Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown (1876)

Nicknamed “Three Finger” by the press because a farming accident in his youth cost him parts of two fingers on his right hand, Brown was one of the top Major League Baseball pitchers at the turn of the 20th century. He used his injury to his advantage, developing a unique grip on the ball that produced an unusual amount of spin, baffling batters. Over the course of his major league career, Brown won 239 games and lost just 130. With what team did he win two World Series championships? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia was an Alexandrian Neoplatonic philosopher and mathematician renowned for her learning, eloquence, and beauty. She became head of Alexandria’s Platonist school in about 400 CE, lecturing there on mathematics and philosophy. Several works are attributed to her by later sources, including commentaries on Ptolemy’s works, but none have survived. Her murder, the subject of many conspiracy theories, was a brutal event. How did religion factor into Hypatia’s lynching? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher Destroyed (1009 CE)

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City is venerated by most Christians as the site of Jesus’ burial chamber and has been an important destination of pilgrimage since the 4th century. Its destruction in 1009 by caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is often viewed as a direct impetus for the Crusades, though the church was rebuilt prior to the Crusaders’ arrival. The custodianship of the church is now grudgingly shared by several Churches. Who holds the key to the church’s main entrance? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Alaska Day

Alaska Day commemorates the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States on October 18, 1867. The event, which took place at Sitka, was a sad one for the Russian colonists who had already made Alaska their home. After the transfer, Alaska was eventually organized as a territory and maintained this status until it became a state on January 3, 1959. Today, the lowering of the Russian flag and the raising of the Stars and Stripes is reenacted every year as part of this festival in Sitka. Other events include a parade and a period costume ball. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lee Harvey Oswald (1939)

Oswald, a US Marine who defected to the Soviet Union only to return and settle in Dallas, Texas, with his Russian wife and daughter, is widely believed to have been the assassin of US President John F. Kennedy. On November 22, 1963, Oswald allegedly fired three shots from a window on the sixth floor of the Texas State School Book Depository, killing Kennedy. While in police custody, Oswald was murdered by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Whom did Oswald allegedly try to assassinate earlier in 1963? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Paul Bunyan

Paul Bunyan is a mythical lumberjack and American folk hero known for his incredible strength and massive size. His oversized companion, Babe the Blue Ox, reportedly measured 42 ax handles and a plug of tobacco between his horns. The first newspaper article about Bunyan was published in 1906, and later pamphlets by William Laughead popularized the Paul Bunyan story and added to the myth. How do these legends account for the creation of the Grand Canyon, Mount Hood, and Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

French King Louis XIII Crowned in Rheims (1610)

At the age of nine, Louis XIII succeeded his father, Henry IV, under the regency of his mother, Marie de’ Medici. Even after Louis was declared of age in 1614, his mother arranged his marriage to Anne of Austria in 1615 and continued to govern until 1617. Resentful of her power, Louis exiled her, but the two were reconciled by her principal adviser Cardinal Richelieu, whom Louis later named chief minister. Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu are among the central characters of what novel? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sweetest Day

More than 40 years ago, a man from Cleveland came up with the idea of showing the city’s orphans and shut-ins that they hadn’t been forgotten by distributing small gifts to them on a Saturday in October. The celebration of what came to be called Sweetest Day soon spread to Detroit and other American cities. Although it is still supposed to be an occasion to remember others with a kind act, a word of encouragement, or a long-overdue letter, local merchants in cities where Sweetest Day is observed usually get together and promote the day as a time to purchase gifts. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary