Cool Fact of the Day [May 15th]
Named After His Sandals
What Roman emperor was named after his footwear?
His formal name was Gaius Caesar, son of Germanicus, a popular and successful military
leader. This ancient Roman emperor grew up among his father's soldiers, where he wore
soldiers' dress including iron-nailed military sandals or caligae. Well-loved by the soldiers, he
came to be called Caligula, or "little sandals."
Although his rule was greeted with great public acclaim after the death of his granduncle the
emperor Tiberius, Caligula was not one of the great Roman emperors. He abused his position of
power in many ways, including flagrant personal excesses. He may even have been insane;
among other eccentricities, he nominated his horse to the position of Consul, a high government
office. Increasingly paranoid and tyrannical, he ordered many people murdered.
In a turnaround of his early relations with the military, Caligula was assassinated by a group of
soldiers in A.D. 41 after a reign of only four years.
More about Caligula:
myron.sjsu.edu
roman-emperors.org
The Romans were the first to use stop signs for city traffic:
features.learningkingdom.com
Cool Word of the Day
foible [n. FOI-bul]
A foible is a minor weakness of character or behavior. Near synonyms include fault, flaw,
failing, defect, deficiency, and shortcoming. Example: "Robin loved her husband despite his
foibles." A foible can also mean an eccentricity, kink, or quirk.
Foible also has a meaning specific to swords and fencing. It is the weaker part of the sword or
foil blade between the middle and point.
Foible entered English between 1640 and 1650. It comes from the Obsolete French foible, from
Old French feble (weak), from the Latin flebilis (lamentable), from flere (to weep).
Person of the Day
Stephen Crane, 1871-1900
American novelist and poet
In less than ten years as a writer, Stephen Crane left an indelible mark on the bedrock of
American literature. His earliest published work, "Maggie, a Girl of the Streets," was a bleakly
realistic portrait of poverty in New York. While not initially popular, it was re-released after the
success of his subsequent writings, which included "The Red Badge of Courage," a gritty tale of
the Civil War published when he was just 24, and the famous short story "The Open Boat."
Beyond these famous tales, Crane gained renown as a poet. Notable among his collections of
verse are "War is Kind and Other Lines" and "The Black Riders and Other Lines."
Tragically, Crane contracted tuberculosis while still in his twenties. That illness, combined with a
grueling schedule that included work as a war correspondent for the New York Journal, wore
him down. He died while at a health spa in Germany at the age of 28.
More about Stephen Crane:
longman.awl.com
michaelroth.tripod.com
"The Red Badge of Courage" online:
cs.cmu.edu
badge-table.html
Quotes of the Day
Effective Management; Some tenets of effective management:
"Management manages by making decisions and by seeing that those decisions are
implemented."
-- Harold S. Geneen, American businessman
"Good management consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people."
-- John D. Rockefeller, American oil magnate, philanthropist
"Effective management always means asking the right question."
-- Robert Heller, American editor
"The kind of people I look for to fill top management spots are the eager beavers, the
mavericks. These are the guys who try to do more than they're expected to do -- they always
reach."
-- Lee Iacocca, American auto business executive
Today in History
May 15th
1811: Paraguay Overthrew Spanish Forces
Spain's ability to hold its colonial empire had weakened greatly following Napoleon's 1808
invasion. Just one year before the Paraguayan revolt, Argentina had overthrown its own Spanish
viceroy. (This was done in the name of allegiance to Spain's captured King Ferdinand VII, but
Argentina's full indepence would come just a few years later.)
Because of this, Spain was not the only power standing in the way of independence. Spain had
granted Buenos Aires authority over Paraguay in 1776, and Argentina had tried to retain
Paraguay as a province through military action. However, the attempt had been unsuccessful,
and with the overthrow of Spanish authority on May 14-15, independence for Paraguay was
finally achieved.
More about Paraguay:
lonelyplanet.com
1918: First Regularly Scheduled Airmail Service Began
The first regularly scheduled airmail service took place between New York, Philadelphia, and
Washington, D.C. The early mail planes did not have any navigational instruments; pilots guided
the planes using geography and astronomy.
More about the history of the U.S. Postal Service:
usps.gov
1940: Nylon Stockings Sold for the First Time
Nylon stockings were sold in stores throughout the U.S. for the first time. The stockings were
such a success that 64 million pairs were sold the first year. This buying frenzy was curtailed
when the Allied forces began to buy most of the available nylon to make parachutes and tents
during World War II.
1963: Peace Officer Memorial Day
Through a Proclamation issued by President John F. Kennedy, May 15th was designated as
Peace Officer Memorial Day. Peace officers are civil servants, such as police agents, whose
duty is to preserve the public peace.
1972: Wallace Shot
Presidential candidate George Wallace was shot in Laurel, Maryland. As a result of the
attempted assassination, he lost the use of both legs. Wallace gave up his presidential ambitions
but not his political career; he was reelected governor of Alabama in 1974 and 1982.
More about George Wallace:
archives.state.al.us
Holidays & Events
May 15
Saint Hallvard's Day, Aoi Festival
NORWAY: ST. HALLVARD'S DAY
Revered as a martyr for his defense of an innocent person, St. Hallvard is the patron saint of
Oslo, Norway's capital city. His feast day is marked with concerts, theater, and family events.
A brief biography of St. Hallvard:
catholic.org
Oslo is found in the heart of Scandinavia:
kreft.no
randburg.com
JAPAN: AOI FESTIVAL
Boasting 1,400 years of history, the Aoi Matsuri is one of the highlights of Kyoto's festival
calendar. The main attraction is a solemn and graceful parade of drawn carriages and people
dressed in the costumes of the ancient imperial court. The parade starts at Kyoto's Imperial
Palace and proceeds to Shimogamo Shrine and then to the Kamigamo Shrine. The Aoi Festival
was named for the practice during the Edo period of decorating the carriages with aoi
(hollyhock) leaves.
The Aoi Festival prompts an important scene in the Tale of Genji:
plaza24.mbn.or.jp
The Kamigamo shrine is a World Heritage site:
j-link.ne.jp
-------------------
Copyright (c) 2001, The Learning Kingdom, Inc.
learningkingdom.com |
