Tough job, but someone had to do it..In 1811 DeWitt Clinton managed to serve as a senator for the state of New York, Mayor of New York City and the Lt. Governor for the State of New York. So what you ask’ Well, he did all three at the same time.
Of course you knew that heavyweight champion Gene Tunney was a teacher on Shakespeare at Yale. You knew that.
John Paul Jones, the great American naval hero, was from Scotland. His real name was just plain old John Paul. Changed it after he killed another sailor involved in a mutiny. Fled to this country to avoid going to trial. Won fame during the Revolutionary War..You remember those famous words he spoke during this battle ‘sirs, I have not yet begun to fight
If you want life insurance’don’t call Lloyds of London’they don’t sell life insurance.
Back in the Middle Ages it was thought that men had one less rib than women’the story was the result of the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible.
I think last week, I mentioned something about moths and caterpillars.anyway to keep you up to date I thought I’d pass along the fact that there isn’t any clear cut evidence that cedar chests or cedar closets actually repels moths..
Those rabbits that run wild in Australia.eat millions of dollars worth of agriculture’ well, they are the direct descendants of 6 common bunnies that were turned loose in the middle 1800’s.
The Emperors of China during the Manchu empire (1644-1912) made slaves wear pigtails so they could be identified easily.
So how come people wear black at funerals’ Well, folks used to think that when you went to a funeral the dead spirits could somehow repossess the souls of the living. People started painting themselves black in order not to taken up by evil spirits. Naturally the practice evolved into wearing black clothing. Now you know.
The life expectancy for women in this country is double what it was 100 years ago.
As far as anyone can tell, Martin Luther was the first to put lights on a Christmas tree. The tree, called a tannenbaum, had candles placed on it to symbolize the stars above Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ. Started a fad that is with us today.
Bet you didn’t know that the term stool pigeon’ originated from hunting. Seems pigeon hunters used to tie a live pigeon to a stool in front of a net..then when unaware birds started flying the hunters would release the wings of the ‘stool pigeon’ in order to attract and then trap the birds.
If you were looking for Dracula, then you’d go to Transylvania, right’ But where the heck is that’ Well, it’s in a wild and mostly unknown section of Romania and Moldavia.< Of course, Dracula was the product of fiction, but his character was based on the life of a real bad guy named Prince Vlad. Not a nice guy in any stretch of the imagination.<
How’s this for government legalise Takes over 20 pages to describe hot chocolate by the Dept of Food Procurement at the Pentagon. That’s about 19 too many.
Never heard this one Reported that there was a nursery rhyme that starts out with barber, barber, shave a pig I’ve never heard of it, but maybe you have. Anyway, it originated in China. Seems it used to be common to take a pig to bed with you to keep you warm. It was common also to take the aforementioned pig into the barber to have it’s hair and bristles shaved off.
Check this out.only some sparrows and turnstones (a species of shorebird) sing while on the ground. Other birds will only sing when in flight or while sitting on something other than the ground..
Mozart must have really been a genius’ he wrote the opera Don Giovanni in one day’ then to top it off he played it completely the next afternoon.
The number thirteen.well, for one thing’ it was the decreed waist measurement for ladies at court of Catherine de Medici..also the number of Coca-Cola’s sold each day for the first 8 months after it was invented at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Ga. Also, thirteen years of marriage is the ‘ lace’ anniversary.
No one knows what Albert Einstein’s last words were’ he spoke them in German and the nurse on duty didn’t speak it.
The longest word that can be typed entirely with the left hand is ‘stewardesses.
So, did you ever wonder why Whistler painted his mother’ Not literally, but the painting of his mother’ well, Whistler was scheduled to paint another person one afternoon and that person skipped the appointment. Old James asked his mother, Anne, if she would pose for him and you know the rest.
You knew that the word ‘ Nepheligenous was from the Greek word for cloud and meant ..’ Producing clouds of smoke. I’ m certain this is what the Cavalry shouted when they saw smoke signals coming from Native Americans..’ Wow, something in those hills is nepheligenous.
The first female cabinet member in the Unites States was Frances Perkins. Appointed by President Roosevelt as Secretary of Labor from 1933 until 1945.
Rock Hudson was a postman’delivered mail to the home of Henry Wilson, a screen agent. Hudson told Wilson he was tired and bored with delivering mail got him a meeting with director Raoul Walsh. Walsh got him his first acting job in the movie Fighter Squadron.
Some folks don’t have any luck’ Charles VIII of France’ ruled from 1483- 1498 had great manners. He was allowing his wife to enter a tennis court at one of his homes, bent down to bow as she walked past. When he raised up he hit his head so hard on a low wooden beam it fractured his skull and killed him.
Bet you didn’t realize that pigs could sunburn.
Cyrus McCormick went bankrupt in 1837.everything he owned got put up at auction for sale’ as you recall he invented and patented the reaper.no one thought it had any value so he got to keep it.you know the rest.
In China the crane is the symbol of what’ Longevity’
Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee.
While I was talking about patents, I forgot to tell you that the first patent was issued to a Samuel Hopkins in July 1790. It was for a process to make pot and pearl ash. Whatever that is.
While I’ m on old stuff.the oldest state capitol in continuous use is in Annapolis, Maryland. It was first used in 1772.
Once was a motion picture actress named Marguerite Clark. Her husband had a clause written into her contract that did not allow her to kiss anyone on screen. The no kissing rule ruined her career and she retired in 1921
Years ago, they may still be..dances were called ‘ cotillions ..why’ Well, the word originally meant ‘ petticoat. The dance made the women lift their dresses and show their petticoats, thus the name came into use.
In New York City the administrative law still dictates that hitching posts be erected in front of City hall to allow reporters to tie up their horses. I wonder if they are still there’
You’ve heard of ‘ red tape ..who hasn’t’ Well, the term originated from about 1658 from the practice of using red ribbons to tie up official papers.
In the 1830’s you bought ketchup from the doctor. It was thought to have medicinal properties. Even had a patented product on the market called ‘dr. Miles Compound of Extract of Tomato.’
Speaking of medicine..the gimlet was invented in 1890 by a Dr. T.O. Gimlette. He was a British Naval Surgeon who believed the drink he had invented was to be taken as a health food.
So, what was the only animal ever cursed by God’ Come on you know it was the serpent.in Genesis 3, verse 14.
If you’ve ever wondered if you can boil eggs up on Pikes Peak, the answer is yes. Must be done in a closed vessel though. It takes a lot longer due to the lower atmospheric pressure. Pikes Peak is 14,108 feet high. The peak boiling point of water at this attitude is 187 degrees as opposed to 212 degrees at sea level.
Contrary to popular belief, Columbus did not die in prison, nor did he die broke. He was disappointed that the Court failed to recognize his great achievements, but he was not destitute when he died in 1506.
That quarter inch square silicon chip that you have in your computer’ Well, to duplicate the computing capacity of that chip in 1949, you’ve have had to use the 1949 model ENIAC which occupied an entire city block.
The first American novel was titled The Power of Sympathy. Written in 1789 by William Hill Brown. Was a story about murder, rape, suicide and incest. Just like those on the market today.
Our 43rd state of Idaho was admitted to the Union in 1890. Can’t find anything that tells me what Idaho means or where it came from. There have been several suggestions such as the word Idahi used by the Kiowas to describe the Comanches. Another possibility is the Shoshone word Ee-dah-how which means ‘sunup. Need some help on this one.
It may not be any big deal to you, but be aware the International Pickle Week is coming up ‘ just around the corner ‘ May 22-May 31. Now you know.
Herbert Hoover was the first president to have a telephone in his office. The phone had been around for some 53 years. Until it was installed in 1929, the President has a phone booth in the hallway where he made calls.
Pittsburgh is the only US city having three rivers running through it. The Allegheny, the Monongahela and the Ohio all flow inside of the city limits.
New Jersey is the most crowded state..up there they have more people per square mile than anywhere else.
You knew there really is such as place as Hometown. It’s in Illinois close to Chicago.
Where’d we get the word Hoodlum Funny story, this one seems a reporter was trying to make up a name for a San Francisco gang. The leader was named ‘ Muldoon’ the reporters handwriting was bad and he reversed the name making it come out Noodlum. The typesetter couldn’t read the reporters writing and set the type up to read’ you got it’ hoodlum.