Twinkie Defense

The "Twinkie Defense" was first used by Dan White, the murderer of San Francisco politician Harvey Milk and mayor George Moscone, suggesting that his diet of Coke and junk food was a symptom and evidence of his depression, which implied his irrational mind at the time, despite his clear premeditation of the attacks.  Later this phrase was used to imply a defense of a sugar high that causes irrational actions, bot stands as a symptom of depressed thinking.  White was sentenced to eight years and later killed himself.

War Of the Spanish Succession

The War of the Spanish Succession lasted from 1701 to 1714.  It arose out of the disputed succession to the throne of Spain following the death of the childless Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. The war was primarily a struggle to determine whether the vast possessions of the Spanish Empire should pass to the House of Bourbon or to the House of Habsburg, both of which had dynastic claims, or whether they should be partitioned to preserve the balance of power in Europe.  Philip of Anjou, he grandson of Louis XIV, the king of France, was the Bourbon claimant. England, Holland, the Holy Roman Empire and Prussia decided to support Archduke Charles, the younger son of the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I.

Claudette Colvin

Claudette Colvin was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus.  This occurred nine months before the Rosa Parks case, but Colvin's wasn't widely publicized because she was an unmarried pregnant teen.  She was one of four plaintiffs in Browder vs. Gayle, which which ruled that Montgomery's segregated bus system was unconstitutional.

Svalbard

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe.  It lies about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. No one is required to have a visa or residence permit on Svalbard. Regardless of citizenship, persons can live and work in Svalbard indefinitely. The Svalbard Treaty grants treaty nationals equal right of abode as Norwegian nationals. The sun doesn't set for five months in summer.  It is the home of the Global Seed Vault.

Stiff hand

In the context of blackjack, a "stiff hand" is a score between 12 and 16, because it is likely that if the player takes one more hit, they will bust.  However, savvy players know that there are contexts in which a stiff hand can likely lead to a win.

The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

On December 15, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed.  It repealed the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition.  Now everyone (21 and over) can drink!

Hangul

Hangul is the name of the Korean script. Its name literally means "great script."  There are 24 nbasic letters.  The consonant characters are formed with curved or angled lines. The vowels are composed of vertical or horizontal straight lines together with short lines on either side of the main line.  Hangul was created in 1443 CE by King Sejong the Great.