Explorer I was the first American satellite. It was launched four months after the first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, was put into orbit by the Soviet Union, beginning the so-called space race. Although it carried a number of instruments, Explorer I was relatively small, weighing just 30 lbs (13 kg). It stopped transmission of data later in 1958, when its batteries died, but remained in orbit for more than 12 years. Where did it make its fiery reentry? Discussfrom This Day in History http://ift.tt/1caQDY9
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Tessellations are patterns of carefully juxtaposed, non-overlapping shapes—like the multicolored tiles of a mosaic—that fill a given surface. They have been used throughout history, from ancient architecture to modern art, and are frequently found in the works of M.C. Escher. Regular tessellations, which are highly symmetrical and made up of congruent, regular polygons, can only be formed using equilateral triangles, squares, or hexagons. Where can tessellations be observed in the natural world? 
This ancient fire festival is observed by people of 
They say that none of us exists, except in the imagination of his fellows, other than as an intangible, invisible mentality. 
Robinson, a vocal member of the Civil Rights movement, was the first African-American baseball player in the modern major leagues and the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1949, he led the National League in both stolen bases and batting average and was named its most valuable player. In recognition of his accomplishments both on and off the field, Major League Baseball retired Robinson's number in 1997. How many times did he "steal home" during his career? 
If Heaven had looked upon riches to be a valuable thing, it would not have given them to such a scoundrel. 
The Monday closest to the birthday of national hero 
A term used to classify wine, vintage describes the yield of wine or grapes from a vineyard or region during one season and usually identifies a high quality product. In contrast, wine made from the produce of multiple years is deemed non-vintage. Wines of superior vintages often command higher prices than those from average vintages, especially if they are likely to improve with age. Were experts who took part in a recent blind tasting able to distinguish between wines of good and bad vintages? 
The First Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed to protect the respective interests of Britain and Japan in China and Korea. Directed against Russian expansionism, the alliance helped Japan by discouraging France from entering the Russo-Japanese War on the Russian side. The alliance later prompted Japan to join the Allies in World War I. Britain allowed the alliance to lapse after the war, when it no longer feared Russian encroachment in China. What were the cultural effects of the alliance? 
Hazzard is an Australian novelist and short-story writer who has lived in the US since 1951. She and her husband, writer Francis Steegmuller, were both frequent contributors to The New Yorker magazine. Noted for her lyrical style, she achieved early success with her first story collection, Cliffs of Fall. Her 1980 novel, The Transit of Venus, brought her literary acclaim and a greatly expanded readership. Hazzard did not publish her next novel until 2003. What was it? 
The African wild dog has the strongest bite, relative to its mass, of any existing carnivorous mammal. Also known as the "painted dog," the species can be identified by its mottled black, yellow, and white coat. Wild dogs once freely roamed sub-Saharan Africa, but they are now threatened by hunting, disease, and habitat loss. With fewer than 3,000 remaining in the wild, they have been named the second most endangered carnivore in Africa. How do they bring meat back to their dens after a hunt? 
The 
Liliuokalani ascended the throne in 1891 upon the death of her brother, King Kalakaua. Her refusal to recognize the constitutional changes inaugurated in 1887 precipitated a revolt, fostered largely by sugar planters—mostly American residents of Hawaii—that led to her dethronement early in 1893 and the establishment of a provisional government. Failing in an attempt to regain the throne in 1895, she formally renounced her royal claims. What well-known song was composed by Liliuokalani? 
Swedenborg was a Swedish scientist, theologian, and mystic. He studied almost every field of scientific investigation and wrote copiously, publishing Sweden's first scientific journal and anticipating many discoveries and inventions. However, his writing gradually shifted toward philosophy and metaphysics. In 1744, he claimed to have had a divine vision. He spent the rest of his career interpreting the Bible and relating what he had seen in his visions, and he called himself a servant of whom? 
Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice while living at "Steventon," her father's Hampshire vicarage where she spent the first 25 years of her life. However, the book was not published until much later—in 1813, four years before her death. Like Austen's other novels, Pride and Prejudice is a comedy of manners that depicts the self-contained world of provincial ladies and gentlemen. In 2003, the novel placed second in a BBC poll for the "UK's Best-Loved Book." What book came first? 
