A Brief History On May 13, 1958, George de Mestral of Switzerland trademarked his 1948 invention, Velcro. Mestral had patented Velcro in 1955 and started marketing the handy invention in 1958. Not surprisingly, the company that makes Velcro is called, Velcro! Digging Deeper Starting with cotton for the fuzzy part of the two part tape, De Mestral quickly realized something different was needed. Using Nylon and Polyester was the ticket, and the rest is modern convenience history. Like “Kleenex” for facial tissues or “Jell-o” for gelatin, Velcro is referred to generically for “hook and loop” fasteners of any brand. Velcro…
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A Brief History On April 25, 1792, a major step in the history of execution devices was made when a “highwayman” (robber) became the first victim of the Guillotine. Digging Deeper Revolutionary France struggled to find humanity amid the brutality of the revolution. Although not the inventor of the guillotine, its use was proposed to the revolutionary government by Joseph-Iganace Guillotin who was recommending a system of capital punishment in keeping with the ideals of the revolution. Aside from the swift and sure death the guillotine offered, it was to be the only method of execution for people of any…
A Brief History On April 20, 1862, French scientists Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard proved that Aristotle was wrong! Digging Deeper The state of science thousands of years ago was somewhat more primitive than today. Ancient people did not have microscopes, X-rays, CT Scans, gas chromatography, chemical tests, electron microscopes, centrifuges, and had not even developed the so called scientific method to test theories. People believed the Brandt Goose came from barnacles by that name, and a common belief was that maggots came from dead flesh. They did not understand microbes, DNA, or the Atomic Theory. Aristotle, the tutor of…
A Brief History On April 17, 1964, Ford rolled out the Mustang, introducing a new class of sporty car to the world! Digging Deeper Ford called the new car a 1965 model, but an adoring public will forever refer to it as a “1964 ½!” Creating a whole new category of cars that the public dubbed “pony cars,” Mustang’s layout of 2 doors with a small back seat (2+2), a short rear deck and a long hood set the standard for all the imitators. Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin, Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda all tried to cash in…
A Brief History Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Digging Deeper Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Have you ever been to Egypt? If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook. Your readership is much appreciated! Historical Evidence The info-graphic used in this article is taken from this site and reproduced here with permission from The Fairmont Hotel. The lead…