Jackie Cochran: First Woman to Break Sound Barrier (1953)

A pioneering American aviator, Cochran was the first woman to break the sound barrier and, in 1961, to fly at twice that speed. She was also the first woman to fly in the Bendix transcontinental race, which she won in 1938, a few years after her initial attempt. During WWII, she trained female transport pilots in the British and US Air Force auxiliaries and became the first woman to pilot a bomber across the Atlantic. A successful entrepreneur, Cochran learned to fly to promote her line of what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Haiti Flag and University Day

National unity is a primary theme of Flag and University Day in Haiti, an independence celebration and an occasion to recognize the country’s educational system. Flag Day became an annual celebration shortly after Catherine Flon sewed the first red and blue flag in 1803, a year before Haiti won its independence from France. The government incorporated University Day as part of the celebration in 1919. Haitians wave flags throughout the day’s parades and fairs, which take place throughout Haiti as well as in New York and Miami, two cities with large Haitian communities. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Omar Khayyám (1048)

Khayyám was a Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer. The details of his life are mostly conjectural, but he is known to have been a celebrated mathematician of his time. Yet, he is now best known for his Rubaiyat, a collection of epigrammatic verse quatrains whose hedonism often masks serious metaphysical reflections. It was little known in Europe until Edward FitzGerald’s loose English translations were published in 1859. What does the name Khayyám indicate about his lineage? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pizza

Pizza is a baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow breadlike crust covered with toppings such as seasoned tomato sauce and cheese, and often peppers, sausage, and mushrooms. Popular throughout the world, pizza is now a symbol of cultural variation. In Brazil, pizzas may be topped with chocolate; in South Korea, sweet potato puree is popular; in Scotland, the “pizza supper” consists of French fries and a deep-fried frozen pizza. What toppings are popular in Sweden? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Police Raid Symbionese Liberation Army Headquarters (1974)

The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was an American terrorist group responsible for various bank robberies, murders, and acts of violence between 1973 and 1975. The group is perhaps best known for kidnapping 19-year-old media heiress Patty Hearst, who later became a member of the SLA—a decision experts attribute to a psychological condition known as Stockholm syndrome—and participated in their heists. What happened to Hearst after police raided SLA headquarters in 1974, killing several members? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Calaveras County Fair and Frog Jumping Jubilee

This event is a four-day county fair, established in 1928, at the Frogtown Fairgrounds near Angels Camp, California. It includes the official, original frog-jumping contest based on Mark Twain’s story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” as well as a children’s parade, livestock competitions, a professional rodeo, a demolition derby, fireworks, and art exhibits. About 3,500 frogs are jumped in daily contests leading up to the Grand Finals on Sunday, in which there are 75 to 100 frog contestants. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Maureen O’Sullivan (1911)

Maureen O’Sullivan’s acting career began when she met motion picture director Frank Borzage, who suggested that she take a screen test and then cast her in the film Song o’ My Heart. She went on to appear in a number of movies for several studios before being chosen to play Tarzan’s love interest, Jane Parker, in Tarzan the Ape Man and five other Tarzan features. In what other film did she play a character named Jane? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mount Damavand

Mount Damavand is the highest peak in the Middle East with an elevation of 5,610 m (18, 405 ft). It is located in Iran in the middle of the Alborz mountain range, near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. In Zoroastrian texts and mythology, the three-headed dragon Aži Dahaka is chained within this dormant volcano, there to remain until the end of the world. In Persian mythology, the mountain is where Zahhak the Dragon King is slain by what hero? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary