Incident at Xuanwu Gate (626 CE)

After Tang Dynasty founder Emperor Gaozu named his son Li Jiancheng the crown prince, an intense rivalry developed between him and his younger brother, Li Shimin. Each prince was advised by his staff members to act first against the other, and, in 626, believing that Li Jiancheng was plotting to kill him, Li Shimin ambushed and killed the crown prince and another brother of theirs at Xuanwu Gate, which led to Emperor Gaozu’s palace. What did the emperor do when he learned of his sons’ deaths? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ommegang

Ommegang is a medieval pageant presented on the Grand-Place of Brussels, Belgium, and one of the country’s most popular attractions. The pageant is preceded by strolling musicians, followed by a parade of people representing the magistrate and city officials, the court of Marie of Hungary, and the Court of Charles V. Then the actual procession takes place, led by the Knight of Peace. Participants include trade groups with floats, archers, and groups of dancers and clowns dancing around symbolic animals, including the legendary horse Bayard, a unicorn, dragon, and serpent. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Thurgood Marshall (1908)

As the chief legal counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for more than 20 years, Marshall argued 32 cases before the US Supreme Court, successfully challenging racial segregation, most notably in Brown v. Board of Education. In 1967, he became the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court, a position he held until his retirement in 1991. How many of the 32 cases that Marshall argued before the Supreme Court did he win? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Midwifery

Midwifery is the art of assisting at childbirth. In ancient Greece and Rome, midwives had some formal training, but as the medical arts declined during medieval times, the skills a midwife possessed were gained solely from experience and lore. With the upsurge in medical science in Europe in the 16th c., formal medical training became more prevalent and professional schools of midwifery were established. How are the criteria for becoming a midwife in the US different from those in the UK? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968)

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is an international agreement to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. It was originally signed by the US, Britain, the USSR, and 59 other countries in 1968. The major signatories agreed not to help nonnuclear states obtain or produce nuclear weapons, while the nonnuclear signatories agreed not to try to obtain them. The treaty was extended indefinitely in 1995, and nearly 190 countries are now party to it. Which nations have never signed it? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Botswana Sir Seretse Khama Day

July 1 is the birthday of Sir Seretse Khama, the man who led the nation of Botswana out of colonialism and laid the foundation for a modern democracy in his country. Sir Seretse Khama Day is a national holiday, observed across Botswana as a day to remember Khama’s contributions to his homeland. In celebrations in Serowe, Khama’s birthplace, people proceed from various points to the main town center. Traditional dances, such as the tsutsube, are performed. Speeches and ceremonies are made at the city’s statue honoring Khama, and a wreath is laid at his grave in the royal cemetery. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau (1725)

Rochambeau was a French army officer who was put in command of a French army of 6,000 and sent to join the Continental Army in the American Revolution. He joined forces with George Washington in 1781 and marched to Yorktown, where they forced a British surrender that led to the end of the war. In 1783, he returned to France, where he commanded the Army of the North in the French Revolution and was made a marshal of France. What happened to Rochambeau during the Reign of Terror? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Medina

Medina is a city in Saudi Arabia, 110 mi (177 km) inland from the Red Sea in a well-watered oasis where fruit, dates, vegetables, and grain are raised. Muhammad gained control of the city in 622 and used it as a base for converting and conquering Arabia. It grew rapidly until 661, when the Umayyad dynasty transferred the capital of the caliphate to Damascus. Pilgrimages to Mecca usually include a side trip to Medina, where the Prophet’s Mosque houses the tombs of what important Islamic figures? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary