January 11-19

Classroom

1879 – Zulu forces defeat the British Army at Isandlwana

1879 – Zulu forces defeat the British Army at Isandlwana

1879 – Zulu forces defeat the British Army at Isandlwana

Why did British commanders underestimate Zulu military organization and strategy?
How did this defeat challenge assumptions about imperial power and superiority?
What lessons did empires learn when industrial armies faced well-organized local forces?

1922 – Insulin is first used to treat diabetes

1879 – Zulu forces defeat the British Army at Isandlwana

1879 – Zulu forces defeat the British Army at Isandlwana

Why was the successful use of insulin considered a medical breakthrough rather than an incremental advance?
How did this discovery change expectations around chronic illness and survival?
What responsibilities come with medical discoveries that can mean the difference between life and death?

2010 – A major earthquake strikes Haiti

1879 – Zulu forces defeat the British Army at Isandlwana

2010 – A major earthquake strikes Haiti

Why did the earthquake cause such widespread devastation beyond the force of the tremor itself?
How do poverty, infrastructure, and governance affect the impact of natural disasters?
What long-term challenges emerge after the immediate humanitarian response ends?

Classroom

475 – Emperor Zeno is forced to flee Constantinople

1986 – Franklin Chang-Díaz becomes the first Hispanic American in space

475 – Emperor Zeno is forced to flee Constantinople

Why did military loyalty matter more than titles or law in maintaining imperial authority?
How does this event reveal the limits of centralized power when control depends on force?
What parallels can be drawn between this moment and later political collapses driven by internal revolt?

1932 – Hattie Caraway is elected to the U.S. Senate

1986 – Franklin Chang-Díaz becomes the first Hispanic American in space

475 – Emperor Zeno is forced to flee Constantinople

What barriers had prevented women from holding elected federal office before this moment?
Why does being elected by popular vote matter differently than appointment?
How can a single election signal broader structural change without immediately transforming politics?

1986 – Franklin Chang-Díaz becomes the first Hispanic American in space

1986 – Franklin Chang-Díaz becomes the first Hispanic American in space

1986 – Franklin Chang-Díaz becomes the first Hispanic American in space

Why does representation in national achievements like spaceflight carry symbolic power?
How did the space program reflect broader social changes happening in the United States?
In what ways can visibility open doors without guaranteeing equal access?

Classroom

1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England

1941 – Henry Ford unveils a soy-based plastic automobile body

1898 – Émile Zola publishes J’Accuse…! in France

Why was restoring stability a central concern at the start of Elizabeth’s reign?
How did religion and political authority remain tightly linked in Tudor England?
What challenges arise when a ruler must unify a nation after prolonged uncertainty?

1898 – Émile Zola publishes J’Accuse…! in France

1941 – Henry Ford unveils a soy-based plastic automobile body

1898 – Émile Zola publishes J’Accuse…! in France

Why did the United States create a different immigration system on the West Coast compared to Ellis Island?
How did detention and interrogation policies shape the experiences of Asian immigrants?
What does Angel Island reveal about how nations decide who belongs and who does not?

1941 – Henry Ford unveils a soy-based plastic automobile body

1941 – Henry Ford unveils a soy-based plastic automobile body

1941 – Henry Ford unveils a soy-based plastic automobile body

Why did wartime conditions accelerate experimentation with new materials?
How does scarcity influence technological innovation?
What ideas from this experiment continue to shape modern manufacturing?

Classroom

1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Peace of Paris

1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Peace of Paris

1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Peace of Paris

Why was international recognition as important as military victory for the new United States?
How did formally ending the war change the challenges facing the former colonies?
What responsibilities come with independence once external authority is removed?

1973 – Aloha from Hawaii is broadcast worldwide

1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Peace of Paris

1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Peace of Paris

Why did live satellite television change how audiences experienced global events?
How did this broadcast redefine celebrity and cultural reach?
What does this moment reveal about the growing power of media technology?

1973 – The Miami Dolphins complete an undefeated season

1784 – The Continental Congress ratifies the Peace of Paris

1973 – The Miami Dolphins complete an undefeated season

Why is a perfect season so rare in professional sports?
How do team structure and discipline contribute to sustained success?
Why do singular achievements continue to shape sports identity decades later?

Classroom

588 BCE – Babylonian forces capture Jerusalem

1919 – Political reformers are killed in postwar Germany

1919 – Political reformers are killed in postwar Germany

How did forced exile change Jewish identity from being tied to land to being shaped by memory and law?
Why can the loss of a physical place strengthen cultural and religious traditions rather than erase them?
What lessons does this moment offer about survival after political and military defeat?

