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My name is Morkeh, and I strive to connect the world one trivia puzzle at a time.
For those of you who are new or need a refresher, here are the rules:
Each puzzle will contain clues that are linked in some way.
To complete the puzzle, solve the individual clues and the link.
Send your answers to minketapp@gmail.com for a potential shoutout in the next puzzle if your answers are correct.
Answers will be revealed on Minket's website next Monday.
Learn something new and have fun 🧠.
A few notable events might have trended if Twitter had been available on April 17, 1879.
One significant event was the start of Zulu King Cetshwayo’s last stand for control of southern Africa, culminating in a surprising victory at Isandlwana. Spears, cowhide shields, and antiquated firearms repelled a smaller but well-armed British army. The embarrassment for the world’s superpower at the time was immense, and the repercussions for the Zulu nation were severe.
Across the Atlantic, a Canadian engineer named Sanford Fleming proposed a radical concept at a conference in Toronto: Why not standardize time globally? He suggested that terrestrial time be mapped to the 180th meridian through Greenwich, England, establishing it as the prime meridian. This idea of standard time revolutionized global navigation and communication, which had previously been a nightmare due to a patchwork of regional time standards.
Meanwhile, debates continued over a significant political shift decades earlier. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna aimed to end twenty-three years of continuous war—often referred to as Napoleon Thuggin’ Through Europe Parts One and Two. This congress created the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, merging territories of the former Dutch Republic, Austrian Netherlands, and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. However, this union lasted only fifteen years before the southern part, including Liège, seceded to form Belgium following the 1830 revolution. The Netherlands formally accepted Belgian independence in 1839.
The British believed they could take Southern Africa for themselves and were shown that it would require a fight. A Canadian engineer believed that standard time would be better for the world, and he was right. With the Congress of Vienna, who knew throwing a bunch of people together with no concerted plan for cohesion would be an issue? No Houston could there be a problem?
How can a single idea or time transform the world?
That date, April 17, 1879, brought attention to the Borinage region in young Belgium, a place rich in coal yet harsh and unforgiving. It sits on the southern end of the country bordering France.
In this industrial stronghold, children as young as ten worked in the mines alongside women, whose involvement defied the era’s lofty norms of morality and hygiene. A young preacher-in-training lived among the miners, sharing the gospel and the hardships. He had allegedly walked from the Netherlands to Belgium in the winter of 1878, driven by the fervor of his most recent career change.
The young man’s journey to the Borinage was anything but planned. He had failed as an art dealer in his wealthy uncle’s Parisian-based firm, Goupil, where his younger brother proved to have a better business mind. He thought he would teach but flamed out. Turning to the church, he aspired to become a preacher like his father. Despite his parents’ exhaustion over his lack of stability, they supported his new goal. His father believed Belgium offered a more conducive environment for his training than their homeland.
Upon arriving in Brussels, the young preacher-in-training’s optimism quickly faded due to insufficient resources and direction at his place of study. He decided to go directly to the people and found an opportunity in the Borinage. While he admired the miners’ simplicity and good nature, he lamented their ignorance and lack of education. Also, his abilities as a preacher were not well-received. He was viewed as a passionate yet idealistic (not in a good way) aloof outsider.
In the Borinage, the young man witnessed the brutal realities of mining life. The miners, covered in coal dust, faced emaciation, exhaustion, and severe health issues from inhaling polluted air. The mines were like time machines, aging the workers rapidly. Whole families wore the stain of the mines. There would be a ritual of ‘unblackening’ with water from the local non-contaminated sources. But over time, it would become less helpful. The mines would be stained into each miner’s cuts, bruises, lines, and crevices to last through their death.
The clouds mirrored the constant smoke from the mines on this unassuming spring day. A spark ignited a chain reaction, leading to a catastrophic blast that hurled miners across the area, crushed them in coal faces, and ignited an inferno in a makeshift furnace. The fire stack created by this collective spark and fuel was seen for miles, emitting black smoke and alerting the surrounding areas of impending tragedy. The bodies piled up. 121 people died. The worst mining accident of the time.
The young man witnessed the carnage firsthand. He took in the decimated bodies, charred skin, puffy faces, cherry tongues, and the last gasping breaths of those who couldn’t hold on long enough. He learned to not just see with his eyes but with his heart. He needed to look beyond what others didn’t know existed or ignored.
Every event has the headline and the text, but what lies between the text is rich with information and inspiration that could spark a more useful flame. One that can inspire others, gathering in size, for everyone to see and continue the necessary work of understanding what makes us, us. This tragedy deepened his empathy and understanding, shaping his future not as a preacher but as an artist.
The young man’s name? Vincent van Gogh.
What link might find the following outdoors:
1. Napoleon
2. Houston
3. Cherry
Sounds | Words | Visuals
This week's piece was written to “From You” by Bonobo and Joji.
This piece from Noahopinion inspired some thoughts on the future of education, what universities will be able to provide in the future, and what that looks like for jobs in education.
I saw Babes this weekend. It was refreshing. Check out my review on Letterboxd.
A Moment of Reflection
What moment do you believe changed your life for the better?
Thank you for reading. Until next time. -M