Christopher Latham Sholes Granted Typewriter Patent (1868)

As a teen, American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes apprenticed with a printer and later became a newspaper publisher. In 1868, he, Carlos Glidden, and Samuel W. Soulé were granted a patent for their design for the first practical typewriter. Five years later, he sold his rights for $12,000 to the Remington Arms Co., which developed the Remington Typewriter. Sholes went on to invent the so-called QWERTY keyboard that is still in use today. Why did he arrange the letters in this unusual order? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Estonia Victory Day

This date commemorates the Battle of Vönnu in 1919, in which a joint force of Estonians and Latvians claimed a decisive victory and marked the end of 700 years of German control. Today, the president and other dignitaries attend the official Victory Day ceremonies in the capital city, Tallinn. The holiday transitions from the political to the traditional when the president orders citizens to take torches from the official bonfire held in honor of Victory Day to light the hundreds of bonfires in the country that initiate Midsummer and St. John’s Eve celebrations. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Oda Nobunaga (1534)

Nobunaga—son of a daimyo, or feudal lord—was a Japanese military commander and one of the three unifiers of premodern Japan, along with his general Toyotomi Hideyoshi and ally Tokugawa Ieyasu. One of the first Japanese generals to arm his foot soldiers with muskets, Nobunaga destroyed the armies of powerful Buddhist sects and greatly expanded his father’s holdings. He also stimulated the economy through the use of the free market system. Nobunaga supported missionaries from what religion? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don is situated along the Don River near its entrance into the Sea of Azov, which has been an area of great commercial and cultural importance since ancient times. It was in essence established in 1749, when a customs house was built on the Don, a major shipping lane connecting northern Russia to the Caucasus. As the most heavily industrialized city of South Russia during the Russian Civil War, it became a bone of contention between what groups? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Operation Barbarossa: Nazi Germany Invades the Soviet Union (1941)

The largest military operation of World War II, Operation Barbarossa was the codename for Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. Named for 12th-century crusader and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the Axis operation included more than 4.5 million troops over a 1,800-mile (2,900-km) front. Though the Red Army suffered heavy losses, Operation Barbarossa failed and marked a turning point in the war that many believe sealed the Nazis’ fate. How many were killed during the operation? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Croatia Anti-Fascist Resistance Day

This holiday in Croatia, also called Anti-Fascism Day, dates back to the Second World War. After Nazi Germany invaded and conquered Yugoslavia in 1941, Croatia became a German puppet state under a government of Croatian fascists, called the Ustaše. One of the resistance groups that sprang up to oppose the fascist government was the Partisans, headed by half-Croatian Communist leader Josip Broz Tito. Anti-Fascist Resistance Day is a national holiday in Croatia. Like most warm-weather holidays in the country, it is celebrated with outdoor barbeques and fireworks. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Meryl Streep (1949)

Streep is widely considered one of the most respected and talented film actors of all time. Famous for her mastery of a wide variety of accents, she has become legendary for the perfectionist approach she brings to each role. Streep has received more Academy Award nominations than any other actor in history and won two for her roles in Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice. She is also tied with Jack Nicholson for most Golden Globe Award wins. What was Streep’s first starring role? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Porcelain

Porcelain is a white, hard, nonporous pottery which is resonant when struck. It was first made by the Chinese to withstand the great heat generated in certain parts of their kilns. The two natural substances used were kaolin and a feldspar mineral called petuntse that forms a glassy cement. In Europe porcelain was first commercially produced in the early 1700s. Most of the European porcelain is soft paste and is not as strong as the Chinese hard-paste porcelain. What is bone china? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary