More than a month after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending the American Civil War, fighting continued in other regions. The Battle of Palmito Ranch was fought in Texas on May 12-13, 1865, and was the last major clash of arms in the war.
It ended with a Confederate victory, with 118 Union soldiers killed and a few dozen rebels wounded. Who was the last casualty of the battle—and likely the last of the war? Discuss!
Battle of Palmito Ranch Ends (1865) (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Battle+of+Palmito+Ranch)
Launched into orbit in 1973, Skylab was the first US space station. It carried a laboratory for studying the human body's adaptation to weightlessness and a powerful solar telescope. Three successive astronaut crews conducted research aboard Skylab for a total of 171 days in 1973–74. Though Skylab was intended to be reused, increased solar activity caused its orbit to degrade faster than expected. In 1979, the 75-tonne station reentered Earth's atmosphere and broke up. Where did the debris land? Discuss!
Skylab Is Launched (1973) (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Skylab)
Inspired by the eagles he saw while out in the fields, Spanish inventor and aviation pioneer Diego Marín Aguilera built a flying machine from wood, iron, cloth, and feathers whose design was based on his observations of birds of prey. His attempt to fly the vehicle was somewhat successful—he reportedly reached a height of about 20 ft (6 m) and glided some distance—but he crash-landed when the device suffered a structural failure. What did the locals do when they learned of his invention? Discuss
Diego Marín Aguilera Makes Early Attempt at Flight (1793) (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Diego+Mar%C3%ADn+Aguilera)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was formed in 1927 by Louis B. Mayer and others to raise the standards of film production, and its first Academy Awards were presented not long after. Hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. DeMille, the first Academy Awards ceremony recognized individuals who had made outstanding film achievements in 1927 and 1928. The gold-plated statuettes given to awardees are popularly known as "Oscars." How did they get this nickname? Discuss
The First Academy Awards (1929) (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Academy+Award)
On May 19, 1780, an unusual darkening of the day sky was observed over parts of New England and Canada. The darkness was so complete that candlelight was needed as early as noon in places. Researchers examining scar damage in tree growth rings believe that a large fire in Canada's Algonquin Provincial Park contributed to the darkness, but thick fog and cloud cover likely also played a role. The episode was, and still is, interpreted by many as what kind of event? Discuss
New England's Dark Day (1780) (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/New+England's+Dark+Day)
Fought over a period of 10 days in 1969, the Battle of Hamburger Hill was the last major US ground assault of the Vietnam War. Attacks on the heavily fortified hill were primarily carried out by infantry using small arms fire, with fighting akin to WWI trench warfare. The site was of little strategic value, and the high number of casualties that resulted from capturing it sparked controversy and led to dramatic changes in US strategy. How did the hill get its name? Discuss
The Battle of Hamburger Hill Ends (1969) (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Battle+of+Hamburger+Hill)