On November 24, 1974, two anthropologists working in Ethiopia’s Afar Depression discovered bones from the skeleton of an a hominin, a human-like biological classification group. In particular, this skeleton appeared to be a member of the Australopithecus afarensis subgroup. Only about 40% of the skeleton was eventually recovered: part of one leg, pieces of both arms,… Continue reading November 24: Lucy
Month: November 2023
November 23: Areopagitica, or Free Speech
In 1644, on November 23, in the midst of England’s Civil War, John Milton published a pamphlet entitled “Areopagitica”. It is a defense of freedom of speech, and an eloquent argument for the fundamental role of civil discourse and rational analysis in classical education. The title is a reference to the Areopagus Hill, where Athens… Continue reading November 23: Areopagitica, or Free Speech
November 22: Aftermath
Sixty years after the event, I can tell you exactly what I was doing during my school lunch break on November 22, 1963: I was sitting on a bench, reading Madeleine L’Engle’s The Moon by Night, and waiting for my turn at handball. The handball court was at the far end of the playground, so… Continue reading November 22: Aftermath