1919 – Political reformers are killed in postwar Germany

1919 – Political reformers are killed in postwar Germany

1919 – Political reformers are killed in postwar Germany

Why did violence continue even after Germany adopted a new democratic system?
How can old power structures survive beneath new political forms?
What dangers arise when political violence becomes normalized?

1929 – Martin Luther King Jr. is born in Atlanta

1919 – Political reformers are killed in postwar Germany

1929 – Martin Luther King Jr. is born in Atlanta

How did growing up in a segregated society shape King’s understanding of justice?
Why did King argue that moral pressure was more powerful than violence?
How can nonviolent resistance expose injustice more effectively than force?

Classroom

1547 – Ivan IV is crowned Tsar of All Russia

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom becomes law

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom becomes law

Why did adopting the title of tsar signal a shift toward absolute authority?
How does centralizing power change the relationship between rulers and regional leaders?
What risks emerge when a state is built around the will of a single ruler?

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom becomes law

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom becomes law

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom becomes law

Why was separating religion from state authority considered radical at the time?
How does protecting freedom of conscience strengthen a pluralistic society?
In what ways did this law influence later constitutional principles?

1920 – Prohibition takes effect in the United States

1786 – Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom becomes law

1920 – Prohibition takes effect in the United States

Why did lawmakers believe banning alcohol would improve society?
How did Prohibition unintentionally expand criminal networks and corruption?
What does this period reveal about the limits of legislating morality?

Classroom

1773 – James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

1773 – James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

1773 – James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

Why did pushing geographic boundaries matter so deeply to imperial and scientific ambition?
How did exploration reshape how people understood the size and limits of the planet?
What risks were considered acceptable in the pursuit of knowledge and prestige?

1991 – Operation Desert Storm begins

1773 – James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

1773 – James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

How did new technologies change how wars were planned, fought, and perceived?
Why did live media coverage alter public experience of the conflict?
What long-term consequences emerge when warfare becomes increasingly distant and precise?

1995 – An earthquake devastates Kobe, Japan

1773 – James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle

1995 – An earthquake devastates Kobe, Japan

Why did modern infrastructure fail so catastrophically during the quake?
How can disasters expose weaknesses in systems thought to be secure?
In what ways did this event reshape Japan’s approach to disaster preparedness and response?

Classroom

1670 – Henry Morgan captures and burns Panama City

1670 – Henry Morgan captures and burns Panama City

1670 – Henry Morgan captures and burns Panama City

Why would European governments support privateers despite the violence and destruction they caused?
How did attacking trade centers weaken empires more effectively than battlefield victories alone?
What does state-sanctioned piracy reveal about how power operated in the colonial world?

1788 – Britain’s First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay

1670 – Henry Morgan captures and burns Panama City

1670 – Henry Morgan captures and burns Panama City

Why did Britain choose forced transportation rather than voluntary settlement to establish the colony?
How did the arrival of convicts shape the early social structure of Australia?
What perspectives are missing when colonization is framed only through European settlement?

1958 – Willie O’Ree breaks the NHL color barrier

1670 – Henry Morgan captures and burns Panama City

1958 – Willie O’Ree breaks the NHL color barrier

Why did racial integration in professional hockey occur later than in some other major sports?
How can individual milestones mask ongoing systemic barriers?
What role do visibility and representation play in changing institutions over time?

Classroom

1419 – Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England

1883 – Edison’s electric lighting system begins operating in Roselle, New Jersey

1883 – Edison’s electric lighting system begins operating in Roselle, New Jersey

Why was the capture of Rouen strategically important during the Hundred Years’ War?
How did controlling major cities help determine the outcome of medieval conflicts?
What were the likely consequences for civilians living under prolonged siege and occupation?

1883 – Edison’s electric lighting system begins operating in Roselle, New Jersey

1883 – Edison’s electric lighting system begins operating in Roselle, New Jersey

1883 – Edison’s electric lighting system begins operating in Roselle, New Jersey

Why was bringing electricity into everyday public spaces a turning point in modern life?
How did electric lighting change work, safety, and daily routines?
What challenges might communities have faced when adopting new technologies at this scale?

1978 – The final Volkswagen Beetle is produced in Germany

1883 – Edison’s electric lighting system begins operating in Roselle, New Jersey

1978 – The final Volkswagen Beetle is produced in Germany

Why did the Beetle become such a powerful symbol of postwar German industry?
How can a single product come to represent an era or national identity?
What does the end of domestic Beetle production reveal about changing economic and cultural priorities?