ANIMALS
The distinctive shoebill is also known as the whale-headed one of these baby deliverers
stork
Homer begins this epic poem by telling us it's about the anger of Achilles
the Iliad
Venus & Serena grew up in this huge city's suburb of Compton, better known for rappers than groundstrokers
L.A.
On Jan. 1, 1863 Lincoln issued this edict, & would later call it "the central act of my administration"
the Emancipation Proclamation
This international radio distress signal used by ships & aircraft comes from the French for "help me"
mayday
The bulls of these African animals can weigh more than 6 tons
elephants
Louis de Pointe du Lac, not Lestat, is the title undead being queried in this novel
Interview with the Vampire
Venus took the 2000 & 2001 singles titles at this British Grand Slam event
Wimbledon
A draft document called the Articles of the Barons preceded this one to which the king set his seal in 1215
the Magna Carta
From Greek words for "true" & "study", it's the study of the origin & development of words
etymology
A nide is a brood of these birds, perhaps the ring-necked ones
a pheasant
For telling the truth about a town's contaminated water supply in an Ibsen play, Dr. Thomas Stockmann becomes this title foe
An Enemy of the People
In 2001 the Williams sisters got "animated" on the court in the "Tennis the Menace" episode of this Fox series
The Simpsons
Robert Livingston, U.S. minister to France, James Monroe & a French treasury minister signed the treaty for this 1803 deal
the Louisiana Purchase
Mozart's "Haffner", for example
symphony
The Chinese zodiac's 12-year cycle begins & ends with these 2 3-letter animals
rat & pig
"A drowsy numbness pains my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk" is a line from his "Ode to a Nightingale"
Keats
In 2003 Serena completed a "Serena Slam", beating Venus 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 at this event in Melbourne
the Australian Open
A 1945 charter says, "We the peoples of" these "determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war"
the United Nations
Ingrained prejudice against women
misogyny
Russian circuses have often featured these animals, a national symbol, trained in the art of juggling with their feet!
bears
In this 1948 Shirley Jackson short story, a village selects a sacrificial stoning victim to ensure a good harvest
"The Lottery"
The way this dad of Venus & Serena managed their careers brought some criticism, but turned out pretty well
(King) Richard Williams
Name given U.S. Public Law 88-408, passed in 1964 giving LBJ the power to prevent further aggression
the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
A peculiar habit or mannerism
an idiosyncrasy