The Hindu Milk Miracle (1995)

On September 21, 1995, news spread around the world that Hindu worshippers in India and several other countries were experiencing what they considered a miracle. At numerous temples, thousands of Hindus were spooning offerings of milk to statutes of deities, especially the elephant-headed god Ganesha, and claiming that the milk—which appeared to disappear from the spoons—was being miraculously consumed by the gods. What scientific explanation was given for the phenomenon? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Belize Independence Day

On September 21, 1981, Belize gained independence from Britain. Belize was formerly known as British Honduras and had been internally self-governing since 1965. Independence Day is a national public holiday in Belize. Celebrations begin more than a week before the 21st with dances, pageants, sporting events, and concerts, and culminate with parades and patriotic ceremonies. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Maurice Barrymore (1849)

Maurice Barrymore was the first in the famous family of Barrymore actors. In 1875, a few years after he began his acting career in London, Barrymore went to New York and became an instant success. Over the next 25 years, he starred in a variety of roles. In 1876, he married Georgiana Drew, the actress daughter of famous British-American actors John and Louisa Lane Drew, thus founding what would become known as “The Royal Family of Broadway.” Who are the other famous Barrymore actors? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

O-Rings

An o-ring is a rubber ring that is used in machinery as a seal against substances like oil and air. Although it is one of the most commonly used seals, it is forever linked to a catastrophic failure. After the space shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, investigators determined that the o-ring seal in one of the shuttle’s solid fuel rockets failed due to a loss of elasticity that resulted from the low temperature at launch time. How was this problem later demonstrated at a news conference? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Battle of the Sexes (1973)

Though she won 67 tournament titles in her career, American tennis player Billie Jean King is perhaps best known for the “Battle of the Sexes” against former champion Bobby Riggs. In 1973, Riggs emerged from retirement and defeated Margaret Court in a nationally televised match. Proclaiming the superiority of the male athlete over the female no matter what the age, he challenged Billie Jean King, who accepted and routed him in three straight sets. How many people reportedly watched the match? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Walloon Regional Day

Each of the autonomous regions of Belgium observes its own feast day. September is a month of celebration for Belgium’s Walloon Region. In addition to the local traditional festivities, Walloon Regional Day takes place on the third Sunday of the month, and the Feast Day of the French Community is held in Wallonia during September. Established as a federal state in 1993, Wallonia is Belgium’s largest region, making up 55 percent of the country’s territory. The main festivities take place in the regional capital, Nemur. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Upton Sinclair (1878)

Sinclair was a prolific American novelist and socialist activist who wrote over 90 books, including The Jungle, a best-selling muckraking exposé of conditions in the Chicago meat-packing industry that aroused public indignation and resulted in the passage of food inspection laws in the US. He also organized a socialist reform movement in the 1930s and won the Democratic nomination for governor of California but was defeated in 1934. For what book was Sinclair awarded the Pulitzer Prize? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Paul Klee

Paul Klee was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, art theorist, and violinist. His early introduction to music played a large role in the way he approached his art and its imagery. Klee often varied the media and style in which he worked and produced over 10,000 works before his death. He also taught at the Bauhaus school of art and architecture with his friend and fellow artist Wassily Kandinsky. During WWI, Klee served in the German army; what was his job? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary