Willem de Kooning (1904)

De Kooning was a Dutch-American painter who became a leader of abstract expressionism, the New York-based school of painting that rejected naturalistic content. Examples of this period include his dramatic Black Paintings, which were black-and-white artworks created from enamel and oil paints. His later work became increasingly figurative, as is seen in his The Woman series of the 1950s, and was both criticized and lauded. In what unusual way did de Kooning immigrate to the US? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Oldest Free Public School Opened in the US (1635)

The Boston Latin School in Massachusetts, originally a school for boys that had just a handful of students, is now a coeducational institution serving more than 2,000 youngsters. It has the distinction of being the oldest public school in the US and claims many influential Bostonians as alumni, including four Harvard University presidents, four Massachusetts governors, and five signers of the Declaration of Independence. Who are the school’s most famous dropouts? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Shakespeare’s Birthday

No one really knows the exact date of William Shakespeare‘s birth, although he was baptized on April 26, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616. April 23 is also St. George’s Day, and this may be why it was decided to observe the birth of England’s greatest poet and dramatist on the feast day of England’s patron saint. Special pageants are held at Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, where Shakespeare was born and where thousands of tourists go each year to see his plays performed. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Roy Orbison (1936)

Roy Orbison was an influential American singer-songwriter and rock-and-roll pioneer whose career spanned more than three decades. He had a string of hits during the early-1960s, such as “Only the Lonely” and “Oh, Pretty Woman,” after which his career waned, driven in part by a series of personal tragedies. He made a comeback in the 1980s, forming a supergroup with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Tom Petty called the Traveling Wilburys. What was Orbison rarely seen in public without? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Chameleons

Chameleons have laterally flattened bodies and bulging, independently rotating eyes. They are variously ornamented with crests, horns, and spines. They feed chiefly on insects and are unique among lizards in possessing long, sticky tongues with which they capture their prey. Their changes in skin color are under hormonal and nervous control and are not affected by the color of the background but by stimuli such as light, temperature, and emotion. “Chameleon” is derived from what Greek words? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Oklahoma Land Rush (1889)

On April 22, 1889, some 50,000 people lined up to grab a piece of the 2 million acres (8,000 sq km) being made available by the US government in the first land run into the Unassigned Lands, later known as the state of Oklahoma. Each settler could claim a lot of up to 160 acres (0.65 sq km). A number of participants illegally entered and hid in the area before the run officially began at noon in order to quickly claim the choicest homesteads. What did the early entrants come to be known as? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Moors and Christians Fiesta

Moors and Christians fiestas are celebrated all over Spain, but the Fiesta of Alcoy is one of the most colorful. Coinciding with the feast day of St. George, it commemorates the victory of Christians over the Moorish leader al-Azraq in 1276. The fiesta begins on the morning of April 22 with the entry of the Christians; the Moors arrive in the afternoon, dressed in exotic costumes. On April 23, the relic of St. George is carried in procession to the parish church. On the third day, the battle is reenacted, and an apparition of St. George appears on the battlements of the castle. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary