Browsing: December 27

A Brief History On December 27, 1771, French engineer, Henri Pitot, died at the age of 76.  Although you may not be familiar with him, his invention, the Pitot Tube, has probably served you well in your life, as it is the primary instrument used for measuring the speed of aircraft and boats, as well as other liquids and gases.  Today, we take time to remember some of the famous folks that died on December 27th. Digging Deeper 1834: Charles Lamb, English essayist and poet. 1836: Stephen Austin, known as “The Father of Texas” and the namesake of the state’s…

A Brief History On December 27, 1512, the King and Queen of Spain issued the Laws of Burgos, a set of rules for how Spaniards were to treat Native Americans in the Caribbean islands colonized by Spain.  Prior to this point there was haphazard ways of dealing with Native peoples, and ample incidents of cruelty and oppression.  The European “discovery” of the Americas was only 20 years old at this time, and by this time it had become apparent some consistent rules were needed to keep with Catholic and Spanish ideas of law and morality. Digging Deeper The name, Laws…

A Brief History On December 27, 1966, the largest cave in the world was discovered in Aquismón, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.  Boasting a single cavern that covers a ground space of 994 feet long by 442 feet wide, the so called Cave of Swallows (alternately called “The Cave of the Swallows”) had been known for many generations by indigenous Huastec people, and was considered “discovered” only when a documented descent into the cave was made by T. R. Evans, Charles Borland and Randy Sterns, the first outsiders known to have visited the cave. Digging Deeper Known as a “pit” type…

A Brief History On December 27, 2017, we stand on the brink of a new year, giving us cause to look back on the year that is finishing.  As with every year, many notable people died this past year, and we list 10 of the most significant or interesting of the Class of 2017.  Many people you might add to the list are included in the “honorable mentions,” but feel free to tell us who else we should have listed.  (Dishonorable mention: Roger Ailes, Fox TV boss and sexual harasser; Manuel Noriega, dictator) Digging Deeper 1. Hugh Hefner, magazine magnate. Founder…

A Brief History On December 27, 2001, the People’s Republic of China, aka “Red” China, or just plain old “China,” was granted status as Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the United States, a label formerly known as “Most Favored Nation” status.  (Note: this date is somewhat confusing vis a vis some of the other dates referred to within because of differing sources.) Digging Deeper Due to the history of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1948) which became the World Trade Organization (WTO, 1994) the US did not have normal trade relations with Communist China due to Cold War…