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Malcolm X (1925)

Malcolm X was an African-American activist. His home was burned by the KKK when he was a child, and he joined the Nation of Islam in prison as an adult. Upon his release in 1952, he renounced his "slave name," Little, and took the surname X, representing his lost African ancestral surname. He became a minister and soon rose to prominence campaigning for black separatism, but he publicly broke with the militant Black Muslims in 1964 after a pilgrimage to Mecca. Who assassinated him the next year? Discuss

Posted on 19 May 2012 | 1:00 am

False Doors

Many ancient Egyptian tombs contain a false door facing west—toward the land of the dead. Made of stone or wood, these doors do not open, as they were designed for the use of the departed, who were said to be able to pass through them. Nested door jambs were used to give the doors an illusion of depth. The living would lay gifts to the dead in front of the doors, which were often decorated with depictions of the tomb's owner receiving the offerings. Why did some tombs have two false doors? Discuss

Posted on 19 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Catherine of Aragon Married by Proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales (1499)

Catherine of Aragon is known as the first of King Henry VIII's six wives, but before they were wed, she was married to his older brother Arthur. Catherine was the youngest daughter of Spain's Ferdinand II and Isabella I, and her marriage to Arthur was primarily political. In fact, Arthur and Catherine were married by proxy before they had even met, in a ceremony attended by their representatives. The marriage was short-lived, as Arthur died young. When did Arthur and Catherine finally meet? Discuss

Posted on 19 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Etruscan Mythology

Etruscan civilization reached its height in the 6th century BCE in what is now Italy, and much of its religion was later adopted by the Romans. Famous for divination, the Etruscans believed that the will of the gods was present in every aspect of nature and looked for divine signs everywhere, including in lightning, the livers of sacrificed animals, and the flight of birds. What example did the Roman philosopher Seneca use to illustrate the different religious approaches of Romans and Etruscans?

Posted on 18 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Walter Adolph Gropius (1883)

Gropius was the immensely influential director of the Bauhaus school of art and architecture in Germany. In 1937, he immigrated to America and became head of Harvard's architecture department. He was an early exponent of the International style and believed that all design—whether of a chair, a building, or a city—should focus on the particular needs and problems involved, without regard to old styles. His 1923 re-design of what everyday object is now considered an icon of 20th-century design?

Posted on 18 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Mount Saint Helens Erupts (1980)

Beginning in mid-March 1980, a series of earth tremors and steam explosions at Washington's Mount Saint Helens suggested that the volcano—dormant since 1857—was on the verge of erupting. Then, on May 18, the entire north side of the mountain exploded in a cloud of ash, rock, and fiery gases that collapsed a good part of it and carried debris for many miles. About 60 people were killed, and millions of tons of ash blanketed much of the American northwest. How far did the ash eventually spread?

Posted on 18 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Dennis Lee Hopper (1936)

Hopper was an American film actor. He appeared in two films with James Dean in the 1950s but achieved fame of his own after directing and starring in 1969's Easy Rider. His career foundered in the 70s, but important roles in Apocalypse Now (1979) and Blue Velvet (1986) helped him revitalize his career in the 80s and 90s. In addition to acting, he was a noted artist. In 1983, he checked into rehab shortly after performing what daredevil stunt involving dynamite?

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Scabies, the "Seven-Year Itch"

Scabies is a highly contagious—yet highly treatable—parasitic skin disease caused by tiny mites. Often contracted through contact with mite-infested persons, it is most prevalent in crowded, unhygienic areas and has plagued mankind for centuries. Female mites tunnel into the host's skin to deposit their eggs, triggering a massive allergic reaction that causes intense itching. Scratching the skin causes lesions that may then become infected. Most scabies infestations are caused by how many mites?

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 1:00 am

Muhammad Ali Becomes of Egypt (1805)

Four years after Ali, an Ottoman army commander, helped drive Napoleon from Ottoman-ruled Egypt, he was named wali—governor—of Egypt. He helped modernize Egypt and attempted to secure its independence. Though unsuccessful, his efforts established his progeny as the rulers of Egypt and Sudan for nearly 150 years and rendered Egypt a de facto independent state. He is thus considered one of the fathers of modern Egypt. How did Ali trick Egypt's Mameluke leaders into walking into a massacre?

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 1:00 am