Jerusalem Syndrome

Manifesting in Jews and Christians alike, Jerusalem syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals experience religiously themed delusions while visiting Jerusalem. Seen as early as the Middle Ages, it is often marked by a desire to tour the city alone, an obsession with being clean, and the need to don a white gown. It sometimes culminates in the public delivery of a sermon. For what occasion in recent history did authorities fear a major spike in cases of Jerusalem syndrome? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Gone with the Wind Premieres in Atlanta, Georgia (1939)

American writer Margaret Mitchell only published one novel during her lifetime—Gone with the Wind—and it became one of the most popular novels in the history of American publishing. In 1939, an extraordinarily successful film version of the book was released, transferring the romantic, panoramic portrait of the Civil War and Reconstruction periods in Georgia to the big screen. The movie won 10 Academy Awards. Why did the film’s leading man, Clark Gable, threaten to boycott the premiere? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Consualia

The infamous rape of the Sabine women occurred at the first Consualia in ancient Rome. Consus is said to have advised Romulus to abduct the Sabine women as wives for his supporters. The sanctuary dedicated to Consus in 272 BCE was located on the Aventine Hill in Rome, and sacrifices were held there during his festival. There were also horse and chariot races in the Circus Maximus, the large arena that lay between the Palatine and Aventine hills. Two festivals were actually held in honor of Consus—one on August 21 and the other on December 15. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jean Paul Getty (1892)

The son of an oil millionaire, Getty was an American industrialist who increased his fortune and became the richest man in the world by acquiring oil companies and obtaining rights to a tract of land in Saudi Arabia that yielded great quantities of oil. Married and divorced five times, he was known for such bizarre behavior as installing a payphone in his mansion for guests to use and refusing to pay a ransom for his grandson even after being sent the boy’s ear. What happened to the grandson? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Buddhist Art

Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE, following the historical life of Gautama Buddha—the religious leader and founder of Buddhism. Around the 1st century CE, the aniconic tradition of avoiding direct representation of Buddha’s bodily form was replaced with an iconic style of art that permitted the depiction of his human figure. What monument is the largest Buddhist structure in the world and contains more than 500 Buddha statutes? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Why Can’t Monkeys Talk Like Us? Their Vocal Tract Might Not Be the Problem.

A talking monkey seems like a thing of science-fiction, cartoons, and goofy advertisements. But new research suggests monkey speech may be closer to reality than commonly thought. Macaques actually have vocal anatomy capable of human-like speech, according to a … Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Dayton Agreement Is Signed in Paris, France (1995)

The Dayton Agreement was a peace agreement that put an end to the Bosnian War that began in 1992. The accord was the result of a meeting between Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian leaders under US auspices in Dayton, Ohio. It called for a Bosnian republic with a central government and two semiautonomous regions roughly equal in size—one dominated by Serbs and the other by Bosniaks and Croats in federation. Later signed in Paris, the accord also provided for the dispatch of what military force? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary