Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, which depicts the last hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, is the highest-grossing R-rated film ever made and was nominated for 3 Academy Awards. Several Jewish groups have expressed concern that the film blames the death of Jesus on the Jews as a collective group and could encourage anti-Semitism. The movie has also sparked debate about whether its depictions of violence are too graphic. In what languages is the film's dialogue spoken?
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Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit. It was launched by the Soviet Union in October 1957, and acted as the starting gun for the space race. The Sputnik, Russian for "traveling companion," gathered data about the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere and the behavior of radio signals in the ionosphere. Sputnik 2, the second satellite to be put into orbit, was the first to carry a living creature. What type of animal was on board?
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Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus is a gothic novel that spawned a new genre of horror stories and films. It tells the story of Frankenstein, a scientist, who discovers how to bring inanimate matter to life and, in the process, creates a man-monster. When Frankenstein fails to provide a mate to satisfy the creature's human emotions, it seeks revenge. Mary Shelley came up with the idea for the novel while vacationing at the home of what famous poet?
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The Apollo program was a series of spaceflight missions undertaken by the US in the 1960s with the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. Apollo 9 was the third manned mission in this series and consisted of a 10-day earth-orbital mission launched on March 3, 1969. It was the second manned flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle and the first manned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module. Why did Apollo 9's crewmembers name their command module “Gumdrop”?
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Manfred von Richthofen, or the "Red Baron," was the WWI German aviator who commanded the 11th Chasing Squadron, known as Richthofen's Flying Circus. He was the most successful flying ace of WWI, shooting down 80 aircraft before being killed in action. In April 1918, he was shot in the chest while pursuing an enemy target over France; he managed to land his plane but died soon after. The Red Baron has since become a symbol of dexterity, daring, and victory. Who fired the shot that killed him?
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The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution completed the abolition of slavery, which had begun with Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. By December 6, 1865, 27 out of 36 states had ratified the 13th Amendment, starting with the state of Illinois. It was not until 1995, however, that the last of the 36, Mississippi, ratified it. Offenses against the 13th Amendment were being prosecuted as late as what year?
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The German term Anschluss, meaning “unification” or “political union,” is most frequently used in reference to the Nazis' 1938 annexation of Austria into Greater Germany. When the Nazis entered Austria to enforce the Anschluss, they encountered no military opposition and quickly took control of the newly created German province. The US, USSR, and UK signed a declaration proclaiming the Anschluss null and void in 1943, yet Austria did not regain its sovereignty until what year?
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Grace Kelly was an Oscar-winning American actress who appeared in many films, including Dial M for Murder and Rear Window. In 1956, she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and became Her Serene Highness Princess Grace, an event that marked her retirement from acting. The couple had three children, one of whom, Albert II of Monaco, is the principality's reigning Sovereign Prince. Kelly died in a car accident in 1982. Why was she chosen to marry the Prince of Monaco?
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Adams is an Irish Republican politician, member of parliament for West Belfast, and president of Sinn Féin, the Irish nationalist movement that has gained notoriety for its association with the violent Irish Republican Army. He has been a key figure in Irish peace negotiations, and he was the main architect of the 1994 IRA ceasefire. In 1984, Adams was seriously wounded when several gunmen opened fire on his car. What did Adams allege about the British army's failure to prevent the attack?
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Bruno Hauptmann, a German immigrant to the US, was convicted and sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., the young son of famed pilot Charles Lindbergh. In recent years, the case against Hauptmann has come under serious scrutiny. It has been discovered that some of the evidence used to convict him was planted or doctored and that false testimony was given at the trial. What did modern forensic scientists determine about evidence from the kidnapping?
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