Browsing: Inventions

A Brief History Back on March 18, 2016, we ran an article, “10 People (You Do not Know) Behind the Characters,” and today we take a look at 5 more characters and the persons or critters behind the character.  As always, feel free to illuminate us with more information about the character or person behind the character, or to nominate those characters you think should be on such a list. Digging Deeper 1. Lassie, television and movie star (dog). You may be surprised to find out that the dog that played “Lassie” in the movies was played by a male…

Read More

A Brief History On February 26, 2013, a sightseeing hot air balloon over Luxor, Egypt, was carrying 20 passengers and the pilot when something went horribly wrong.  A leaking fuel line caused a fire to break out on the balloon when it was only a few meters off the ground, and the ensuing flames caused the balloon to rise dramatically.  Engulfed in flames, some passengers jumped out of the gondola to their deaths, while others stayed in the passenger compartment until the balloon exploded, killing 19 of the 21 people that had been aboard, the worst death toll in hot…

Read More

A Brief History On February 25, 1836, Sam Colt patented his cap and ball revolver that would give rise to all the modern revolvers that followed.  We previously discussed this important event in firearms evolution in our article “Sam Colt Patents His Revolver” and also listed “10 Best Revolvers of All Time” among our many articles about firearms.  This time we address those revolvers we would like to personally own above all others, if of course money was no object.  While we are firmly in the semi-automatic pistol camp for carrying a military, police, or personal protection handgun, we recognize the…

Read More

A Brief History On February 24, 2007, Japan launched a spy satellite into orbit, presumably to help keep track of threats to Japan from their neighbors China and North Korea.  Maybe Russia, too.  Since the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in the “Space Race” in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, several other nations have joined the club of nations with the ability to launch rockets into outer space.  Used for weather monitoring, Earth mapping, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), research, communications (radio, telephone, television, digital), exploring other planets and even beyond, and spying on other countries, space programs have…

Read More

A Brief History On February 16, 1960, the US Navy submarine, USS Triton SSRN-586, set out on a voyage of circumnavigation of the Earth, the first time anyone had made such a voyage completely underwater!  Called Operation Sandblast, the voyage of the Triton is one of the most famous trips around the Earth that we list today, joining other pioneering events that have gone down in history as famous trips around the globe. Digging Deeper 1. USS Triton, 1960 (First Underwater). The Triton was a submarine called a “radar picket sub,” of course nuclear powered and commissioned in 1959.  She…

Read More