A Brief History On October 10, 1492, the famous first voyage of Christopher Columbus and his small fleet of three ships almost came to an end right at the point of “discovering” the New World. Digging Deeper Columbus had set sail on August 3, 1492, expecting to sail to the Far East. He estimated the voyage to be about 2,700 miles and to take two months. By the time his voyage had passed the two month mark, his crew became restless and desperate to return home. Columbus faced down a mutiny on his flagship, the Santa Maria, that would probably…
Browsing: Lifestyle
A Brief History On October 9, 2023, the second Monday in October, we once again celebrate National Kick Butt Day, a day not for kicking other people but for kicking yourself into gear to accomplish some personal or professional achievement. Digging Deeper Of unknown origins, National Kick Butt Day seems to have started around 2004, originally aimed at those in the advertising and marketing fields. While you can find some suggestions online how to spend this special day, we offer some suggestions of our own. You of course are welcome to offer your suggestions as well. Grow your brainpower by…
A Brief History On October 8, 1982, actor Fernando Lamas died, probably best remembered for the Billy Crystal impression saying the phrase, “You look marvelous!” Many other actors and celebrities have been attributed quotations they did not really say, and today we look at a few of those. Digging Deeper PT Barnum, showman and huckster, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Julius Caesar, Roman dictator, “Et tu, Brute?” Albert Einstein, physicist and genius, “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Greta Garbo, actress, “I vant to be alone…”…
A Brief History On October 6, 2007, Jason Lewis, otherwise an English author, completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth under his own muscular power! Other celebrated circumnavigations of the globe were by sail, by airplane, or by a combination of means, but only Lewis accomplished the act by dint of his own body. Digging Deeper Not a stranger to incredible athletic feats of muscle power, Lewis was also the first to cross the United States on inline skates, the first to use pedal power to cross the Pacific Ocean, and with fellow adventurer Stevie Smith the first to cross…
A Brief History On October 1, 1982, Disney’s latest and greatest attraction opened at their Orlando, Florida Walt Disney World location, EPCOT Center, now known as EPCOT. An acronym, the name stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, intended to showcase technology and the latest in modern inventions and developments, a sort of “permanent world’s fair.” Digging Deeper Double the size of the original Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, EPCOT sprawls across over 300 acres. The park gets plenty of visitors, close to 12.4 million per year, ranking 4th in North American theme parks and 7th in the world. Some…