Cultural Literacy 1

1936-1945

1936-1945

World War II- axis (ex: Germany) vs allie's (ex: us)

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Two Japanese cities on which the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs to end World War II in the Pacific.

the grass is always greener on the other side

People are never satisfied with their own situation; they always think others have it better.

Osama Bin Laden

Founder of al Qaeda, the terrorist network responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, and other attacks. He was born in Saudi Arabia and was killed by Navy Seals in Pakistan.

Jackie Robinson

The first African American player in the major league of baseball. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and wore the number 42.

Type A personality

Personality characterized by (1) a strong competitive orientation, (2) impatience and time urgency, and (3) anger and hostility.

Sputnik

First artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by the Soviet Union and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It led to the creation of NASA and the beginning of the space race.

alma mater

Latin term meaning nourishing mother. Used to described a school one graduated from (ex: Desarno's alma mater is the University of Georgia)

W.A.S.P

Acronym standing for White Anglo Saxon Protestant- the only United States presidents who are not WASPs are Obama, Kennedy, and Biden

Electoral College

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. Need 270 to win. The people vote the electors and the electors vote for the president and Vice President. Senate + House of Reps

Oval Office

Office of the President of the United States, located in the West Wing of the White House.

Lee Harvey Oswald

On November 22, 1963, he assassinated President John F. Kennedy who was riding downtown Dallas, Texas. Oswald was later shot in front of television cameras by Jack Ruby.

The pot calling the kettle black

Someone who criticizes another but who is just as much at fault themselves ex: Mr. Dougherty calling Mr. Desarno "bald"

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as. Ex: the pot is as hot as the sun

1776

The year the 13 colonies declared their independence from the British on July 4 with the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant. Ex: laid off instead of fired, passed away instead of died, between jobs instead of unemployed

Thurgood Marshall

American civil rights lawyer, first black justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Marshall was a tireless advocate for the rights of minorities and the poor. He was the lawyer on Brown v the Board of Education.

Genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. Ex: The Armenian Genocide by the Turks

Neil Armstrong

An astronaut who was the first man to walk on the moon. This happened during the Space Race in 1969.

Gentrification

When middle to upper class people move into lower socio-economic neighborhoods causing the property value and rent to increase, businesses to emerge, and the residents to no longer be able to afford to live there. Ex: Williamsburg

Fortune 500

a list of the 500 U.S. companies with highest earnings, published yearly by Fortune magazine. Ex: Walmart is #1

The Mandela Effect

when a large group of people all have vivid memories of something that never happened. Ex: Berenstein v Berenstain

State of the Union

An annual address by the President of the United States required by the Constitution and given to the Joint Session of Congress each January on two things: 1 the president's accomplishments 2 the president's agenda