Monday, December 10, 2012

Today is...the first day of finals week


Today is the first day of finals week. As a break from studying, enjoy some fun facts!

December 10, 1815, Ada Lovelace, commonly considered the first computer programmer, was born.

Lovelace worked with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine and Difference Engine, both precursors to the modern day computer.

Lovelace was the only legitimate child of poet Lord Byron.

Lord Byron had a daughter with Claire Clairmont, the stepsister of Mary Shelley, who is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein.

Gothic fiction, or Gothic horror, has its origins attributed to Horace Walpole's work The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story".

Horace Walpole was the son of Robert Walpole, the de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Walpole Massachusetts is named after Robert Walpole.

Walpole, Mass was first settled in 1659 and was considered part of Dedham, Mass until 1724.

Dedham is the home to the Fairbanks House, the oldest survivng timber-frame house in North America. It was built ca. 1637 and is the oldest building in Massachusetts.

The oldest building in the world is the Tumulus of Bougon, a complex of tombs in France that date to 4800 BC.

The oldest house in the world is Knap of Howar in Scotland, built in 3700 BC. It is on the Island of Pap Westray, one of the Orkney Islands.

Orkney is an archipelago of approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. They have at various times been occupied by the Mesolithic tribes, the Neolithic tribes, the Picts, an the Norse.

Orkney was given to Scotland as security until the dowry of Margaret of Denmark in her marriage to James III of Scotland.

Their son, James IV, married Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII of England.

Henry VII was the first monarch of House of Tudor, after seizing the crown on August 22, 1485.

The final sovereign of the House of Tudor was Queen Elizabeth I.

Are you prepared for finals?

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Today is...the Birth Anniversary of Clarence Birdseye


Today is the birth anniversary of Clarence Birdseye. He was born on December 9, 1886 in Brooklyn, NY.

Clarence Birdseye was an inventor, entrepreneur and naturalist, considered to be the founder of the modern frozen food industry.

Birdseye solved the problem that previous frozen food had of leaking fluids upon thawing. He froze things are a lower temperature so smaller ice crystals formed, causing less damage to the tissue structure.

In 1924, after having his first company go bankrupt, Birdseye created a new commercial product for quick-freezing of fish. His company was called General Seafood Corporation.

In 1929 he sold his company and patents for $22 to Goldman Sachs and the Postum Company, which eventually became General Foods Corporation, which founded Birds Eye Frozen Food Company.

Birds Eye started selling food in retails store in 1930, starting with just 18 stores in and around Springfield Massachusetts.

The first line of food contained 26 products, including 18 cuts of frozen meat, spinach and peas, a variety of fruits, blue point oysters, and fish fillets.

Birds Eye is now an international frozen food brand.

What is your favorite frozen food?

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Today is...the Anniversary of the Murder of John Lennon


On this day in 1980, John Lennon was murdered outside his New York City apartment building.

The Beatles were originally The Quarrymen and were formed by 16-year-old John Lennon. Paul McCartney joined as a rhythm guitarist. McCartney invited friend George Harrison, then 14, to watch the band, after which he auditioned as the lead guitarist.

Stuart Sutcliffe then joined the band on bass and encouraged them to rename themselves The Beatles.

After Sutcliffe left the band and original drummer Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, the Beatles recorded their first song, Love Me Do on September 4, 1962.

After breaking up in 1970, all four Beatles released solo albums. Ringo Starr's 1973 album Ringo had collaborations with all three other Beatles, though on separate tracks.

In 1976, Lorne Michaels offered $3000 for The Beatles to reunite on Saturday Night Live. The following week, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were hanging out and considered going to the studio to claim the money, but decided against it. According to McCartney they were having a night off and going down would have been "work".

All four Beatles were awarded the honor of becoming Members of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

The Beatles are still the best-selling band in history.

Who is your favorite Beatle?

Friday, December 7, 2012

Today is...the Anniversary of the Launch of Apollo 17


On this day in 1972, Apollo 17 was launched. This was the last US manned mission to the moon.

Apollo 17 was the sixth mission to land humans on the moon.

The launch was on December 7, 1972 at 12:33 am from Kennedy Space Center.

Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, has been the launch site for ever human space flight in the US since 1968.

There have been twelve people to walk on the moon: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, David Scott, James Irwin, John W. Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan, and Harrison Schmitt.

Eugene Cernan was the last person to touch the lunar surface.

Apollo 17 broke numerous records: longest manned lunar landing flight, longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities, largest lunar sample return, and longest time in lunar orbit.

After spending 7 hours and 15 minutes outside during the final lunar excursion Gene Cernan said: "As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus- Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. 'Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17.'"

Where would you like to go in space?

Thursday, December 6, 2012

White Board results from the last couple weeks...












Today is...the Anniversary of the Altamont Speedway Free Concert

On this day in 1969, the Rolling Stones; Jefferson Airplane; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Santana; and The Flying Burrito Brothers performed at the controversial (and fatal to one concertgoer) Altamont Speedway Free Concert at Livermore, CA.

