October 31, 2006
100 Million-Year-Old Bee Found
A scientist has found a 100 million-year-old bee in the Hukawng Valley of northern Myanmar. The bee was found trapped in amber, a translucent semiprecious stone that begins as a sticky tree resin that entombs and preserves insects and other small organisms. The bee is approximately 40 million years older than previously discovered bees. Its discovery could help explain the quick expansion and diversity of flowering plants during that time frame.rigmarole
DEFINITION: (noun) Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense.
SYNONYMS: rigamarole.
USAGE: Now I want to know what that rigmarole you told me this morning meant.
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was an influential Chinese Nationalist leader of the 20th century. During the Chinese Civil War of 1927-1949, he led the conservative Kuomintang (KMT) party in an attempt to eradicate the Chinese Communists. He ultimately failed, and his government was forced to retreat to Taiwan, where he continued serving as the President of the Republic of China and Director-General of the KMT for the remainder of his life. He used several names throughout his life; what were they?Battle of Britain Is Won
The Battle of Britain was the first major German failure in WWII. The Royal Air Force (RAF), outgunned and outmanned, defeated the German Luftwaffe and thwarted Hitler's plan for an amphibious invasion, which he had hoped would put a quick end to the war. The event was not only a testament to the courage of British pilots, but it also marked the first time a major battle was fought entirely in the air. What technology was used for the first time during this battle?Elie Wiesel
Wiesel is an author, political activist, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. At age 16, he was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald, where his family perished. After the war, he studied at the Sorbonne and later settled in the US. His extensive works, including his most famous novel, Night, focus on keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. For years after the war, however, Wiesel refused to write about his experiences. What encounter changed his mind?October 30, 2006
Nine Survive Plane Crash in Nigeria
An airliner with just over 100 people on board crashed almost immediately after takeoff from Abuja airport in Nigeria on Sunday. Nine people are believed to have survived. Among the dead was Muhammadu Maccido, regarded as the spiritual leader of Nigeria 's Muslims. This was the third deadly crash of a passenger plane in less than a year in Nigeria, which is known for its unsafe air industry.incognizant
DEFINITION: (adj.) Lacking knowledge or awareness; unaware.
SYNONYMS: unaware.
USAGE: He was incognizant of the new political situation and needed his brother to brief him on the details.
Charles Atlas
Angelo Siciliano, better known as "Charles Atlas," was dubbed "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a NYC contest in 1922. Siciliano had been a small and weak child, but, inspired by the strength of a tiger at the zoo, he built up his endurance by working muscle groups against one another. Atlas went on to achieve phenomenal success marketing his "dynamic tension" fitness methods in the place of weight training. Atlas' physical measurements are buried in a time capsule where?“Rumble in the Jungle” Fought
The "Rumble in the Jungle" pitted Muhammad Ali against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Zaire, Africa. The match is remembered for the sweltering heat and for Ali's incredible performance in regaining the heavyweight title. Ali, surrounded by spellbound fans, used a strategy later dubbed the “rope-a-dope” technique to tire Foreman before winning in the 8th round. This fight was Don King's first venture as a professional boxing promoter. What musical acts were booked for the event?Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable, though often brief, attacks of sleep, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations. In narcolepsy, the brain does not pass through the normal stages of dozing and deep sleep but goes directly into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. As a result, nighttime sleep does not include much deep sleep, so the brain tries to "catch up" during the day. What two tests are commonly used in diagnosing narcolepsy?- » About
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