December 31, 2006
august
DEFINITION: (adjective) Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic.
SYNONYMS: lordly, grand.
USAGE: He was of august lineage, and was widely admired for his family connections.
Hideki Tojo
Tojo was the 40th Prime Minister of Japan. His accession marked the final triumph of the military faction which advocated war with the US and Great Britain. As the most powerful leader in the government during WWII, he approved the attack on Pearl Harbor and pushed the Japanese offensive in China, SE Asia, and the Pacific. Tojo resigned after a string of military failures and later attempted suicide. He was arrested by the Allies and tried, convicted, and executed for what war crimes?Edwin Hubble Announces Existence of Other Galaxies
Edwin Hubble worked as a basketball coach and teacher, served in World War I, and studied law before focusing his energies on astronomy. On December 30, 1924, he made a groundbreaking announcement, declaring that fuzzy "nebulae" seen earlier with less powerful telescopes were not part of our galaxy, but were actually galaxies, themselves. With the findings now known as Hubble's law, he was also the first to provide evidence to support what theory about the universe?Special Effects
Special effects are cinematographic techniques used in the film and television industries to visualize scenes that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as space travel. Common examples are the use of rear-screen projections, in which previously photographed material is projected behind the actors; the filming of miniature objects in such a way as to make them look life-size; and the use of animation techniques. What is "morphing"?December 30, 2006
hauteur
DEFINITION: (noun) Haughtiness in bearing and attitude; arrogance.
SYNONYMS: arrogance, haughtiness, highhandedness, lordliness.
USAGE: There was no trace of hauteur in her expression, and she seemed humbled and meek.
Charles Goodyear
Goodyear was the inventor of vulcanization, a process that makes rubber harder, less soluble, and more durable. It is at the heart of rubber compounding, which played a key role at the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Goodyear obtained a patent for vulcanization in 1844, but died deep in debt in 1860. He had no official connection to the famous Goodyear Tire Company, which was founded after his death and named in his honor. He describes the circumstances attending his discovery in what book?Wounded Knee Massacre
The Wounded Knee Massacre was the last major armed conflict between the Lakota Sioux and the US. After the death of Sitting Bull, a band of Sioux, led by Big Foot, fled into the badlands, where they were captured by the 7th Cavalry on Dec. 28, 1890. On Dec. 29, the Sioux were ordered disarmed. During the tension that ensued, a weapon discharged, US troops opened fire, and within minutes almost 200 men, women, and children were dead. Wounded Knee was responsible for the decline of what movement?The Salic Law
The Salic law was the rule of succession in certain royal and noble families of Europe, forbidding females to succeed to the titles or offices in the family. The rule was most prominently enforced by the house of Valois and the succeeding house of Bourbon in France and was involved in the rivalry of Stephen and Matilda for the throne of England and in the claim of Edward III to the French succession. What impact did it have when Victoria ascended the British throne?December 28, 2006
sanies
DEFINITION: (noun) A thin, fetid, greenish fluid consisting of serum and pus discharged from a wound, ulcer, or fistula.
SYNONYMS: pus, festering, ichor, purulence, suppuration.
USAGE: The doctor bandaged my hand and told me to call him if sanies began to ooze from the wound.
Woodrow Wilson
Wilson served as President of the US from 1913 to 1921, throughout the United States' involvement in World War I. Following the war, Wilson hoped to achieve world peace through his "Fourteen Points," but his progressive vision suffered numerous setbacks, and he ended his term incapacitated by two strokes. Nevertheless, while trying to implement his plan at the Paris Peace conference, he became the first American president to travel to Europe while in office. He was the governor of what state?- » About
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