Charles de Gaulle (1890)

De Gaulle was a French general and statesman. He left France after it fell to the Germans in WWII and started the Free French movement in England. He returned to France after the liberation of Paris and headed two provisional governments before resigning in 1946. When an insurrection in Algeria threatened to bring civil war to France, he returned to government, helped establish the Fifth Republic, and became its first president in 1958. What was his role in the “Empty Chair Crisis”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Tar

The tar is a long-necked lute found in Iran and throughout the Caucasus region. Its music was believed to cure a number of physical maladies and induce philosophical moods that compel listeners to reflect upon life. The tar’s double-bowl shape is carved from mulberry wood, and a thin membrane of stretched lambskin covers the top. It has a number of adjustable frets as well as three double courses of strings. Tar, Persian for string, is the root for the names of what other instruments? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

phylactery

Definition: (noun) Either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm; traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays.
Synonyms: tefillin.
Usage: Just before his bar mitzvah, David got a brand new set of phylacteries.
Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mayflower Compact Signed (1620)

The decision to settle outside the boundaries of established colonial government rather than within Virginia territory, as originally planned, led some Mayflower passengers to assert that they would not be bound by laws. Concerned Pilgrim leaders drafted a compact providing for the temporary government of the colony. The 41 adult male signers agreed to combine themselves into a “civil Body Politick” that would enact “just and equal laws” that were made for the “general good” of what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Surin Elephant Round-Up

The Elephant Round-Up is an internationally famous show of 200 or more trained elephants held annually in the provincial capital of Surin, Thailand. A tug-of-war is staged in which elephants are pitted against Thai soldiers, and there are also log-pulling contests, a soccer game with two teams of elephants kicking a giant soccer ball, elephant basketball, and other sports. A highlight is the spectacular array of elephants rigged out to reenact a medieval war parade. Besides the elephant demonstrations, there are cultural performances and folk dancing. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Voltaire (1694)

Voltaire was the pseudonym of French philosopher and writer François-Marie Arouet. One of the towering geniuses in literary and intellectual history, Voltaire was a prolific writer who authored tragedies, poems, and works on philosophical and moral problems, including Lettres philosophiques and Candide, a satire on philosophical optimism. During his lifetime, he was twice imprisoned in the Bastille and, in 1726, was exiled to England. How did Voltaire create his pen name? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Rosicrucian Order

In the early 1600s, three manifestos were published describing an esoteric order founded by Christian Rosenkreuz. The Rosicrucian Order’s secret teachings deal with the occult symbols of the rose and the cross and with mystical writings containing kabbalistic, Hermetic, and other doctrines. Practitioners claim occult powers and employ the terminology of alchemy to expound their mystical doctrines. According to the 17th century texts, Rosenkreutz was born in 1378 and lived for how many years? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Diocletian’s Army Declares Him Emperor of Rome (284 CE)

Of humble birth, Diocletian rose through the ranks of the Roman military to become a high-ranking commander. His troops proclaimed him emperor after the death of Numerian, and he became sole ruler when Carinus, Numerian’s co-emperor, was murdered by his own officers. Seeking to remove the military from politics, Diocletian established a tetrarchy, or four-ruler system, appointing Maximian, Constantius I, and Galerius as co-rulers and proclaiming them all gods. Why did Diocletian abdicate in 305? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary