atavism

Definition: (noun) A reappearance of an earlier characteristic.
Synonyms: throwback, reversion.
Usage: Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history.
Discuss

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Nicodemus Emancipation and Homecoming Celebration

The Nicodemus Emancipation and Homecoming Celebration is held annually the last weekend in July to celebrate the abolishment of slavery in the United States. It also celebrates NicodemusNicodemus, the only still-living all-black community west of the Mississippi founded by former slaves. The Emancipation and Homecoming Celebration has taken place every year since 1878. The event includes such attractions as a parade, a fashion show, military displays, and descendants' program, which draws relatives of the original town settlers from across the country. Discuss


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Spanish Treasure Fleet Sinks off Florida Coast in Hurricane (1715)

From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the Spanish Empire used a system of convoys, called treasure fleets, to transport a wide variety of items to Spain from its territories in the New World. Seven days after departing from Havana, Cuba, all 11 of the ships in the 1715 treasure fleet sank during a hurricane near present-day Florida, resulting in the deaths of thousands of sailors. The disaster also resulted in the loss of what precious items, some of which still occasionally wash ashore? Discuss


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Peter Benenson (1921)

Peter Benenson was an English lawyer who organized a letter-writing campaign in 1961 calling for amnesty for "prisoners of conscience." His campaign resulted in the establishment of Amnesty International, a human-rights organization that works to combat violations of human rights, especially abridgments of freedom of speech and religion and the imprisonment and torture of political dissidents. Why did Benenson resign from his position within Amnesty International in 1967? Discuss


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Lucy Maud Montgomery

It wouldn't do for us to have all our dreams fulfilled. We would be as good as dead if we had nothing left to dream about. Discuss


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Misanthropy

Misanthropy is a general dislike or distrust of the human species. Typically motivated by social alienation or feelings of contempt for society's prevailing characteristics, misanthropes express a dislike for humanity as a whole, but can have normal relationships with some individuals. Overt expressions of misanthropy can be attributed to characters throughout literature. What existentialist philosopher and writer famously wrote that "hell is other people" in his play No Exit? Discuss


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hang paper

To write a dishonored or bad check. Watch the video

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Picture of the day for July 31, 2016

Panoramic view northwards from Grießenkareck mountain near Wagrain, federal state of Salzburg. Learn more.

Bologna Festival

In 1906, a bologna maker named T. J. Minnie set up his shop in Yale, Michigan. Over the next several decades, a number of other bologna makers settled in Yale, but today only one remains: C. Roy Inc., which produces Yale Bologna. The annual Bologna Festival, established in 1989, is designed to attract true bologna lovers with its booths serving bologna rings, bologna hot dogs, bologna and sauerkraut, and fried bologna sandwiches. A King and Queen Bologna are crowned, and they ride through town on the C. Roy float in the Big Bologna Parade wearing crowns made out of bologna rings. Discuss


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WWI: Black Tom Explosion (1916)

In the midst of WWI, German saboteurs demolished a US munitions stockpile in the Black Tom section of Jersey City, New Jersey. The series of massive explosions killed a few, injured hundreds, damaged all sorts of structures, including the Statue of Liberty, and was heard hundreds of miles away. Sued by the US government in 1922 but vindicated in 1930 by an international claims commission, the German government was ultimately ordered to pay $50 million in damages. When was the final payment made? Discuss


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Emily Brontë (1818)

Sister of writers Charlotte and Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë was an English author who is most famous for her novel Wuthering Heights, a highly imaginative story of passion and hatred set on the Yorkshire moors. Emily's unusual character and intellect seem to have been unrecognized by her family until quite late in her short life—she died at 30 of tuberculosis—but Charlotte was astonished by her poetry and regarded her work as unparalleled. Emily originally published under what pen name? Discuss


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hang on (someone's) words

To listen very closely, intently, or with obsequious attention to what someone is saying. Watch the video

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The Pig-Footed Bandicoot

Extinct since the mid 20th century, the pig-footed bandicoot was a small, mostly herbivorous marsupial of the plains of inland Australia. About the size of a kitten, the pig-footed bandicoot had large, pointed ears, a long tail, long, slender limbs, and, as its name suggests, hoof-like nails on its forefeet and hind legs, making it unique among marsupials. Though its decline coincided with the arrival of Europeans, the cause of its extinction remains uncertain. What are some theories? Discuss


