The Indianapolis 500 is an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, which is near Indianapolis, Indiana. It is one of the biggest racing events in the world. Every year more than 200,000 people come there to watch the race. It occurs once a year on the day before Memorial Day. This event gives its name to the IndyCar class, a type of open-wheel race car that races in it. Fans of this race sometimes call the race the Indy 500.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex was built in 1909 as a gravel-and-tar track and hosted an assortment of small events, including ones for motorcycles.
Mahout
A mahout is a person who drives an elephant. Usually, a mahout starts as a boy, when he is given a young elephant so that they become attached to each other.
The most common tool used by mahouts is a goad called "anlius", or "ankusha" - a sharp hook used to guide a tamed elephant by prodding on the back of its head.
John Wesley
John Wesley (1703-1791) was one of the founders of the Methodist church. He was an Anglican minister and Christian theologian. He was an early leader in the Methodist movement. Wesley's life had three distinct phases. The first at Oxford University with the founding of the "Holy Club", the second while Wesley was a missionary priest in Savannah, Georgia; and the third after Wesley's return to England. Throughout his life, Wesley remained within the Church of England. He said that his movement was well within the bounds of the Anglican Church.
John Wesley was born in Epworth, England. He was the son of Samuel Wesley, a graduate of Oxford, and minister of the Church of England. In 1669, Samuel married Susanna Annesley. Both Samuel and Susanna were raised in the same town.
In 1696, Samuel Welsey was appointed the rector of Epworth. This is where John was born. The Wesley children's early education was given by their parents in the Epworth rectory. Each child, including the girls, was taught to read as soon as they can could walk and talk.
During his early youth, John Wesley had a deep religious experience. At the age of five, John was rescued from the burning rectory. This escape made deep impression on his mind. He regarded himself as set apart for God, as a "brand plucked from burning".
John was admitted to the Charterhouse School, London. There he lived (for a while) the religious life in which he had been trained at home. His biographer, Tyerman, says that he went to Charterhouse a saint, but he became negligent of religious duties and left a sinner.
In June 1720, Wesley entered Christ Church, Oxford, with an annual allowance of 40 pounds as Charterhouse scholar. His health was poor and he found it hard to keep out of debt. There along with his brother Charles, he followed a strict religious life. He went to church often, prayed and helped people. He visited prisoners in jail. Some of them were condemned to be hanged. He drew up for 1721 a time-table of study, worship and service for each day of the week. This can still be seen in his earliest diary from April 15, 1725 to February 12, 1727. The Wesley brothers and a few other scholars in his "Holy Club" were called "Methodists" because they followed this strict method of life.
John and Charles went to Georgia as missionary priests in the Anglican church. Their hope of converting many Indians to Christianity was unfulfilled. After a failed love affair by John, the brothers returned home. During the Atlantic crossing a strong storm almost sank their boat. John was very frightened but noticed that some Moravian Christians were at peace. This made him think that his faith was not the same as theirs. They were sure that God had forgiven their sins through faith in Christ.
In 1738, he heard a reading of Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans, and penned the now famous lines: "I felt my heart strangely warmed". He then knew that God had forgiven him and that he was accepted by God. This revolutionized his ministry. Charles had a similar experience of salvation about the same time. John Wesley wrote many books about Scripture and the Christian life. Charles Wesley helped him with many hymns he wrote. These hymns supported the message that John preached.
Wesley travelled constantly, usually on horseback. He preached to many people. After a while some Anglican leaders told him not to preach in their churches. After that he preached outdoors. Sometimes thousands of people listened to his preaching. His followers stayed in the Anglican Church, but formed "societies" to help each other in faith. As the movement grew, Wesley examined and sent out preachers, began aid charities, and cared for the sick.
His followers were called Methodists. They spread to many countries. Soon there were many in the American Colonies. After the Revolutionary War there were few Anglican priests in America. Wesley send two superintendents to care for the Methodists there. Eventually, the Methodists became a separate denomination in both American and England.
Denomination
Denomination could mean:
Joseph Cook
Sir Joseph Cook (7 December 1860 – 30 July 1947) was the sixth Prime Minister of Australia from June 1913 until September 1914. He was Prime Minister when World War I started. He moved to London when he retired.
Antihero
An antihero is a main character in a story who does not act like a traditional hero. Examples of antiheroes are Marvel Comics The Punisher & Deadpool, Sega's "Shadow The Hedgehog", DC's Batman, Catwoman of Batman, Sweeney Todd, Light Yagami from the "Death Note" manga/anime series, Billy the Kid, Robin Hood, Kratos from the "God of War" video-game franchise and Prince Hamlet from the "Hamlet" play by William Shakespeare. Most of the time it means a character in fiction, television, or movies. Sometimes it is used to mean a living person or person from history.
Hestia
Hestia is a virgin Greek goddess of the hearth, home and fire. It was believed all hearths were her altars. She also symbolized the alliance between colonies and their mother cities. Her sacred animal is the donkey.
Hestia is the older sister of Demeter and Hera, and is also the sister of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Her parents are Titans Rhea and Kronos.
Hestia was originally one of the Twelve Olympians. Her throne was described as plain, being made of wood with a woolen white cushion. She did not choose an emblem for herself.
Hestia was the first to be swallowed by her father Kronos when he ate the Twelve Olympians, and the last to be disgorged.
She gave up her throne on Mount Olympus, and gave it to Dionysus to avoid a possible civil war. Hestia instead tended to the sacred fire on Mount Olympus. Because she could not leave from the hearth, Hestia did not have many stories centered around her.
In ancient tales, Hestia refused the marriage offers of Apollo and Poseidon. She vowed on the River Styx to forever be a virgin goddess.
Hestia was always the first to receive offerings at every sacrifice in a household. Any hearth of a household was forbidden to go out unless the fire was ritually extinguished and ritually revived. The hearth of the prytaneum was Hestia's official sanctuary. When a new colony was formed, a flame from Hestia's public hearth in the mother city would be carried to the new settlement.
Alison Balsom
Alison Balsom (born 1978, Hertfordshire) is an English trumpeter. She grew up in Royston, Hertfordshire in England. She studied the trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Paris Conservatory, and also with Håkan Hardenberger. She is a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. She has made three CD albums with EMI Classics and has been described by many as the best trumpeter of the young generation.
The BBC Music Magazine cover disc for December 2010 has: Haydn & Hummel concertos (not the 2008 EMI recordings); Albinoni's Oboe Concerto Op. 9 No. 2, transcribed for trumpet; and Vivaldi's Violin Concerto Op. 3 No. 9, arranged for trumpet and instrumental trio.
Continuity