A Brief History On August 23, 1904, Harry Weed of Canastota, New York patented the automobile tire chain. In those days before snow tires and before Four Wheel and All Wheel Drive, tire chains undoubtedly saved many a would be stranded motorist. Here we list 10 Nifty Automotive Inventions, some of those great things that might not be of great necessity, but that make our motoring lives easier and even more fun. Digging Deeper 1. Tire Chains, 1904. As stated above, this invention is not only helpful, but in some circumstances an absolute necessity, especially in the mountains. Tire chains are…
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A Brief History On August 22, 1485, King Richard III of England died from wounds received in the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last English King to die in battle. Long ago, kings and other nobility would lead their men in battle, but for the past few hundred years the trend has been for the rich and powerful to send other people into battle. Perhaps if our leaders were forced to actually lead they would consider war a bit more carefully! Digging Deeper Richard III was the last of the Plantagenet dynasty kings, a clan originally from France that included…
A Brief History On August 21, 1968, the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery and courage in battle that can be earned by an American fighting person, was awarded posthumously to James Anderson, Jr., the first African American US Marine to earn the Medal of Honor. Digging Deeper Anderson was born Los Angeles in 1947 when the US military was still segregated. (The US military became desegregated per Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948 under President Truman.) A high school graduate, James went on to study at junior college for a year and a half before…
A Brief History On August 21, 2017, we look back on this past week, a week that has been incredible for the news cycle, most of the news bad! War, maybe nuclear war with North Korea? Gone from the news! (For now?) Replaced with stories about hatred and violence in the US and in Europe. President Trump’s message condemning violence became a liability instead of a political asset for him, and we learned his Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, had been fired. Here we list some of the people who either inspired us or made us sick this past week. Digging…
A Brief History On August 20, 1882, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture made its debut in Moscow. Celebrating the defense of Mother Russia, the “Rodina,” as they say in Russia, against Napoleon’s Grand Armee in 1812, the stirring work is instantly recognizable by the cannons going off before the brass fanfare finale. Here we list 10 wonderful pieces of music that are immediately recognizable to most people, even if they do not know the composer or name of the work. (Note: The order of the list does not denote importance.) Good luck trying to narrow down your choices, as there are so…