The First Academy Awards (1929)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was formed in 1927 by Louis B. Mayer and others to raise the standards of film production, and its first Academy Awards were presented not long after. Hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. DeMille, the first Academy Awards ceremony recognized individuals who had made outstanding film achievements in 1927 and 1928. The gold-plated statuettes given to awardees are popularly known as “Oscars.” How did they get this nickname? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Maifest

The original Maifest in Hermann, Missouri, was a children’s festival founded in 1874. The festival was revived in 1952 as a German ethnic festival for people of all ages. Held the third weekend in May, the festival offers German folklore, songs, music, and food in celebration of the arrival of spring. Black beer, cheese, sausage, crackers, and bratwurst are served, and there are band concerts and musical shows. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tamara de Lempicka (1898)

Tamara de Lempicka was a Polish painter whose bold artistic style epitomized the cool, sensual side of the Art Deco movement. Following her first major show, in Milan, Italy, de Lempicka emerged as the most fashionable portrait painter of her generation among the aristocracy, painting duchesses and grand dukes and socialites. She relocated to the US in 1939 and soon became a favorite artist of Hollywood’s stars. What current world-famous pop star is an avid collector of de Lempicka’s work? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Cobalt

Cobalt is a silver-white, lustrous, hard, brittle metal that is chemically active and rarely occurs uncombined in nature. It is, however, often found in meteoric metal. Cobalt compounds have been used for centuries to impart a rich blue color to glass, glazes, and ceramics. The element has been detected in Egyptian sculpture and Persian jewelry from the third millennium BCE. The word cobalt is derived from the German word for “goblin.” Why was the element thus named? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Diego Marín Aguilera Makes Early Attempt at Flight (1793)

Inspired by the eagles he saw while out in the fields, Spanish inventor and aviation pioneer Diego Marín Aguilera built a flying machine from wood, iron, cloth, and feathers whose design was based on his observations of birds of prey. His attempt to fly the vehicle was somewhat successful—he reportedly reached a height of about 20 ft (6 m) and glided some distance—but he crash-landed when the device suffered a structural failure. What did the locals do when they learned of his invention? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Aoi Matsuri

One of the three major festivals of Kyoto, Japan, the Aoi Matsuri, or Hollyhock Festival, is believed to date from the sixth century. The festival’s name derives from the hollyhock leaves adorning the headdresses of the participants; legend says hollyhocks help prevent storms and earthquakes. Today, the festival, which was revived in 1884, consists of a re-creation of the original imperial procession. Some 500 people in ancient costume parade with horses and large lacquered oxcarts carrying the “imperial messengers” from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the shrines. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Wavy Gravy (1936)

Born Hugh Romney, Wavy Gravy is a peace activist known for his whimsical hippie appearance and clown persona. After being repeatedly arrested at political demonstrations, he adopted his flamboyant look in the hopes that police officers would be less likely to arrest someone dressed as a clown. Gravy was a master of ceremonies during the first Woodstock Festival and the two subsequent events and is now the official clown of the Grateful Dead. Who gave him his unusual moniker? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Scripps National Spelling Bee

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee run on a non-profit basis by The E. W. Scripps Company, held at a hotel in the Washington, DC, area. The competition came into existence in 1925, and the first winning word was “gladiolus.” The bee is open to the winners of sponsored regional spelling bees held mostly throughout the US, and participants must be in eighth grade or below, or 15 years old or younger. Why is it called a spelling “bee”? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary