Today’s feature truly shocked me.  On this date in 1881, Frederick Douglass was appointed as the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia.  This may not sound too amazing until you realize that he was the first African-American appointed to an office that required senate confirmation.  This wasn’t even his first nor only position.  The Senate confirmed this “free […]

It was on this date in 1770 that the woman who would be known for her rash statement “Let them eat cake” was married.  Fourteen-year-old Marie Antoinette married 15-year-old Louis, the future king of France.  Unfortunately, she only lived to be 23 due to the impending French Revolution.  There was no real love between them since they married for purely […]

It was on this date in 1862, that President Lincoln created the Department of Agriculture.  The head of this department was not a cabinet member, and he referred to it as the people’s department.  I was surprised to discover that Lincoln was doing something like this during the Civil War. For info: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture http://www.nal.usda.gov/lincolns-agricultural-legacy

I guess today’s feature shows that some things never change.  On this date in 1787, the constitutional convention was scheduled to happen in Philadelphia.  But guess what!  Not everyone showed up until a week later.  The difference is that the delay was due to difficulty of travel in the 1700’s.  For more info: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_Convention_(United_States) http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_514525.asp

Though the picture above is not from her historic feat, on this date in1995, Alison Hargreaves of the UK, became the first woman (and only the second person) to reach the summit of Mt. Everest without the aid of oxygen or the Sherpa people.  Her career as a mountain climber was short but full of amazing ascents.  Unfortunately, she died […]

Here is something I knew nothing about.  I am aware of the IRA, but in the U.S., we do not normally hear about them.  In 1981, he became the second member to join a hunger strike.  He was serving a life sentence for killing a British soldier.  He joined the hunger strike May 15,1981.  After 59 days without food, he […]

On this date in 2013, the One World Trade Center in New York City became the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.  An antenna was added to the top to make it 1776 feet tall.  For more info: http://mashable.com/2013/05/10/freedom-tower/ http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51848014 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_the_United_States

I am somewhat of a roller coaster aficionado,  and it was on this date in 1976, that the first roller coaster with a vertical loop, the Revolution, opened at Magic Mountain in California.  It has been too long since I have been tnere, so I do not recall if I ever rode this. For more info: http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/history/timeline.shtml http://www.thecoasterguy.com/2012/08/13/ride-profile-the-revolution/

It was on this day in 1847, the American Medical Association was established.  Two hundred fifty delegates from 28 states met with the purpose of improving health and launching a program of medical ethics.  For more information, check out the following links: http://www.ama-assn.org//ama/pub/about-ama/our-history/the-founding-of-ama.page http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Medical_Association

I had never heard of this particular poet before, but this was quite an eventful day for him.  On this date in 1757, Christopher Smart was admitted into St. Luke’s Hospital for Lunatics in London.  He was taken there by his father-in-law, John Newberry.  It is quite possible that he was committed unfairly, possibly due to debts or reported “madness” […]