A Brief History On January 2, 1921, Czech playwright Karel Čapek premiered his classic play, R.U.R. in Hradec Králové, in what was then the First Czechoslovak Republic. The most important legacy of this famous play is the coining of the word, “Robot.” As used in the play, “robot” does not really mean the mechanical gizmo we think of today. Digging Deeper Prior to R.U.R., people used words such as “android” and “automaton” to describe what we think of as robots, but in the actual play, the “robots” were not the metal men the name evokes, but more along the line…
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A Brief History Today, January 1, 2024, I, Dr. Zar, wish all of my family, friends, colleagues, students, and subscribers who are celebrating a birthday in 2024 the happiest of birthdays as well as a happy new year! Digging Deeper As I toast the new year with my sparkling non-alcoholic grape drink, please know that in my thoughts I am wishing the best for all of us this year! Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What are you most looking forward to in 2024? If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please…
A Brief History On January 1, 2024, we have some highly recommended resolutions that people really need to adopt to make the world a better place. What suggestions do you have? Digging Deeper Average Americans: Learn something new every day, maybe a new word or new historical fact. Baby Boomers: Stop worrying and love computers! Learn how to use new technology to your advantage. Everybody: Remind yourself to treat others as you wish to be treated. Hoarders: Get rid of any clothes or shoes you have not worn in the past couple years. Give these items to charity. Older people:…
A Brief History This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on January 31st. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event. Digging Deeper On January 31, 1747, the London Lock Hospital opened as the first clinic specifically for the treatment of venereal diseases! On January 31, 1846, the result of the Milwaukee Bridge War was the formation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On January 31, 1915, the German Army, in violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases, launched 18,000 artillery shells containing xylyl bromide tear gas…
A Brief History On January 31, 1915, the German Army, in violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases, launched 18,000 artillery shells containing xylyl bromide tear gas against Russian positions, the first truly large scale use of poison gas in combat. Digging Deeper While people have used various poisons to deny the use of water wells as far back as 600 BC and to foul the air with toxic sulfur fumes in 479 BC, the 19th and 20th Centuries saw efforts to outlaw such use of poisons. In World War I, the first and most common use of…