Browsing: Science & Technology

A Brief History On March 17, 1945, the Ludendorf Bridge over the Rhine River fell 10 days after the US Army seized the span allowing them to cross the Rhine into Germany.  The Germans failed to blow up the bridge, and again failed to take it down later, a major blunder in World War II. Digging Deeper Bridges are often magnificent, and when they fall the event is major news.  Some notable bridge collapses include the following: The Ponte das Barcas of Porto, Portugal in 1809, is the deadliest bridge collapse, with 4,000 people fleeing French soldiers falling to their…

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A Brief History On March 10, 1535, Tomás de Berlanga, a Spanish Bishop based in Panama, accidentally discovered the Galapagos Islands while sailing to Peru. These beautiful islands were not occupied by humans at the time and seem to never have had human inhabitants.  The 18 main islands are famous for their unique species of animals and plants and as the inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution. Digging Deeper Accidental discoveries have led to great things, including: In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas, finding the Americas while on his way to East Asia, opening a vast and rich…

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A Brief History On March 9, 1987, Chrysler Corporation, then maker of Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth cars and trucks, announced the absorption of American Motors under the Chrysler banner.  American Motors itself was formed in 1954 when Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motor Car Company merged. Digging Deeper Try to follow this corporate puzzle when also in 1954, Packard merged with Studebaker, forming Studebaker-Packard Corporation.  Meanwhile, Kaiser Motors and Willys-Overland, makers of the Jeep brand, had merged in 1953 to create Kaiser Jeep.  Then in 1970, American Motors bought up Kaiser Jeep. American Motors stumbled along until being acquired by Chrysler in…

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A Brief History On March 8, 1950, Volkswagen of Wolfsburg, Germany, began production on their second motor vehicle after the iconic Beetle, this time called Bus, Kombi, or Transporter, but known in the US as the VW Bus, the VW Microbus, or later, the Hippie-mobile. Digging Deeper One of the first van type vehicles, the Bus was originally intended as a light cargo van.  Powered by engines making 24 to 54 horsepower in the 1st generation, the Bus was not meant for racing! Built until 1967 in Germany and until 1975 in Brazil, the 1st Generation was a versatile platform…

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A Brief History On March 4, 2020, Nik Wallenda of the famous acrobat and daredevil family, became the first person to walk on a wire above the crater of the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.  Not to be outdone, his wife, Erendira, performed an aerial routine above the smoking crater! Digging Deeper The Wallenda family is famous for many of their death-defying firsts, with Nik personally holding 11 Guinness World Records, including being the first to walk across Niagara Falls on a high wire. Other daredevils have achieved epic firsts, including: Annie Edson Taylor, the first to survive going over Niagara…

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