Kahlil Gibran wrote this cheery sort of person "sees the rose and not its thorns"
an optimist
1721 saw Robert Walpole become the first person to hold what would be called this high political office
prime minister
Iceland's vast Vatna Glacier is dotted with these; their heat can periodically cause melting & flooding.
volcanoes
Martin Luther spooked the Catholic church when he chose this fall day in 1517 to proclaim his 95 Theses.
Halloween (October 31st)
To suspend an object over something.
to dangle
A "standing" one of these after your powerful monologue is sure to bring you a smile
an ovation
After 9 years' work, in 1755 Samuel Johnson published this pioneering reference work.
the dictionary
Tasman Lake in this country is one of the few lakes in the world where you can see icebergs.
New Zealand
On May Day, 1961 this country's prime minister declared it a socialist nation.
Cuba
To round up cattle.
wrangle
Cheers to the NCAA Final Four, where the MVP is called the "M.O.P.", with the "O" short for this
outstanding
Jacobite supporter Lord Lovat was the last person publicly executed this way in Great Britain--he was spared hanging, drawing & quartering.
beheading
99% of the world's glacial ice is located on Antarctica & this big island well to the north.
Greenland
Ex-Confederates got a Christmas gift from this president in 1868: a full pardon.
Johnson
You do this to your keys to make a harsh sound.
jangle
Shakespeare wrote, "Why, then the world's" my this "which I with sword will open"; hopeful indeed!
oyster
In March 1743 this sacred oratorio received its London premiere conducted by Handel himself.
the Messiah
This glacier in Alaska is named for naturalist John, who visited it in 1879; it has since receded & thinned.
Muir (Muir Glacier)
This English explorer got stabbed in Hawaii on Valentine's Day 1779.
(Captain James) Cook
An ornamental bracelet.
bangle
Greeks of good cheer will exclaim this 3-letter word, perhaps after breaking a plate
opa
Not as famous as James Watt, around 1712 Thomas Newcomen invented an initial version of this machine.
a steam engine
When glaciers retreated in Norway, seawater filled the floor of the resulting trough, creating these, like the Sogne.
fjords
Pathfinder & this rover touched down on Mars July 4, 1997.
Sojourner
In addition to being a verb meaning to mutilate, it's also a word for an old-timey machine to iron laundry.
mangle