John Ball Is Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered (1381)

Ball, an English priest and social reformer, gained fame as a roving preacher advocating ecclesiastical poverty and social equality, which brought him into conflict with the archbishop of Canterbury. He was jailed three times and excommunicated in 1376. Four years later, he became one of the instigators of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381—the first great popular rebellion in English history—and was later captured and hanged, drawn, and quartered. His unconventional behavior earned him what nickname? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. Swithin’s Day

When Swithin, the bishop of Winchester, England, died in 862, he was buried according to his wish, outside the cathedral in the churchyard, in a place where the rain from the eaves poured down. This request was reversed after his canonization, when clerical authorities tried to move his remains to a site within the church. According to legend, the heavens opened and there was a heavy rainfall—a show of the saint’s displeasure. This led to the popular belief that if it rains on St. Swithin’s Day, it will rain for 40 days; but if it is fair, it will be dry for 40 days. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Inigo Jones (1573)

Jones was one of England’s first great architects. After studying in Italy, he brought Renaissance architecture to England. His best known buildings are the Queen’s House at Greenwich, London, and the Banqueting House at Whitehall, which is often considered his greatest achievement. For his design of Covent Garden, London’s first square, Jones is credited with the introduction of town planning in England. Jones was also involved in stage design for theater and is credited with what innovations? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Medicine Men

As far back as Paleolithic times, Native Americans and other traditional peoples have believed the medicine man to be in possession of supernatural healing powers, such as the ability to inflict pain, promote fertility, and secure good hunting and fishing. Many Native Americans regarded illness as resulting from the entry of malignancy into the body; accordingly, their medicine men try to cast out the illness using ritual techniques such as bloodletting, the application of herbs, and what else? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

First Ascent of the Matterhorn (1865)

English illustrator Edward Whymper developed an interest in mountaineering after being sent to sketch the mountain scenery of Switzerland in 1860. In 1865, after several failed attempts, he and his expedition party became the first to climb the Matterhorn—one of the last Alpine mountains to be ascended. Tragically, during the descent, four of his companions were killed in a fall. Whymper describes his experiences in Scrambles Amongst the Alps. What did he write about the accident? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tekakwitha Feast Day

The first Native American to be beatified, Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) is a venerated figure among both Catholics and Native Americans. Catholic churches hold mass on her feast day, during which congregants may offer prayers to God through her intercession. Among the North American churches and shrines, sites that have noteworthy feast day celebrations are the National Kateri Shrine in Fonda, New York, where she first encountered Christianity, and the Kateri Center at the Saint Francis-Xavier Mission at Kahnawake, Quebec, where she lived following her conversion. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785)

An American journalist, playwright, and diplomat, Noah was the first Jew born in the United States to reach national prominence. After finding success as a diplomat, Noah held several public offices in New York City, edited and founded many newspapers, including the New York Enquirer and The Evening Star, and wrote plays such as She Would Be a Soldier. In the 1820s, he unsuccessfully attempted to buy Grand Island in the Niagara River to use for what purpose? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marco Polo

Marco Polo was a Venetian trader and explorer who, together with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China and visit with Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan. Polo helped generate extraordinary interest in the Far East among Europeans, and his book, Il Milione, was an instant hit at a time when books had to be painstakingly copied by hand. What famous explorer carried a heavily annotated copy of Polo’s book? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary