Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway completes his short novel The Old Man and the Sea. He wrote his publisher the same day, saying he had finished the book and that it was the best writing he had ever done. The critics agreed: …
Copernicus, Sun, Earth, and Sweet Science
On February 19, 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus is born in Torun, a city in north-central Poland on the Vistula River. The father of modern astronomy, he was the first modern European scientist to propose that Earth and other planets revolve around …
The Medal of Honor
The earliest military action to be revered with a Medal of Honor award is performed by Colonel Bernard J.D. Irwin, an assistant army surgeon serving in the first major U.S.-Apache conflict on this day, Feb 13th, 1861.
COL Irwin, an …
Founding of the USO
On this day in 1941, the United Service Organization (USO) was founded.
As it became clear that the United States was destined to enter World War II, organizations across the country began to mobilize to support the growing military. These …
Hometown History
It is amazing to me that sometimes history sits right before our eyes and we fail to realize it. I grew up in North Carolina and often drove across a bridge on 421 over the Yadkin River and have even …
Happy Birthday Russian vodka! (But not really)
Happy Birthday Russian vodka! (But not really…)
On this day, in 1865, renowned chemist Dmitry Mendeleev defended his doctoral dissertation, “On Combining Water and Alcohol,” in which he began the exploration of the ratios, concentration and weights of various concentrations, …
The founding of the National Geographic Society
On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.”
The 33 men who originally met and formed the National Geographic Society were a diverse group of geographers, …
The Beer Can cometh
Though it starts with a whimper vice a boom, canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger’s Finest Beer and Krueger’s …
Inauguration Day
Though it was not celebrated this year, the inauguration of the president of the United States is a ceremonial event marking the commencement of a new four-year term of a president of the United States. The day a presidential inauguration …
Unveiling the Corvette
On this day in 1953, a prototype Chevrolet Corvette sports car makes its debut at General Motors’ (GM) Motorama auto show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The Corvette, named for a fast type of naval warship, would …
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