On the wedding day, Nov. 14, 1501, the bride and groom were each 14. Catherine, a pale, red-haired, blue-eyed beauty with a brilliant mind, was the adored youngest child of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Arthur, named for the legendary King Arthur, was the first-born son of Henry VII of England. What the king loved…
The year was 2007
Can you imagine being caught in a thunderstorm and finding yourself 33,000 feet in the air? It was actually two clouds coming together. This happened to Ewa Wisnierska, a Polish paragliding champion who competed for Germany. The first paraglider would have to be Icarus, who made wings out of feathers and wax, flew too close…
The Year was 1916
Thanks to Steve Ellis for this idea! Should we blame farmers? What about school bus drivers? No. For Daylight Savings Time, we must blame World War I. Making optimal use of daylight was an idea that was used even in ancient times. The Romans adjusted their water clocks for every month. In 1895, a New…
The Year was 1913
“They’re ruining the country. People are obsessed. They can’t get to work on time.” Or at all! They were spending their time in libraries. What was the evil? Crossword puzzles! The idea began in England but it was in the United States where the idea took off. The first crossword puzzle appeared just before Christmas,…
The Year was 1884
From 60 million buffalo in 1830 to 23 free-ranging animals in 1884 – 54 years. How did men accomplish this? They slaughtered and slaughtered and slaughtered. Some states and territories passed laws to try to save the American buffalo. Idaho in 1864. Too late. There wasn’t a single buffalo left in Idaho. In 1871, Wyoming…
The Year was 2019
What was the pin Nancy Pelosi was wearing during the State of the Union Address? It was a mace. So what is a mace? Way back when people weren’t the kind, thoughtful human beings we are today (!), men – and maybe women – settled their disagreements by clubbing each other over the head with…
The Year was 1902
Will there be any little Sweetheart candy hearts for Valentine’s Day this year? No! The first Valentine candy heart with a saying was made by two brothers, Oliver and Silas Chase. They invented and patented a candy-making machine and were in business in 1847. One of them made a new machine that would stamp sayings…
The Year was 1095
They started in 1095 and ended in 1271, but the word we use today only came into existence after 1760. The word? Crusade. In 1570 France, it was croisade. It comes from the Latin cruciare, “to mark with a cross.” In this case, Cross. The Latin base is crux. At the Council of Clermont, Pope…
The Year was 2018
What a park! Originally called Greensward, it is Central Park, New York City; 750 acres, commissioned by the New York State legislature in 1853. By 2017, it had everything – almost. To let people know where they were in the park, 21 gates were designated. To avoid competition, in 1862, the Board of Commissions decided…
The Year was c. 950 BC
Menelik I was the son of the Queen of Sheba. This country was probably Saba (1200 BC-275 AD), a land on the Red Sea which is now Ethiopia. People question whether the queen’s son was fathered by Solomon, king of Israel (970-931 BC). Considering that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and the queen…