Kennedy Curse

On Friday 22 November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was fatally shot in Dealey Plaza, Dallas during a motorcade precession. This loss marks a defining event for a generation of Americans, and still stands as one of the nation’s most somber moments and the most infamous in a series of family tragedies known collectively as the Kennedy Curse.

America’s renowned Kennedy family consists of the descendants of Joseph Patrick Kennedy – prominent Irish-American businessman and politician – and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Believers of the Curse say misfortune began with the Kennedy’s eldest daughter Rosemary, a shy child who scored poorly on IQ tests, diagnosed with "moderate mental retardation." In 1941, 23 year-old Rosemary received an ill-advised lobotomy as treatment for mood issues, leaving her incontinent, infantile, incomprehensible, and institutionalized until her death in 2005.

Heraldry

This one’s for all my Anglophiles: a beginner’s guide to heraldry.

In 12^th century England, men would commonly adopt a Coat of Arms: a shield-shaped household-specific emblem to identify his family in battle. Today, arms are still displayed on shields or escutcheons; heraldry is the study of Coats of Arms, the rules governing their design, and blazoning – the specific vocabulary and syntax of their description.

Moon Landing

Continuing learnalittle’s WEEK OF SPACE, we explore the exploration of the moon.

Before getting to getting to the moon, let’s consider the context behind one of man’s coolest accomplishments. Lunar exploration was the ultimate goal of the Space Race, an unofficial – yet high stakes – competition between the US and Soviet Union to be the world leader in technology. The Space Race itself is one of the most visible aspects of the Cold War, a fifty-year period of governmental, cultural and military tension between the two above-mentioned nations.

Neckties

Have you ever wondered, “Why do men tie strips of fabric around their necks?” Well, today’s post doesn’t answer that question. But it does explain how we arrived on the strips of fabric we wear today.

Tying cloth around one’s neck began long before Borrelli, Brioni, and Burberry – as far back as Ancient China, Egypt and Rome. But a fabric square is no tie. Although not quite a tie either, the cravat is considered granddaddy of the accessory in question. When Croatian soldiers arrived in 1600’s France during the Thirty Years’ War, they brought a curious fashion trend: they tied thin bands of linen around their necks. Impressed, the French adopted the fashion, dubbing it “cravate” – from “Croat” - and the style soon spread throughout Europe (because – honestly – anything is better than a ruff).

American Flag

Things are about to get… American; today, learnalittle unfurls the old story of Old Glory.

The American flag is a national symbol of the United States of America. The flag shows a blue canton (upper-right field) called the union, which holds a star for each of the nation’s fifty states. The rest of the flag shows thirteen stripes – alternating red and white – to commemorate the initial thirteen British Colonies. Although today’s version has been in use longer than any other, the flag has undergone 26 distinct iterations since its inception, indicative of the country’s dramatic evolution since its founding.

Salem Witch Trials

To mark this significant date in the fake magical community, today’s post dabbles in the dark past of the Salem Witch Trials.

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of court hearings held in 1692-93, addressing allegations of witchcraft in several colonial Massachusetts towns. In 1692, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams – the young daughter and niece (respectively) of Reverend Samuel Parris – began suffering episodes of uncontrollable convulsions, screaming, and grunting. Doctors could find no physiological cause, and when two other girls started reporting the same symptoms, they turned to more supernatural explanations.

Mormonism

Today on a learnalittle, get to know Mormonism (well-dressed twenty-something not included).

Mormonism is a branch of Christianity and the most prevalent religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement began in the 1820s Western New York, when – according to Mormon belief – Joseph Smith, Jr. discovered a set of buried golden plates inscribed with an Ancient language. Guided by God, Smith translated the plates into the Book of Mormon, one of the primary texts of the LDS movement.

Ginkgo Trees

Embrace your inner tree hugger and learn a little about the one-of-a-kind Ginkgo tree.

The Ginkgo biloba is a non-flowering plant species with no close living relatives, easily recognizable by uniquely fan-shaped leaves. When grown in sunny, well watered, and well-drained locations, ginkgoes can grow over 100 feet; some Chinese specimens are over 150 feet tall!

The Bible

Let’s get biblical. Today on learnalittle, we take a good look at the Good Book.

The Bible is the central religious text of Christianity, composed of Judaic and early Christian texts written over centuries. Its name comes from the Greek biblia, meaning “books.” The plural is quite appropriate: the Bible itself is composed of many individual books, the total number varying across denominations – ranging from 66 to 81.

Men's Hats

Do you long for an age when women were women and men wore hats? Today, learnalittle has you covered… well, learnalittle has that second part covered.

The fedora reigns king of the felt hats. Fedoras have a brim that goes all the way around the crown (or top), and traditionally sport a grosgrain ribbon hat band (a silky, ribbed material). The crown can be bashed or blocked – indented and/or creased – in various styles, but the most common is a crease down the center with a pinch on both front sides. Recently popular Trilby hats are very similar to fedoras with some notable differences: a shorter crown and narrower brim that turns up in the back.

Amazons

It’s ladies’ choice today on learnalittle, as we explore the timeless tale of the Amazon warrior women.

The Amazons were a tribe of female warriors living in the Greek Classical period (5^th and 4^th centuries BCE). Ancient historians and artwork portray Amazons as expert with all weapons, battling Greek men with considerable skill. Some legends report Amazons as the first to ride horses, though the practice more likely originated thousands of years earlier.

Seven Wonders of the World

Historically, humans are inclined to compete, astonish, and outdo. Truthfully, these sometimes-childish tendencies have led to some pretty impressive things. Today, we’ll explore some of the oldest and grandest examples: the Seven Wonders of the World.

The Colossus of Rhodes is perhaps the youngest of the seven, built around 290BCE in Rhodes, Greece. At over 100ft tall, the statue resembled a considerably more naked Statue of Liberty.  Though shaped like the immortal Titan-god Helios, the Colossus stood only about 56 years and fell in a 226BC earthquake.

The Statue of Liberty

Spangle your banners and don your tricorne hats, because learnalittle is getting patriotic. Today’s post gives a glimpse at America’s favorite Frenchwoman: the Statue of Liberty.

As legend has it, New York’s Lady Liberty was first conceived of at the 1865 dinner party of French politician Édouard René de Laboulaye. Laboulaye made an off-handed comment suggesting a US monument to freedom built by both nations, which struck home with young sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi. Bartholdi imagined a tremendous lighthouse styled as a torch-wielding ancient Egyptian peasant, based on the Colossus of Rhodes in the Suez Canal of Port Said. Luckily for America (sorry, Egypt), this initial plan never got off the ground.

Christianity

Break out the Holy Rollers jackets: today’s learnalittle post is Christianity.

Christianity is a monotheistic religion that most centers on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the belief that he is the Son of God, humanity’s savior, and – in the majority of denominations – God as part of a Holy Trinity, along with God the Father, the God of Judaism; and the Holy Spirit, a divine force through which God acts and inspires. Christians don’t see this Trinity as three separate gods, but one God with three distinct yet unified natures.