The Rolling Stones are named after the Muddy Waters song "Rollin' Stone".

Muddy Waters has four songs listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "The Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll": Rollin' Stone, Hoochie Coochie Man, Mannish Boy, Got My Mojo Working.

The Sex Pistols were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 but refused to attend the ceremony.

Though the Sex Pistols were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the UK they only produced four singles and one album.

The Ramones are generally considered the band that started the punk movement.

Though arguably the most influence band of pop music, The Ramones had only one album, Ramones Mania compilation, that went gold in the US.

Joey Ramone, lead singer of the Ramones, shares a birthday with Pete Townshend from The Who.

Tommy by The Who was the first rock opera; it is reported that the term "rock opera" was coined at a party given by Pete Townshend.

David Bowie, Frank Zappa, and Pink Floyd all also made rock operas in the 1970s.

What group would you most like to see perform?

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Today is...Walt Disney's Birth Anniversary

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was born on December 5, 1901.

Most people known the basics of Walt Disney, his creation of Mickey Mouse and his development of Disneyland. Here are some things you might not know...

In high school, Disney took night classes at the Chicago Art Institute and drew cartoons for his high school paper.

Mickey Mouse's original name was to be Mortimer, but Walt's wife Lillian thought it didn't fit and christened him Mickey.

The first musical cartoon Disney directed was The Skeleton Dance, animated by Ubbe Iwerks.

Disney started work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1934, ran out of money in mid-1937, and finally released it in February of 1938.

When getting a pre-operative X-ray on his neck for a polo injury, doctors discovered a tumor on Walt's lung. He died less than two months later.

The last thing Walt wrote was Kurt Russell's name, the significance of which is still unknown.

Though there are rumors that Disney was cryogynically frozen, he was actually cremated.

What is your favorite Disney movie?

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Today is...the birth anniversary of Lillian Russell, the most popular female entertainer of the 19th century

Today is the birth anniversary of Lillian Russell, the most popular female entertainer of the 19th century.

 On May 8, 1890, Lillian Russell became the first person to have their voice carried over a long distance telephone line. From New York City she sang Sabre Song to Boston and Washington, DC.

Though she never married him, Russell was the companion of "Diamond Jim" Brady for 40 years. Brady, in 1895, was the first person in New York City to own an automobile.

Russell married her fourth husband, Alexander Pollock Moore, at the Schenley Hotel in Pittsburg, which is not the University of Pittsburgh student union building.

Lillian Russell was a performer in vaudeville, burlesques, operettas, and musical theatre, notably working with Tony Pastor, the father of vaudeville, and composer Edward Solomon, who she married and then subsequently divorced when she found out he had never divorced his previous wife.

Russell appeared in one motion picture, Wildfire (1915), that starred Lionel Barrymore, who is most well known for playing Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life.

In 1940, there was a movie made of her life which starred Henry Fonda.

Who is your favorite female entertainer?

Monday, December 3, 2012

Today is...the Anniversary of the opening of A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway

On December 3, 1947, A Streetcar Named Desire opened on Broadway with Jessica Tandy as Blanche Du Bois and newcomer Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski.

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams in 1947.

Tennessee Williams received in Presidential Medal of Freedom from Jimmy Carter in 1980.

A Streetcar Named Desire premiered at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is named after Ethel Barrymore, the sister of John Barrymore and great-aunt of Drew Barrymore.

The 1951 film adaptation of the film starred all the original lead actors except for Jessica Tandy, who was replaced by Vivien Leigh.

Marlon Brando was credited under Leigh in the film credits and in previews as he was not considered a star at the time.

Streetcar Named Desire earned Brando his first Best Actor Oscar nomination; it was followed by Best Actor Oscar nominations for Viva Zapata!, Julius Caesar, and On the Waterfront.

Brando starred as Sky Masterson in the 1955 musical Guys and Dolls, with Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit. Sinatra was against the casting of Brando as Masterson as he wanted that role for himself.

Gene Kelly was wanted for the role of Sky Masterson, and was interested in the role, but MGM refused to loan him to Goldwyn.

Who is your favorite Broadway character?

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Today is...the Anniversary of the First Artificial Heart Transplant

On this day in 1982 the first artificial heart transplant took place.

The first artificial heart was designed by Robert Jarvik.

The first patient who received an artificial heart survived for 112 day; the second lived 620 days after the surgery.

The first FDA approved artificial heart was approved on October 15, 2004; it was created by SynCardia.

The first precursor of the modern artificial heart pump was built in 1949 by William Sewell and William Glenn using an Erector Set.

The first patent for an artificial heart was one created by Dr. Henry Heimlich (inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver) and Ventriloquist Paul Winchell.

Are you an organ donor?

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Today is...World AIDS Day

December 1 every year is dedicated to raising awareness of AIDS.

For information visit http://aids.gov/news-and-events/awareness-days/world-aids-day/

Don't forget to wear a red ribbon!

What actions can you take to end world AIDS?