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emetic

Definition: (noun) An agent that causes vomiting.
Synonyms: nauseant, vomitive, vomit.
Usage: She was highly allergic to dairy products; pizza gave her a stomachache, and ice cream was a virtual emetic.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for July 30, 2016

Chalkhill blue butterflies (Polyommatus coridon) mating at Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire. Learn more.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Established (1958)

NASA is an agency of the US government charged with aeronautics research and the nation's civilian space program. During its history, it has been responsible for manned trips to the Moon, orbiting observatories, and unmanned programs that explored other planets and interplanetary space. Today, its goals include improving human understanding of the universe and establishing a permanent human presence in space. NASA was created by an act of Congress passed largely in response to what 1957 event? Discuss


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Gilroy Garlic Festival

This event is a celebration of garlic in the California town, located in Santa Clara County, that calls itself the Garlic Capital of the World. The claim is made because 90 percent of America's garlic is grown and processed in the area. The highlight of the festival is Gourmet Alley with dozens of food booths that use eight tons of garlic in preparing various garlic-flavored dishes, including garlic ice cream. Other events are a Great Garlic Cook-off and Recipe Contest, arts and crafts exhibits, musical entertainment, and a barn dance. Discuss


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have (hand)writing like chicken scratch

To have very poor, messy, and/or illegible handwriting, likened to the marks made in the dirt by a chicken. Watch the video

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Alexis de Tocqueville (1805)

Tocqueville was a French political scientist, historian, and politician. Born into an aristocratic family with ties to the king, his future in government was jeopardized by a revolution in 1830. To distance himself from the trying political situation at home, he embarked on a government-sanctioned mission to the US. Out of it came his best-known work, Democracy in America—the first analytical study of the strengths and weaknesses of US society. What conclusions did Tocqueville draw in it? Discuss


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Bacchanalia

Now a term used to describe any drunken revelry, bacchanalia were wild festivals honoring the Greco-Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Introduced around 200 BCE, bacchanalia were originally held in secret 3 times a year and attended only by women. Later, admission was opened to men and celebrations became as frequent as 5 times a month. The notoriety of the festivals led to a Senate decree in 186 BCE prohibiting them except in the event of special approval. What happened to those who defied the decree? Discuss


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marque

Definition: (noun) A model or brand of a manufactured product, especially an automobile.
Synonyms: brand, trade name.
Usage: The public relations department argued that the prestige consumers associated with marque of the car was even more important than the quality of the product.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for July 29, 2016

Tallinn Seaplane Harbour and aeroplane hangars and icebreaker Suur Tõll.. Learn more.

The Plumed Basilisk

Known in Costa Rica as the "Jesus Christ lizard" for its ability to run short distances across water using both its feet and tail for support, the plumed basilisk is a species of lizard native to Latin America, with a natural habitat that ranges from Mexico to Ecuador. An excellent swimmer, Basiliscus plumifrons can stay under water for up to 30 minutes. Plumed basilisks are omnivorous and eat insects, small mammals and lizards, fruits, and flowers. What predators prey on the lizard? Discuss


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Summer Jam at Watkins Glen (1973)

Summer Jam at Watkins Glen was a 1973 rock festival that drew more attendees than any pop music festival before it. An estimated 600,000 fans flocked to the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway outside of Watkins Glen, New York, to see performances by The Allman Brothers Band, The Band, and the Grateful Dead. In fact, so many concertgoers arrived early that the bands performed an impromptu concert during their sound checks the day before the festival. Who was the only person to die at the festival? Discuss


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Beatrix Potter (1866)

Potter was an English author and illustrator whose 23 children's books, featuring her delicate drawings and watercolor paintings, are considered classics today. When she was 27, she sent an illustrated story to a sick boy whose mother, Potter's former governess, encouraged her to publish it. This became her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Now one of the best-selling children's books of all time, it was initially rejected by publishers. How did Potter respond to this setback? Discuss


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Lumberjack World Championships

At the turn of the century, Hayward, Wisconsin, was one of the most active logging towns in the northern United States. Nowadays Hayward is known primarily as the site of the largest lumberjack competition in the country. Lumberjacks and logrollers from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, England, and the United States come to Hayward to compete in a variety of events. The three-day event takes place in the Lumberjack Bowl, a large bay of Lake Hayward that was once used as a holding pond for the North Wisconsin Lumber Company and is now used for the World Logrolling Championships. Discuss


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guess again

A rhetorical imperative indicating that the person being spoken to is mistaken about, and thus should reconsider, something. Watch the video

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indefatigable

Definition: (adjective) Incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued.
Synonyms: tireless, unflagging, unwearying.
Usage: His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with the illness.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for July 28, 2016

Lake Kanariku in Võru County, Estonia.. Learn more.

Jordi Guixé i Coromines

The Wikipedia article on Jordi Guixé i Coromines was added to the People and self category.

Cheyenne Frontier Days

What began in 1897 as an attempt to keep alive the sports and customs of the Old West has grown into a week-long festival that regularly attracts over 300,000 visitors. Cheyenne, Wyoming, was one of the wealthiest cattle-raising cities in the world in the 1880s, and now it celebrates its colorful history by staging one of the world's largest outdoor rodeos. The festival also includes parades of covered wagons, stagecoaches and other old-time vehicles; ceremonial Native American dances; the crowning of a "Miss Frontier" queen; and pageants recreating events from Cheyenne's past. Discuss


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(all) great minds run in the same channel

Wise or intelligent people tend to have the same ideas or think in a similar way. Often used humorously regarding unremarkable thoughts occuring simultaenously between two or more people. Watch the video

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Ludovico Sforza (1452)

Sforza effectively ruled Milan from 1480, first as regent for his young nephew and later, after his nephew's suspicious death, as duke. The patron of Leonardo da Vinci, he presided over the final and most productive period of the Milanese Renaissance but was captured and imprisoned while fighting to expel the French from Italy. Before his fall, he was one of the wealthiest and most powerful princes of Italy, spending immense sums to further the arts and sciences. What painting did he commission? Discuss


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Centennial Olympic Park Bombing (1996)

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, a bombing in Centennial Olympic Park killed one person and injured 111 others. Despite the attack, officials and athletes agreed that the games should continue. Security guard Richard Jewell was initially hailed as a hero for discovering the bomb and helping clear the area before it detonated, but he soon fell under suspicion and was vilified by various media outlets before finally being exonerated. Who was actually behind the bombing? Discuss


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Homo Floresiensis

Since their discovery on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, small, hominid remains—labeled Homo floresiensis—have divided scientists into two camps. While some believe the remains are the bones of a modern human with a disorder that results in a smaller-than-average skull, others see them as evidence of a newly discovered species in the genus Homo that lived among modern humans and survived until as recently as 12,000 years ago. What arguments have been raised by both sides? Discuss


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edification

Definition: (noun) Intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement
Synonyms: enlightenment.
Usage: He knew very well that he must tell some story this evening for the edification of the company.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for July 27, 2016

Foggy morning view of the Basilica of Our Lady of Jerusalem, Artajona, Navarre, Spain. The basilica was built between 1709 and 1714 in honor of Our Lady of Jerusalem, patron saint of Artajona.. Learn more.

a great many

A very large number of (people, things, etc.). Watch the video

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Carl Jung (1875)

Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of analytical psychology. Early in his career, he worked with psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who studied and named "schizophrenia." Jung wrote a book on the illness, which led to a meeting with Sigmund Freud, and the two formed a close relationship for a number of years. However, Jung's criticism of Freud's emphasis on the sexual basis of neuroses ended their collaboration, and a formal break came when Jung published what revolutionary book? Discuss


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RAGBRAI

A bicycle ride (not race) across the state of Iowa, RAGBRAI is billed as the oldest, longest, and largest bicycle-touring event in the nation. The sponsor from the start has been the Des Moines Register, and RAGBRAI stands for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The field is limited, and participants are chosen through a drawing. The ride began in 1973 and was intended as a one-time event, but interest was such that it continued the next year, and the next, when it got the RAGBRAI name. The route is different each year but always runs from west to east. Discuss


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The Battle of Edgecote Moor (1469)

The Battle of Edgecote Moor was an important turning point in the series of dynastic civil wars for the English throne known as the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485). The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, against those of King Edward IV. Warwick had once been loyal to Edward and had even helped put him on the throne, but Edward began to resent him and suppress his influence. Angered, Warwick allied with Edward's brother, George, and rose in rebellion. Who won the battle? Discuss


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Cargo Cults

First appearing in the late 19th c. but particularly prevalent after WWII, when many Pacific Islanders witnessed airdrops of supplies, cargo cults are the unorthodox religious movements that appeared in tribal societies after interaction with Westerners. Believing fallen cargo came from divine spirits who would send more upon seeing rituals based on the foreigners' behavior, the tribes built straw airplanes, radios made of coconuts, and other pseudo-Western items. Do any cargo cults exist today? Discuss


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befuddled

Definition: (adjective) Perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment.
Synonyms: bewildered, confounded, baffled, mixed-up, bemused, lost.
Usage: The audience was befuddled by the speaker's contradictory statements.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for July 26, 2016

View of Tarazona, Spain, from the Episcopal Palace.. Learn more.

grease payment

A sum of money, typically a bribe, paid to a government official or business person so as to facilitate or expedite some decision or transaction. Watch the video

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Svetlana Savitskaya Becomes the First Woman to Perform a Spacewalk (1984)

Savitskaya is a former Soviet female aviator and cosmonaut who flew aboard Soyuz T-7 in 1982, becoming the second woman in space some 19 years after Valentina Tereshkova. She logged nearly 20 days in space during her career, including three and a half hours spent outside the Salyut 7 space station in 1984, when she became the first woman to perform a spacewalk. Before becoming a cosmonaut, she was a test and sport pilot and a parachutist. What world records did she set? Discuss


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Louise Brown (1978)

Brown was the first baby to be conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure used to overcome infertility in which a woman's eggs are removed, fertilized with sperm outside the body, and then inserted into the uterus. Now a commonplace procedure, IVF was developed in the 1970s by British medical researchers Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards and was subject to much criticism before Brown's birth. Who was the first woman conceived through IVF to give birth naturally to a baby of her own? Discuss


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Puerto Rico Constitution Day

Puerto Rico Constitution Day is the anniversary of the day on which Puerto Rico changed from a territory to a commonwealth and adopted its new constitution in 1952. Sometimes referred to as Commonwealth Day, July 25 is a legal holiday throughout the island. It is celebrated with parades, speeches, fireworks, and parties. Discuss


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Greek Fire

Produced using a secret formula that remains a mystery to this day, Greek fire was a burning-liquid weapon used by the Byzantine Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, and Mongols. Early on, it took the form of a burning cloth ball fired with a catapult. Later advances produced a flamethrower-like device that discharged a stream of burning fluid which, according to many historical accounts, water could not extinguish. What are some of the ingredients thought to have been used in the production of Greek fire? Discuss


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floorshow

Definition: (noun) A series of entertainments presented in a nightclub.
Synonyms: cabaret.
Usage: The floorshow was spectacular and loud, and the next morning, he had a splitting headache.
Discuss

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Picture of the day for July 25, 2016

View of the coastal tower of San Saturniño, Cambados, province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. The fortification was possibly built during the first settlement in the region of Cambados. The fortification is a national monument and dates from the second half of the 10th century, but was destroyed betweeen 1466 and 1470 during the Irmandiño revolts. The fortification had several functions: residence, watch tower, and lighthouse.. Learn more.

Hiram Bingham III Locates Machu Picchu (1911)

Bingham was an American archaeologist who explored the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, which he incorrectly identified as the "lost city" of Vilcabamba, bringing them to the attention of the outside world for the first time. Ironically, he was also the first modern explorer to reach Espiritu Pampa, found 60 mi (110 km) east of Machu Picchu, a site now widely recognized as the actual remains of Vilcabamba. A Yale University lecturer, Bingham may have been the inspiration for what fictional character? Discuss


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Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald (1900)

Zelda Sayre was an aspiring writer when she married F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1920. A glamorous and witty couple, they lived an extravagant life in New York City that F. Scott unsuccessfully attempted to support with his writing. They eventually moved to Europe, where they became part of a celebrated circle of American expatriates known as the Lost Generation. After 1930, Zelda was intermittently confined to sanatoriums for schizophrenia but still managed to publish short stories and what novel? Discuss


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The Philosopher's Stone

Long sought as the "holy grail" of Western alchemy, the philosopher's stone is a legendary substance that is supposedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold and is believed by some to have the power to restore youth. At one time, alchemists believed a key ingredient of the stone was a mythical element called "carmot." According to legend, to whom did 13th-century scientist Albertus Magnus give the philosopher's stone after discovering it shortly before his death? Discuss


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skinflint

Definition: (noun) A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend.
Synonyms: scrooge, churl, niggard.
Usage: He had earned for himself the reputation of an awful skinflint, of a miser in the matter of living.
Discuss

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grand total

The final amount after adding several different numbers or sums. Watch the video

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Manitoba Sunflower Festival

The Mennonites were members of an evangelical Protestant sect named for Menno Simons, a Dutch priest. A number of Russian Mennonites settled in Manitoba, Canada, where their heritage is still celebrated. Because the Mennonites were the first to extract the oil from sunflower plants, the city of Altona honors its Mennonite heritage with an annual Sunflower Festival, offering a number of Mennonite foods such as veriniki, borscht, and rollkuchen. Activities include the Great Ping Pong Ball Drop, motorcross races, pancake breakfasts, and a huge farmers' market. Discuss


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Picture of the day for July 24, 2016

Lake Salinas is a salt pan located in the Arequipa Region, Peru. It is located within the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reservation. The lake is 4,300 metres (14,100 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 6,182 hectares (15,280 acres), but shrinks to a thin salt crust in the dry season.. Learn more.

compendium

Definition: (noun) A list or collection of various items.
Synonyms: collection.
Usage: Aglaya's husband was to be a compendium of all the virtues, and of all success, not to speak of fabulous wealth.
Discuss

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have (got) a knack for (something)

To be exceptionally proficient at (doing) something. Watch the video

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Judit Polgár (1976)

Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster and by far the strongest female chess player in history. A prodigy from an early age, she won many youth tournaments competing against boys. In 1991, at the age of 15, Polgár became the youngest grandmaster in history at the time, earning the distinction faster than Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. She later became the first woman to be ranked in the top ten in the world, ranking as high as eighth. What world champions has Polgár defeated? Discuss


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The Three Weeks

The 17th of Tammuz (Shivah Asar b'Tammuz) marks the day on which the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. The three-week period between this day and the ninth of Av is known in Hebrew as the period Ben ha-Metsarim. It is a time of mourning for the Jewish people. Restrictions include not shaving or cutting one's hair, not wearing new clothes, nor eating fruit for the first time in season. On each of the three Sabbaths during the Three Weeks, a special prophetic passage of the Old Testament, known as a haftarah, is read. Discuss


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The "Gimli Glider": Air Canada Flight Runs Out of Fuel Mid-Flight (1983)

The "Gimli Glider" is the nickname given to Air Canada Flight 143, which ran out of fuel on a routine flight from Montreal to Edmonton in 1983. The crew was able to glide the aircraft safely to an emergency landing at a retired airstrip in Gimli, Manitoba, even through part of the runway had been converted into a racetrack and a large event was being held there at the time. Amazingly, no passengers or bystanders suffered any serious injuries. Why did the plane run out of fuel? Discuss


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Phrygia

In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west-central part of the Anatolia, the site of modern Turkey. The Phrygian people settled in the area around 1200 BCE and established a kingdom in the 8th century BCE before being conquered and becoming part of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Phrygia developed an advanced Bronze Age culture and the earliest traditions of Greek music were derived from the area. Who was the mythic Phrygian king who was given the "golden touch"? Discuss


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Picture of the day for July 23, 2016

Original mailbox of the headquarters of the Post and Telegram Office in Lima, capital of Peru.. Learn more.

Emma Lazarus (1849)

Lazarus was an American Jewish poet. She became an impassioned spokeswoman for Judaism after the Russian pogroms of the 1880s, writing many essays and a book of poems, Songs of a Semite, which contains her best work. Her writings caught the attention of Ralph Waldo Emerson, with whom she shared a lifetime correspondence. She also worked for the relief of new immigrants to the US, and the famous closing lines of her sonnet "The New Colossus" were engraved on what monument? Discuss


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The Battle of Falkirk (1298)

The Battle of Falkirk was a major battle in the First War of Scottish Independence. It was fought between the leader of the Scots, William Wallace, and King Edward I of England, also known as the Hammer of the Scots. In 1298, Edward I invaded Scotland and defeated a smaller force led by Wallace at Falkirk. Edward's longbowmen and cavalry decimated Wallace's spearmen, forcing him to retreat. What did Wallace do shortly after losing the battle? Discuss


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goodness me

A mild exclamation of surprise, alarm, dismay, annoyance, or exasperation. Watch the video

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Jane Austen

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. Discuss


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Soma-Nomaoi (Wild Horse Festival)

The Wild Horse Festival, or Soma-Nomaoi, takes place annually in Soma City and Minami-Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture in eastern Japan over four days, July 22-25. It is a historical re-enactment of military exercises that are more than 1,000 years old. In the event's highlight, about 600 mounted samurai warriors in traditional Japanese armor gallop across the vast Hibarigahara plain and vie for 40 shrine flags propelled into the air by fireworks. Other colorful spectacles include a procession on July 24 summoned by conch shell horn and war drums, and the Nomagake ritual on July 25. Discuss


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