Exceeded in trunk diameter only by sequoias, baobabs are gigantic trees native to Africa, Australia, and India. Some are reputed to be thousands of years old, but their ages are impossible to verify because the wood does not produce annual growth rings. Though wide enough to be hollowed out for dwellings, baobabs are not very tall, and are often called "bottle trees" and "upside-down trees" because of their appearance. What is "the Boab Prison Tree," and how was it once used? 
The 
To know, to esteem, to love, and then to part,
Rubinstein was a Polish-American pianist whose enormous popularity spanned many decades. He debuted in 1900 and performed with moderate success until the 1930s, when he stopped performing for five years to improve his technique and reemerged as a giant of 20th-century music, active into his 80s. In the US, he was equally noted as soloist and chamber musician. His repertoire ranged from Bach to 20th-century Spanish composers, but he was particularly noted for his interpretation of what composer? 
Reed was an American film and television actress. In 1946, she starred in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, playing Mary Bailey—the wife of James Stewart's character, George Bailey. She went on to win the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in From Here to Eternity and later received a Golden Globe for Best Female TV Star for her performance as Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. Why did Reed once sue the producers of the TV show Dallas? 
The National Geographic Society is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. It was founded in 1888 by a small group of eminent explorers and scientists and, by the turn of the 21st century, boasted approximately nine million members. It has supported more than 7,000 major scientific projects and expeditions, including those of the Leakey family, Jacques Cousteau, and Jane Goodall. What popular traveling exhibits has it sponsored? 
Complete silence is observed on the day known to Hindus as Mauni Amavasya. Because bathing during Magha, one of the most sacred Hindu months, is considered to be a purifying act, many Hindus camp out along the banks of the 
Guerrilla gardening is a form of activism in which groups take over abandoned plots of land that they do not own in order to grow crops or plants. The earliest recorded use of the term was in 1973, when the Green Guerilla group transformed a derelict private lot in New York's Bowery district into a garden. That garden is still being cared for by volunteers and is now protected by the city's parks department. What American folk hero do some consider an early practitioner of guerrilla gardening? 
Still regularly performed, Der Rosenkavalier is one of the most acclaimed comic operas of Richard Strauss, the leading composer of romantic opera in the early 20th century. It is loosely based on the works of Molière and Louvet de Couvrai and tells the story of the shifting romantic attachments of four principal characters. Strauss, who often abandoned tonality to emphasize the humor or drama of a scene, composed Der Rosenkavalier in collaboration with what poet? 
In his book The Day After Roswell, US Army Lt. Colonel Philip Corso claims he participated in the study of extraterrestrial technology recovered from the alleged 1947 Roswell UFO crash. According to Corso, the reverse engineering of these artifacts indirectly led to the development of accelerated particle beam devices, fiber optics, lasers, integrated circuit chips, and Kevlar. Corso also claimed knowledge of a covert government group that had been tasked with what? 
What have wealth or grandeur to do with happiness? 
Newman was an American actor who captured the darker, less heroic aspects of his best-remembered roles, such as those in The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting. After eight nominations, he finally won an Academy Award for The Color of Money in 1986. In 1982, he launched his "Newman's Own" line of food products, donating the profits to various charitable causes. Why was Newman once placed on Richard Nixon's enemies list? 
The Emmy Awards are given for outstanding achievement in US television. They are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1946 and which held the first award ceremony in 1949. Its members vote on outstanding programs, actors, directors, and writers in such categories as drama, comedy, and variety. The Emmy's name is taken from the nickname "immy" for the image orthicon, a television camera tube. Who won the very first Emmy? 
Burns Night is the anniversary of the birthday of Scottish poet 
Zog I, born Ahmet Zogolli, was president of Albania from 1925 to 1928 and king from 1928 to 1939. During the worldwide depression of the 1930s, Zog's government became almost completely dependent on Italy. Ultimately unable to check Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's increasing control over his country, Zog was forced into exile. He formally abdicated in 1946, when Albania became a communist republic after WWII. How many assassination attempts is Zog said to have survived during his reign? 
The world would do well to reflect, that injustice is in itself, to every generous and properly constituted mind, an injury, of all others the most insufferable, the most torturing, and the most hard to bear. 
A student of Rembrandt, Flinck was a Dutch painter who is remembered mainly for his numerous portraits, many of which are held in the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. Among his most famous works is the Blessing of Jacob, one of his many religious subjects. However, Flinck was also known for painting scenes from history, such as the Peace of Münster, which illustrates the famous treaty with 19 life-size figures. Flinck even painted his own likeness in the canvas. Where is it? 
When a fainting goat is startled, its external muscles freeze for about 10 seconds, causing it collapse as if in a faint. Older goats generally learn to spread their legs or lean against something when startled and remain standing during these episodes. The condition is caused by a hereditary genetic disorder called myotonia congenita, which disrupts the flow of chloride ions into skeletal muscle cells. What key aspect of human fainting does not happen to these goats? 
Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician. He started out with the Second City comedy troop in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, in 1971, achieved national recognition in National Lampoon's Lemmings in 1973, and joined Saturday Night Live as an original cast member in 1975. He also starred in several films, including Animal House and The Blues Brothers, before dying of a drug overdose in 1982. Who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his death? 
No man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed; as if darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part. 
In 1848, the same year California became a part of the US, another major event in the state's history occurred. While establishing a sawmill for John Sutter, James W. Marshall discovered gold and touched off the California gold rush. The gold-rush miners, known as forty-niners, came in droves, spurred by the promise of fabulous riches from the so-called Mother Lode, and San Francisco became a boom town. Why was Sutter disappointed when he discovered that gold had been found on his property? 
The winter season on the island of 
These late-January festivities mark a highlight in the ceremonial year at 
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device through analysis of its structure, function, and operation. It often involves taking apart an electronic component, software program, or other device in order to redesign the system for better maintainability or produce a copy of a system without access to the original design. Militaries often use reverse engineering to copy other nations' technology. What are some well-known examples from WWII? 
Kovacs was an American comedian. He turned to television after studying acting and writing, and he did much of the performing, writing, and producing for his three series—Time for Ernie, The Ernie Kovacs Show, and Kovacs Unlimited. He utilized the television format imaginatively, employing sight gags and zany improvisations, and showed off his wacky personality in 10 movies before dying prematurely in a car crash. Why did he once give a taxi driver the key to his apartment? 
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a museum dedicated to archiving the history of rock music. It was created in 1983 but did not have a home until 1995, when it opened its Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, after civic leaders pledged $65 million in public money to fund its construction. The first group of inductees included Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and James Brown, to name a few. What band inducted into the Hall in 2006 refused to attend the induction ceremony? 
Men regard it as their right to return evil for evil—and, if they cannot, feel they have lost their liberty. 
The January Uprising began as a spontaneous rebellion of young Poles in Russian Poland against conscription into the Imperial Russian Army. They were soon joined by Lithuanians living in the territory, but they were severely outnumbered and isolated, and they failed to win any major victories or capture any major cities. The Russians crushed the uprising and began an intensive program of Russification. During the uprising, Russian soldiers are said to have defenestrated what composer's piano? 
Microcredit is the extension of small loans—which are not secured by collateral and often require repayment in weekly installments—to poor individuals for use in income-generating activities that will improve the borrowers' living standards. The concept of microcredit was developed in 1976 by Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, as a means of alleviating poverty and improving the lives of Bangladesh's poorest inhabitants. What group comprises the majority of microcredit borrowers? 
Strindberg was a master of the Swedish language and an innovator of dramatic and literary styles. He achieved renown with the novel The Red Room, in which he satirized hypocrisy in Swedish life. It helped initiate Swedish realism and revealed his remarkable style, which he developed in an impressive assortment of novels, plays, stories, histories, and poems. Which of Strindberg's plays, now considered the first modern Swedish drama, was originally rejected by the national theater? 
The philosopher is like a mountaineer who has with difficulty climbed a mountain for the sake of the sunrise, and arriving at the top finds only fog; whereupon he wanders down again. 
The Dinagyang is a dancing-in-the-streets carnival on the island of Panay in Iloilo City, Philippines, held a week after the 
Louis XVI was the king of France during the complex sociopolitical conflict that culminated in the French Revolution, but he was shy, dull, and corpulent and lacked the leadership skills necessary for the job. During the revolution, he was caught attempting to flee the Tuileries palace in disguise, and when proof of his counterrevolutionary actions emerged, he was tried for treason and beheaded. It is said that while his blood dripped to the ground, many in the crowd ran forward to do what? 
The German S-mine, nicknamed the "bouncing betty" by US troops during World War II, is the best-known example of a bounding mine. These land mines are designed to attack unshielded infantry by launching into the air, exploding at waist-height, and propelling shrapnel outward at lethal speeds. One of the definitive weapons of the war, the S-mine often maimed rather than killed its victims and was one of the most feared devices encountered by Allied troops. What did French soldiers dub the S-mine?