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

First Juneteenth Celebrations (1865)

Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a US holiday that commemorates the day when the slaves of Texas learned that they were legally free. Although President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was formally issued on Jan 1, 1863, it had little immediate effect on slaves’ day-to-day lives. In Texas, it was not until June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops took over the state, that it was enforced. How is Juneteenth often celebrated? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

New Church Day

New Church Day refers to the Church of the New Jerusalem, founded in London in the late 18th century by the disciples of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg’s followers believe that in 1757 there was a great judgment in the spiritual world, and that as a result the evil spirits were separated from the good and a new heaven was established. June 19 is the date on which Swedenborg’s disciples met in 1770 to organize the New Church. Every year on this day, members of the New Church, called Swedenborgians, meet to conduct important church business and to commemorate the church’s founding. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Lou Gehrig (1903)

As the New York Yankees’ first baseman for 15 seasons, Gehrig broke numerous major-league records. He retired from baseball in 1939, after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, now commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. During an emotional farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, he proclaimed himself the “luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Known as the “Iron Horse,” Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive league games, setting a record that stood until 1995, when it was broken by whom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hickam Air Force Base

Hickam Air Force Base is a US Air Force base located in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 2,850 acres (12 sq km) of land. It boasts facilities valued at more than $444 million. During World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, it served as a major center for training pilots and assembling aircraft. The base supported flights to and from the forward areas, which earned it the nickname “America’s Bridge Across the Pacific.” When Japanese troops bombed Pearl Harbor, what happened to Hickam Air Force Base? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Monks Witness Possible Formation of Moon Crater (1178)

Giordano Bruno is a small lunar impact crater that is estimated to have been formed less than 350 million years ago. Some believe that its age can be pinpointed exactly thanks to five English monks who reported that on June 18, 1178, during the annual Taurid meteor shower, they saw “two horns of light” on the shaded part of the moon—a description some say is consistent with the visual phenomena associated with such a crater’s formation. How do others interpret the monks’ sighting? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary