African Liberation Day

This day can be traced back to April 15, 1958, when the Conference of Independent African States was held in Accra, Ghana. On May 25, 1963, 31 independent African countries met to form the Organisation of African Unity, changing the name and the date of what is now African Liberation Day. In 1999, the group reorganized into the African Union. Today, observances include marches, parades, rallies, and conferences, focusing on celebrating freedom from colonialism, educating people about the progress of the African liberation movement, and speaking out against oppression. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sir Ian McKellen (1939)

McKellen is an English star of stage and screen, noted for his performances in everything from Shakespearean works to modern theater to popular fantasy and science fiction. He began his professional acting career in the 1960s, and has worked steadily ever since. His recent roles in blockbuster films such as The Lord of the Rings and X-Men have earned him widespread recognition and introduced him to a new generation of fans. When was McKellen knighted? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pantone Inc.

Pantone, Inc. is a multi-billion dollar corporation that publishes the Pantone Guides, which are used by graphic designers and others to ‘color match’ specific colors when a design enters production stage. The Pantone Color Matching System works within the existing color systems, such as the CMYK system, but it has not yet been linked with screen-based colors. In recent years, the parliament of what country debated a petition to define the blue in its flag as “Pantone 300?” Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Peter Minuit Buys Manhattan (1626)

Peter Minuit was the director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland who is credited with the purchase of the island of Manhattan in 1626. According to legend, he persuaded the natives—perhaps a Metoac band of Lenape known as the Canarsee, who were actually native to what is now Brooklyn—to “sell” the island for a handful of trade goods worth approximately 60 guilders. In 1846, that price was converted by a New York historian to what US dollar amount? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Aldersgate Experience

On the evening of May 24, 1738, John Wesley (1703-1791), co-founder of the Methodist Church, visited a house on Aldersgate Street, London, to join a group reading of Martin Luther‘s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. As they were reading, Wesley underwent a conversion experience—”I felt my heart strangely warmed,” he said. From that time until his death in 1791, Wesley considered it his mission in life to tell people about his experience and to invite them to share his beliefs. The anniversary of this event is commemorated by the Methodist Church on the Sunday nearest May 24. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pontormo (1494)

Pontormo was a Florentine painter and one of the creators of mannerism, an artistic style characterized by distortion of elements such as scale and perspective. In fact, his altar for the church of San Michele Visdomini, Florence, is considered by many to be the first mannerist work in recorded history. He was also a talented portraitist. Pontormo was a recluse for much of his life and kept a diary in which he chronicled his obsessions. With which famous Florentine painters did he apprentice? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. is a jewelry and silverware company. It was founded in New York City in 1837 and, today, has stores in major cities all over the world. The corporation has an agreement with the Tahera Diamond Corporation to buy or market the entire production of Canada’s Jericho Diamond Mine. The Tiffany flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue at 57th Street is a popular tourist attraction, largely as a result of what 1961 movie? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Explorer I Ceases Transmission (1958)

Following the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik I in October 1957, there was a frenzied effort by the US to launch a satellite of its own, beginning the so-called Space Race. Launched in January 1958 as part of the US program for the International Geophysical Year project, Explorer-I was the first Earth satellite of the US. It contributed to the discovery of the Van Allen Belts but stopped transmission of data when its batteries died in 1958. It remained in orbit, however, for how long? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary