The son of two ex-slaves, Johnson was the world's first African-American heavyweight champion. At the height of his career, Johnson was excoriated by the press for having twice married white women, and he offended white supremacists by defeating former champion James J. Jeffries, the "Great White Hope." In 1912, Johnson was convicted under the Mann Act for transporting his wife-to-be across state lines. Sentenced to a year in prison, he fled the country. What happened when he returned? Discussfrom Today's Birthday http://ift.tt/2mUAxMO
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The characteristic of coquettes is affectation governed by whim. 
Gangaur is one of the highlights of the festival year in the state of 
In 1961, representatives from 73 nations met at United Nations headquarters to draft an international treaty to fight the production, trade, and use of illegal drugs. Their comprehensive convention replaced a prior patchwork of treaties and was entered into force in 1964. It was amended in 1972 and now has more than 180 signatories. Despite its sweeping breadth, the document contains a significant ambiguity that has been interpreted differently by various nations. What is it? 
Proteus is an early sea-god of Greek mythology, an old man whose responsibilities include tending to Poseidon's seals. Though he is said to have the gift of prophecy, Proteus goes to go to great lengths to avoid disclosing this knowledge and only does so if trapped. A shape-shifter, he evades capture by changing his appearance. For this reason, the adjective "protean"—meaning "versatile" or "capable of assuming many forms"—is derived from his name. Who captures Proteus in Homer's Odyssey? 
Considered to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Clapton took up the instrument as a teen and went on to play in a succession of critically acclaimed blues and rock bands, such as the Yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers, and Cream. He is the recipient of 17 Grammy awards and is a three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the early 70s, he spent several years in seclusion battling a heroin addiction. What famous rock guitarist helped launch Clapton's comeback? 
I call therefore a complete and generous education that which fits a man to perform justly, skillfully, and magnanimously all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war. 
The Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world. Founded by Father Michael McGivney on the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, the organization's primary purpose was to provide financial aid to members and their families in the event of illness or death. The Knights of Columbus has since donated billions to charity and now has more than 1.8 million members. What personal tragedy led McGivney to found the organization? 
The term handedness refers to the habitual or more skillful use of one hand as opposed to the other. Approximately 90% of people are right-hand dominant, and a number of biological, sociological, and environmental theories have been proposed to explain the trend. In 2007, researchers discovered the LRRTM1 gene, the first gene linked to an increased likelihood of left-handedness. Many cultures have associated "lefties" with evil or bad luck. What is one advantage associated with left-handedness? 
In the 
Capriati's family moved to Florida when she was four years old so she could pursue a tennis career, and by 1990, the 14-year-old had earned over $6 million in endorsements. She became the youngest women's tennis player to win a match at Wimbledon, to reach the semifinals in a Grand Slam event, and to rank in the top ten players. Personal problems—including an arrest—sidelined her as a teen, but she made a successful comeback in her 20s before injuries ended her career. Why was she arrested? 
The people of 
Named after Zeus, the supreme god of Greek mythology, Zeidae are a family of large, showy fish found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Members of the Zeidae family have fairly discoid, laterally-compressed bodies with massive jaws, large eyes, and a conspicuous, crest-shaped dorsal fin containing up to 10 spines. Typically found close to the sea bottom, these edible fish are primarily caught via deep-sea trawling. How do they reproduce? 
In 1920, meteorologists did not have modern forecasting equipment, and there was no storm warning system in place in the US. Thus, when an outbreak of storms began near dawn on March 28, 1920, few were prepared for the devastation that followed. Some 400 people were killed and more than 1,200 injured that day by at least 38 recorded tornadoes in the deep South and the Midwest. Why is it likely that both the total number of tornadoes as well as the actual death toll were underreported? 
Abandoned by his parents as a baby and raised by a British aunt whose last name he took, Bartholomew was a successful child actor in Hollywood during the 1930s. He appeared in such films as Little Lord Fauntleroy, Captains Courageous, and David Copperfield, which propelled him to fame at the age of 10. After he became successful, his biological parents launched a protracted and expensive court battle to regain custody of the child star that lasted for how long? 
When Caligula became the Roman emperor in 37 CE, replacing the hated Tiberius, the public welcomed his reign, and for a time it was uneventful. Seven months later, he fell severely ill, and when he recovered, he was a changed man. Suddenly, his reign was marked by financially ruinous extravagance, unmatched cruelty, and rampant executions, even of his former supporters. He was assassinated within a few years. What may have caused the mental instability Caligula displayed after his illness? 
The Royal Bengal tiger is one of the largest and the most common tiger subspecies. The national animal of Bangladesh, the Bengal tiger is strictly protected and significant populations can now be found in both Bangladesh and India. Despite their large size, Bengal tigers can climb trees and are strong swimmers, often ambushing prey that is drinking, swimming, or that has merely retreated into the water during a chase. How much meat can a Bengal tiger consume at one time? 
The Kiplingcotes Derby, which is run along the Wolds Way in Yorkshire, England, on the third Thursday in March, dates back more than 450 years, making it the longest-running "flat race" (as opposed to the 
Caroline Herschel was a British astronomer. At the age of 10, she contracted typhus, which permanently stunted her growth—but not her ambition. Her family assumed that she would never marry because of her height and trained her to be a household servant. But when her brother, Sir William Herschel, took up astronomy and accepted the position of King's Astronomer, she joined him as his assistant and assumed the laborious task of cataloguing thousands of stars and nebulae. What did she discover? 
The seventh US president, Jackson was a child of the frontier and lost his entire family in the American Revolution. He was just 14 at the time and was already a member of the local militia. After emerging from the War of 1812 a hero for his defense of New Orleans, he rode a wave of popularity to the presidency in 1828. He was seen as a champion of the common man, but he relentlessly displaced many Native Americans. His wife died weeks before his inauguration. Why did he have to marry her twice? 
An Afro-Brazilian dance form that incorporates self-defense maneuvers, capoeira originated among African slaves in 19th-century Brazil and is now a popular art form practiced worldwide. Capoeira is performed in a special roda, or circle, where practitioners take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring. While capoeira focuses on skill rather than injuring opponents, the intensity of an individual game depends on the rhythm of the music. Why was capoeira outlawed in Brazil in 1890? 
On March 15, Hungarians observe the anniversary of the beginning of the 
I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible. 
Fuad I was the first king of modern Egypt. Educated in Europe, he returned to Egypt in 1880 and founded the University of Cairo in 1906. He succeeded his brother as sultan in 1917, but in 1922, when British control of Egypt ended, Fuad took the title of king. The following year, a new constitution was established. Fuad later abolished it and frequently threw the country into turmoil by dismissing parliament. Under great pressure, he restored the constitution in 1935. Who succeeded him? 
Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing. 
By the end of the 18th century, the mechanization of fabric production in England had created a huge demand for US cotton, but cotton production was hampered by the large amount of manual labor required to remove the sticky seeds from the raw fiber. Whitney's cotton gin solved this problem, performing the work mechanically and quickly. Cotton production in the US skyrocketed, as did the slave population—which quadrupled by 1850. Why was Whitney unable to profit from his invention? 
According to one 
Tragically orphaned at the age of 12, Strauss was apprenticed to a bookbinder but studied violin on the side. After completing his apprenticeship, he performed in string quartets around Vienna before deciding to start his own band and write his own music. He enjoyed much professional success, but his family life was tempestuous. He forbade his children to study music, but they did anyway, with Johann II eventually overshadowing him. In 1849, he died after contracting scarlet fever from whom? 
According to tradition, the vena amoris, or "vein of love," runs directly from the heart to the fourth finger of the left hand. This belief has been cited in Western cultures as one reason why engagement and wedding rings are worn on that finger. The earliest known use of the phrase is found in A Treatise of Spousal or Matrimonial Contracts, published in 1686 by Henry Swinburne, who claims the concept derives from what ancient culture? 
A soul that is kind and intends justice discovers more than any sophist. 
The fledgling Weimar Republic was just a year old when a renegade right-wing military unit made the first serious coup attempt. The government had tried to disband the unit to comply with the Versailles Treaty—which limited military power in Germany—so the brigade took Berlin. The legitimate regime fled, and Wolfgang Kapp, a radical civil servant, formed a new government. Within days, the coup collapsed and the former regime returned, thanks to a massive swell of support from whom? 
The name Hadhramaut formerly referred to the Hadhramaut states, a collective term for the Quaiti and Kathiri sultanates that were British protectorates until 1967. Today, the Hadhramaut region roughly incorporates the territory of the two sultanates, extending about 400 mi (640 km) along the southeastern coast of Yemen. It consists of a narrow, arid coastal plain, a broad plateau, a network of deeply sunk wadis, and an escarpment bordering the desert. What is the origin of the word Hadhramaut? 
A regular contributor to Mad for more than 55 years, Jaffee is the satirical magazine's longest-running contributor, as both an illustrator and writer. Since 1964, only one issue has been published without new material from Jaffee, now in his 90s. He created some of the magazine's most popular features, such as blueprint-style inventions and his famous "fold-ins"—which he continues to draw by hand. Before joining Mad, Jaffee worked with what then-unknown comic book pioneer? 
Nijinsky was a ballet dancer and ballet's first modernist choreographer. One of the greatest dancers of the 20th century, he performed spectacular leaps with unrivaled grace. During his career, his innovations were considered both scandalous and revolutionary. He had a romantic relationship with his mentor, Sergey Diaghilev, who dismissed him from the Ballets Russes when he married a Hungarian countess. A few years later, acute schizophrenia ended his career. Did he and Diaghilev ever reconcile? 
The "fireside chats" were a series of informal radio speeches delivered by president Roosevelt beginning in 1933, when the US was in the midst of the Great Depression and a third of Americans were unemployed. With his calm manner and simple way of explaining issues, Roosevelt discussed such issues as the banking crisis, the New Deal program, and the drought. During WWII, he reported on the progress of the war and discussed national defense. How many fireside chats did he deliver in all? 
This national holiday commemorates the day in 1968 when 
During the 1970s, computer system resources like disk space and memory were fairly limited, and software developers worked long hours to produce small, efficient software products. Although technology has since improved, the industry's focus on marketing and rapid coding has resulted in the proliferation of bloatware—software that gets larger and more complex with each version without providing obvious benefits to users. Which of today's programs are often cited as examples of bloatware? 
In 1985, after the death of the third Soviet leader in two years, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, ushering in an era of political reform with his policies of glasnost and perestroika. He cultivated warmer relations with the US and others and even supported the democratically elected governments that replaced the communist regimes of eastern Europe. In 1991, he resigned the presidency of the USSR, which ceased to exist the same day. How did his own policies lead to the end of his administration? 
In the 1950s, Licklider—who had studied math and physics and had a doctorate in psychology—began studying information technology. He was appointed head of information processing at ARPA, the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency, in the early 60s. There, he laid the groundwork for computer networking and ARPANET, the precursor of the Internet. He is considered one of the most important figures in computing history and is often compared to what historical trailblazer? 
Often interpreted as the eye of God watching over man, the Eye of Providence depicts an eye enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by rays of light. Found on the back of the US one-dollar bill, the Eye was adopted as part of the country's Great Seal in 1782. While the symbol in its modern form emerged in the West in the 17th and 18th centuries, representations of an all-seeing eye existed in ancient Egypt. Conspiracy theorists trace the Eye's inclusion in the Great Seal to its use by what group? 
Six hundred years before the Christian era, most Jews were slaves in Persia. The Persian prime minister 
There lies at the back of every creed something terrible and hard for which the worshiper may one day be required to suffer. 
Sarasate was a Spanish violinist and composer. He began studying the violin with his bandmaster father at age five, and at his first public concert at age eight, he impressed a wealthy patron and was sent to study in Madrid. There, Queen Isabel II gave him the Stradivarius violin that he would play for the rest of his life. He made his Paris debut in 1860 and commenced touring the world. He wrote scores of brilliant virtuoso works, some of which are still played today. Where are his violins now? 
The French Foreign Legion is a unit of the French Army largely composed of foreigners and commanded by French officers. It was created by King Louis Phillipe in 1831 to keep potential dissidents busy fighting for France rather than against it. Because enlistment historically required no official identification, many criminals joined under assumed names to hide their unsavory backgrounds. What are the two ways foreign-born legionnaires can earn the right to apply for French citizenship? 
A hermit crab, the coconut crab is remarkable for its massive pincers as well as its sheer size—it is the world's largest known terrestrial arthropod. Unlike most hermit crabs, coconut crabs cannot swim. Instead of gills, they possess a special organ called a branchiostegal lung, which is suited to absorb oxygen from air rather than water but must be kept moist if it is to function. Why is this type of crab popularly associated with the coconut? 
Bike Week is the largest motorcycle meet in the world, held for 10 days in Daytona Beach, Florida. The highlight of the week is the 
The Shuar people of Ecuador and Peru first came to worldwide attention in the 1800s, after Westerners discovered that the group practiced head shrinking. The custom stems from the belief that severing an enemy's head and shrinking it harnesses the person's spirit and compels it to serve the shrinker. Though cultural restrictions limited the manufacture of shrunken heads, Western demand for the macabre artifacts prompted the Shuar to produce them in greater quantities. How does one shrink a head? 
In the early 1950s, US Senator Joseph McCarthy persecuted scores of people he deemed subversive in a series of widely-publicized hearings that whipped the public into an anti-Communist frenzy. In 1954, journalist Edward R. Murrow produced an episode of his TV show See It Now that criticized the Red Scare and turned public opinion against McCarthy using the senator's own words. Murrow later invited McCarthy to respond. What happened when the senator accepted? 
Baron Bliss Day is a public holiday in Belize honoring Englishman