In 2004, Jennings won 74 consecutive games on the television game show Jeopardy!—the longest streak in the program’s history. His extensive knowledge of trivia earned him more than $2.5 million. Ratings for the show during his unprecedented streak increased by 22 percent. On his 75th appearance, the final answer was “Most of this firm’s 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year.” Jennings incorrectly responded with “What is FedEx?” What was the correct response? Discuss
Shirley Chisholm (1924)
Chisholm was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1968, becoming the first African-American woman to serve in Congress. During her 15 years in the House, she was known for her strong, liberal views, including her opposition to US involvement in the Vietnam War and her advocacy of employment programs. As a candidate for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, she won 152 delegates before withdrawing from the race. How many assassination attempts did she survive during her campaign? Discuss
Mirror Neurons
The discovery of mirror neurons in primates is considered by some to be one of the most important findings in neuroscience in the last decade. These neurons, which are also believed to exist in humans, act as a “mirror” for behavior, firing both when an animal performs an action and when it observes another carrying out that action. This system may play a role in learning new skills and understanding the behavior of others. What human brain disorder may be linked to a mirror neuron deficiency? Discuss
regurgitate
The Warren Commission Is Established (1963)
Chaired by US Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Warren Commission was appointed by US President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the shooting of his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. After months of investigation, it reported that Kennedy was killed by Oswald’s rifle shots from the Texas School Book Depository and that Oswald’s murder by Jack Ruby was not part of a conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy. What later reports questioned its findings? Discuss
Empress Dowager Cixi (1835)
Cixi was the Imperial consort who controlled the Chinese Qing dynasty for almost half a century. A low-ranking concubine of the Xianfeng emperor, she bore his only son, the future Tongzhi emperor, in 1856. After the emperor’s death, Cixi joined a triumviral regency that governed in the name of her son, who was only six at his accession. During that period, the Taiping and Nian rebellions were put down and the government was briefly revitalized. What happened when Cixi’s son died in 1875? Discuss
The Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during WWI that was precipitated by the military’s failure to create units for French-speaking forces. Instead the French-Canadian volunteers were assigned to various English-speaking units. Witnessing what they perceived as the mistreatment of the first contingent, many French-Canadians elected not to volunteer, leading legislators to pass a conscription act. What was the political aftermath of this crisis in Quebec? Discuss
importunity
Albania Declares Independence from the Ottoman Empire (1912)
The Ottoman Turks conquered Albania around 1400 and ruled the country for more than 400 years. It was not until the end of the Balkan War that Turkish rule was abolished and a proclamation of independence was issued in 1912. Although Serbia showed intentions of annexing a large part of Albania in order to gain an outlet on the Adriatic, the move was opposed by Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Albanians. On November 28, 1912, Albanian independence was declared by whom? Discuss
William Blake (1757)
Blake was an English poet and artist. Trained as an engraver, he opened a print shop in 1784 and developed an innovative technique for engraving illustrations and text on the same plate and for producing colored engravings. Blake’s paintings, engravings, and illustrated books of poetry feature detailed images of realistic natural forms as well as fanciful creatures. He lived on the edge of poverty, was considered mad, and died in neglect. When did he finally gain recognition as a visionary? Discuss