University of Notre Dame Is Founded (1842)

Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, the University of Notre Dame was established and opened in 1842 and chartered in 1844. Famous for its football team, it has a noted law school and computing center as well as laboratories for research in botany, radiation, geology, metallurgy, and engineering. It also operates important research institutes in the humanities. The school was founded by French priests and was originally given the name L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac, which means what? Discuss

Mary Edwards Walker (1832)

Walker was an American surgeon and feminist. She served as a nurse in the Union army in the American Civil War, before being commissioned as an assistant surgeon. She was the first woman to serve in such a capacity and was awarded the Medal of Honor for her service. Walker remains the only woman ever to receive this award. After the war, she was active in the struggle for women’s rights, lecturing and writing on such issues as dress reform and women’s suffrage. Why was her medal revoked in 1917? Discuss

Absolute Zero

The lowest temperature theoretically achievable by a system, absolute zero is the point at which substances possess no thermal energy. In 1848, British physicist Lord Kelvin devised a temperature scale that set absolute zero, or 0°K, at -273.15°C. Although absolute zero is impossible to achieve, scientists have brought some substances within a billionth of a degree of 0°K, inducing in these materials odd quantum effects such as superconductivity. Where is the coldest known place in the universe? Discuss

The White Ship Sinks, Drowning the Son of Henry I of England (1120)

In 1120, an English vessel known as the White Ship sank in the English Channel on its way from Normandy to England, killing hundreds of passengers. Among those who drowned was William, the only legitimate son of King Henry I. Henry’s second marriage was childless, and the latter years of his reign were marked by his attempts to secure the succession for his daughter Matilda. William’s death in 1135 led to a disputed succession and civil war between Matilda and whom? Discuss

Ricardo Montalbán (1920)

Montalbán was a Mexican television, stage, and film actor. Perhaps best known as the star of the television series Fantasy Island, he had many notable roles throughout his career, including the villain Khan in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. His career spanned seven decades, and he continued to perform into his 80s, often providing voices for animated films and commercials. In the 1970s, Montalbán founded the Nosotros organization. What is its mission? Discuss

The Hussite Wars

Arguably the first European wars in which hand-held gunpowder weapons played a decisive role, the Hussite Wars were a series of 15th-century conflicts that followed the execution of Czech religious reformer Jan Hus by the Roman Catholic Church. Protests from his followers, called Hussites, who opposed the ascension of Emperor Sigismund to the Bohemian throne, led to three anti-Hussite crusades and a number of armed conflicts. War broke out after what was thrown out of windows in Prague? Discuss

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species Is Published (1859)

Darwin, a British naturalist, formed the basis of his theories of evolution during his scientific survey expedition to South America aboard the HMS Beagle from 1831–1836. He developed his theory for more than 20 years before publishing it in his famous On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. Darwin’s controversial theory was quickly accepted in most scientific circles. What three words were added to the final sentence of the second edition of Darwin’s book? Discuss

Dale Carnegie (1888)

Born into poverty, Carnegie worked as a traveling salesman before he began teaching public speaking at a YMCA in New York City in 1912. His classes were extremely successful, and he was soon lecturing to packed houses. To standardize his teaching methods, he began publishing pamphlets, which he collected into book form. His hugely popular How To Win Friends and Influence People won him a national following. How many people are said to have taken his courses during his lifetime? Discuss