Thermopylae is a narrow coastal passage between Locris and Thessaly in Greece that has been the site of several battles. There in 480 BCE, Leonidas with his Spartans and their allies lost a heroic battle to the Persians under Xerxes. At the pass in 279 BCE, the Greeks held back the Gauls under Brennus, who ultimately broke through, and, in 191 BCE, Antiochus III of Syria was defeated there by the Romans. What does “Thermopylae” mean in Greek? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Very talkative; garrulous.
Synonyms: chatty, gabby, garrulous, talkative, talky.
Usage: The loquacious woman was often mocked by neighborhood children for her incessant talking.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In the early 1960s, the policies of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, a member of the Catholic minority, generated claims of religious bias against the vast Buddhist majority. In 1963, Duc, a Buddhist monk, protested by dousing himself with gasoline and burning himself to death at a Saigon intersection. Photos of his self-immolation quickly spread around the world, and the event is widely seen as the turning point that led to a regime change. Which of Duc’s organs has been preserved? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Before England adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, June 11 was the day of the Summer Solstice. In addition to being the longest day of the year, it was also St. Barnabas‘s Day (or Barnaby Day), and this association gave rise to the old English jingle, “Barnaby bright, Barnaby bright, the longest day and the shortest night.” It was customary on this day for the priests and clerks in the Church of England to wear garlands of roses and to decorate the church with them. Other names for this day were Long Barnaby and Barnaby Bright. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the greatest 19th-century British landscape painters, Constable is known primarily for his renditions of the area surrounding his home, which has come to be known as “Constable country.” Constable’s free use of broken color and his direct observations of nature were extraordinary in his day. He received only modest recognition at home, being tardily admitted to the Royal Academy in 1829, but was more readily accepted in France. What French school of landscape painting did he influence? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Robben Island is a mile-wide island off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. Stone-age people lived there thousands of years ago when sea levels were lower and the area was easily accessible. Starting in the late 17th century, the island was used to isolate lepers and, later, political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela, who was held there from 1964 to 1982. In the 1600s, a ship laden with millions of dollars worth of gold sank off the island’s coast. Why has no one recovered the treasure? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Carefree and lighthearted.
Synonyms: lighthearted, lightsome.
Usage: The blithe young couple was a pleasant sight to see.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Mount Tarawera, a 3,646-ft (1,111-m) high volcanic peak on New Zealand’s North Island, consists of several lava domes that were split apart by an explosive eruption in 1886, which destroyed surrounding villages and killed more than 100 people. It also destroyed the nearby Pink and White Terraces, considered by some to have been the eighth wonder of the natural world. What ghostly apparition witnessed by a boatful of tourists, including a clergyman, is said to have been a portent of the eruption? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Also known as Camões Memorial Day and Portugal Day, this national holiday observes the death anniversary of Luís Vas de Camões (1524-1580), Portugal‘s national poet. His epic work, The Lusiads (1572), was based on the voyage to India of Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama. This national holiday is observed with patriotic speeches, games, and costumed citizens in the capital city of Lisbon. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Known as “The Old Pretender,” Stuart was the son of the exiled James II of England and claimant to the English and Scottish thrones. Raised in France, he was proclaimed King of England by French King Louis XIV upon his father’s death in 1701. However, the English Parliament passed an act excluding the male line of Stuarts from succession, and various plots and rebellions to restore him to the throne failed. What was the movement to restore the Stuart line to the throne called? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary