Molly Maguires Hanged in Pennsylvania (1877)

The Molly Maguires was a secret organization of Irish-Americans who fought against the oppressive working conditions in the anthracite mining districts of Pennsylvania. Members often resorted to intimidation or murder when dealing with police, who were entirely controlled by the mine owners. At around the time the organization reached the height of its power, a detective was hired to infiltrate its ranks. His testimony led to the eventual hanging of 10 “Mollies.” How did the group get its name? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Father’s Day

Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Spokane, Washington, suggested to her minister in 1910 that a day be set aside for honoring fathers. The Ministerial Association and the Spokane YMCA picked up on the idea, and in 1924 Father’s Day received the support of President Calvin Coolidge. But it wasn’t until 1966 that a presidential proclamation established Father’s Day as the third Sunday in June. Although it began as a religious celebration, today it is primarily an occasion for showing appreciation through gift-giving. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859)

Tanner was an American painter of religious and genre scenes. He studied under Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he was the only black student. Tormented by racial persecution, he settled in Paris in 1891 and gained international acclaim, earning many awards for his landscapes and treatments of biblical themes. In 1927, he became the first African American granted full membership in the National Academy of Design. What was his most famous work? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Margot Fonteyn

Fonteyn was an English ballet dancer. She made her debut as a soloist in 1934 and gained a reputation for expressive acting and versatility, inspiring famed choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton to create a number of major ballets especially for her. Fonteyn’s international reputation soared once she formed a legendary partnership with the Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. The pair became known for receiving repeated frenzied curtain calls and bouquet tosses. Why was Fonteyn arrested in 1959? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

“Red Telephone” Established Between US and USSR (1963)

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, it took the US nearly 12 hours to receive and decode Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev’s initial settlement message. By the time the US drafted a reply, Moscow had already sent new demands. Afterward, it was decided that the crisis could have been resolved more quickly with faster communication. In 1963, a “hot line”—the so-called “red telephone”—was established to provide a direct link between the White House and the Kremlin. When was the hotline first used? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Dragon Boat Festival

Chu’ü Yüan (343-289 BCE) was a Chinese poet and statesman of the Ch’u kingdom who drowned himself in the Mi Lo River to protest political corruption and injustice. The dragon boat races that take place on lakes and rivers throughout China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on this day are a reenactment of the search for his body. People celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, which occurs on Tuan Wu, or Double Fifth Day, by eating dumplings made of steamed rice wrapped in bamboo leaves called zong ze. This is also a traditional time for performing customs intended to drive away evil spirits and illness. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808)

Hirsch was a German Jewish scholar and rabbi who advocated combining traditional Jewish study with secular learning. Arguing that Orthodox Jews should separate from the larger Jewish community in defense of their traditions, Hirsch made a profound impression in German Jewish circles with his Nineteen Letters, which expounded his philosophy—often called neo-Orthodoxy—and helped make Orthodox Judaism viable in 19th-century Germany. Why are many of Hirsch’s commentaries still controversial? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Kinesics

Kinesics is the study of nonverbal, systematic communication through bodily movements, such as gestures, posture, and facial expressions. The study was pioneered by Ray Birdwhistell, a ballet dancer turned anthropologist, who wrote Introduction to Kinesics in 1952. Borrowing from descriptive linguistics, he argued that non-verbal forms of language have a grammar that can be analyzed like spoken language. Why is a “kineme” in kinesics similar to a phoneme in linguistics? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary