862)

US President Abraham Lincoln created the Department of Agriculture, which he referred to as the “people’s department,” at a time when most Americans were farmers. It played a key role in the survival of many during the Depression, and today it continues to ensure that those in need receive food. It also aids farmers, inspects meat and dairy products, oversees food stamp and school lunch programs, and administers national forests. Before Lincoln, the Agricultural Division was part of what office? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. Dymphna’s Day

According to legend, St. Dymphna fled with her priest to Geel, Belgium to escape her pagan father’s demand for an incestuous marriage. St. Dymphna came to be known as the patron saint of the insane, and for centuries mental patients were brought to the site of her relics in Geel. Today there is a large, well-equipped sanatorium for the mentally ill in Geel. On May 15 special church services are held and a religious procession moves through the streets carrying a stone from St. Dymphna’s alleged tomb—a relic that at one time was applied to patients as part of their therapy. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Richard Avedon (1923)

A major figure in fashion photography, Avedon studied photography in the US Merchant Marine. He became a regular contributor to Harper’s Bazaar in the 1940s and was later was associated with Vogue. Known for his stark, black-and-white portraits of people in unusual poses, Avedon redefined fashion photography as an art form. However, many consider his magnum opus to be what 1985 book documenting something very different from fashion? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Randomness

Random processes are repeating processes whose outcomes follow no describable deterministic pattern. In mathematical, social, and religious settings, the term randomness refers to an innate “fairness” or lack of order or bias. Although randomness is an objective property, people often question whether a process is truly random. Many superstitions rest on the idea that seemingly random processes are actually governed by a hidden set of rules. How is randomness tied to the notion of free will? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Fossils from Ancient Hot Springs Suggest Life May Have Evolved on Land

Some of the earliest life on Earth may have dwelled in 3.5 billion-year-old Australian hot springs, a new study finds. If that’s true, it could mean that life on land dates back 580 million years earlier than we thought—and might offer valuable clues to those … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rockefeller Foundation Established (1913)

The Rockefeller Foundation is a private philanthropic organization established by John D. Rockefeller to promote “the well-being of mankind throughout the world.” Its first grant was issued to the American Red Cross, and over the years, it has donated more than $14 billion in grants to fund medical research, education, agriculture, and work in a number of other fields. Before and during WWII, it worked to bring scholars and artists persecuted by the Nazis to the US. Who was saved in this way? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Carabao Festival

The Carabao Festival is a feast in honor of San Isidro Labrador (St. Isidore the Farmer), the patron saint of Filipino farmers, held in Pulilan, Bulacan province, the Philippines. The feast also honors the carabao, or water buffalo, the universal beast of burden of the Philippines. Farmers decorate their carabao with flowers to parade with the image of San Isidro. The festival is also marked by exploding firecrackers and the performance of the Bamboo Dance, where dancers represent the tinikling bird, a menace to the rice crop. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1316)

Charles IV was a 14th-century Holy Roman Emperor, German king, and king of Bohemia. He was educated at the French court and fought the English at Crécy, where the heroic death of his father, John of Luxemburg, made him king of Bohemia. Pope Clement VI, to whom he had promised far-reaching concessions, helped secure his election as anti-king to Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV. After the death of Louis in 1347, Charles claimed the crown. He is considered the father of what modern-day nation? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Great Chain of Being

This classical and Western medieval conception of the order of the universe is composed of myriad hierarchical links that organize all things—from the most basic, matter-based elements to purely spiritual beings—into a structured system. Each level of the hierarchy moves closer to perfection, incorporating the positive attributes of the previous link as well as at least one other. Angels surpass humans, and they, in turn, are surpassed by God or the “prime mover.” What is at the lowest level? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary