Trivia

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I  did  not  know  that  lead  under ware  was the  result  of making   X RAY glasses  to  see though  clothes===

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know about Willie Nelson_2

On November 9, 1990, Willie Nelson's assets were seized by the IRS to pay back part of the $16.7 million he owed in taxes. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about country singer and songwriter Willie Nelson...

Nelson Recorded a Special Album to Pay the IRS Debt

After Nelson’s home and other assets were seized by the IRS in 1990, he was left with a debt to the government of $32 million. While it was negotiated downward, it was still a great deal of money to owe. Nelson recorded a new album called “The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories” to help pay that debt off. The limited-edition album cost $19.95 and 15 cents out of every dollar went toward paying down his IRS debt.

“On the Road Again” Was Written on an Airline Vomit Bag

Nelson said he was in an airplane with directors Jerry Schatzberg and Sydney Pollack, who were looking for songs to include in Honeysuckle Rose. He said the song just clicked inside his head, so he wrote the lyrics on one of the airline sickness bags that was provided. 

Nelson Calls His Favorite Guitar Trigger

Nelson has had his Martin N-20 guitar since 1969, and it creates the sound that the entertainer wants in his songs. Over the years, the guitar has been autographed by more than 100 people, including Leon Russel, who was the first to sign it. The guitar was rescued more than once, first when it was pulled from Nelson's burning house and again when the IRS was seizing Nelson’s assets.  (Nelson hid it.)

Getting Into a Fight With Nelson Would Be a Mistake

He’s been training for several decades in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, which is a type of martial arts practiced in Korea, and he was awarded a 5th-degree black belt in 2014 at age 81. His interest in martial arts began early when he was writing songs in Nashville. He also holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, so despite his age, he probably isn’t someone to challenge.

He Saved His Pot From a Burning House

Nelson got home one day during the evening hours to find out his house in Ridgetop, Tennessee, was on fire. He ran into the house to retrieve a pound of marijuana that he had there but said he went to get it because he didn’t want to get arrested by police if the firemen found it. Unfortunately, about 100 tapes full of songs that hadn’t been recorded yet were lost in the blaze.

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I  did  not  know  that  he  hold  different  degrees  in   MARTIAL  ARTS===

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6 Things You Might Not Know Were Invented by Women

On November 10, 1903, Mary Anderson patented her invention of the windshield wiper. Cadillac was the first to include them in every car model, and other companies soon followed. Find out about some other surprising inventions that were designed and patented by women...

Carpenters Can Thank a Woman for Inventing the Circular Saw

In 1812, Tabitha Babbitt, a weaver who lived in a Shaker community, noticed how difficult it was for people to use a pit saw, which needed two individuals to operate and cut only in a single direction. She solved that problem by attaching a circular blade to a spinning wheel. The circular saw proved to be a more efficient way to perform the task and led many men in later years to create home workshops in their garages.

A Woman Invented the Life Rafts Used on the Titanic

Inventor Maria Beasley was already a wealthy woman because of her eight patents for the barrel-hooping machine (an invention that made it easier to place the metal bands on barrels). In 1882, she patented a design for a foldable life raft with fireproof guardrails. The life rafts invented by Beasley were used onboard the luxury liner Titanic and are credited with saving more than 700 lives when the ship sank in the North Atlantic in 1912.

The Dishwasher Was Invented by a Woman

Patented in 1886, the first dishwasher combined high water pressure, a wheel, a boiler, and a wire rack like the ones still used for dish drying. Inventor Josephine Cochrane never used it herself, but it made life easier for her servants. This invention is still a lifesaver for many households today.

A Movie Star Invented Wireless Transmission Technology

Movie siren Hedy Lamarr was not only beautiful but brainy. She created a communication system in 1941 to guide torpedoes without detection. Her design manipulated the radio frequencies to operate at irregular intervals so that classified messages could be sent in an unbreakable code and could not be intercepted by the enemy during World War II. Her groundbreaking technology in wireless transmission led the way for other inventions, including Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS.

Rocket Fuel Invented by a Woman Powered Explorer I

Mary Sherman Morgan was instrumental in saving the space program in America in 1957 when she invented Hydyne rocket fuel. Her contribution to the space program allowed the launch of the Jupiter 6 rocket, which was used to boost Explorer 1, America’s first satellite. This brilliant mathematician and chemist designed her own fuel cocktail, which was exactly what was necessary to operate Werner von Braun’s rockets. Without her invention, it may have been necessary to redesign the rockets entirely.

The Board Game Monopoly Was Invented by Elizabeth Magie

One of the most famous board games of all time was invented by Elizabeth Magie in 1904 under the original name The Landlord's Game. Magie's game was a critique of the injustices of unchecked capitalism, making it all the more ironic when her game was completely ripped off by Charles Darrow 30 years later, who sold it to Parker Brothers. The firm eventually tracked down Magie and paid her $500 for her troubles.

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 I   did not  know  that a lady  invented  life  boats that were on the  TITANIC====  I  did  not  know 

that a  lady  invented  the  circular  saw ===

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5 Things You Didn't Know About WWI_3

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I ended. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about “The War to End All Wars.”...

The First Tank Used in Combat Was During World War I

Tanks are an essential component of militaries today, so much so that it’s hard to fathom war without them. But up until Sept. 15, 1916 (two years into the Great War), horses were still the main form of cavalry used by militaries. Horses! The United Kingdom was the first empire to employ tanks, in the Battle of the Somme, and they were largely ineffectual. There were too many breakdowns and the French heavily criticized their allies for giving away the advantage of surprise by launching the tanks before they were battle ready.

The Youngest Soldier to Enlist in the U.S. Army Was Only 12 Years Old

Frank Sauliere from San Jose, California, became the youngest doughboy to serve in World War I when he lied about his age and signed up with the U.S. Army two days after Congress declared war. Sauliere’s parents lied too since Frank was only 12, and they went so far as to petition President Woodrow Wilson to approve his entrance into the military. The boy worked running messages, a dangerous battlefield job, and as an interpreter, and during his 21 months of service, he was wounded two times.

World War I Was the Reason Plastic Surgery Was Invented

Harold Gillies, a surgeon, practiced an early form of plastic surgery during World War I when he worked on the terrible facial injuries soldiers suffered from shrapnel wounds. Because shrapnel caused worse injuries than a bullet, reconstruction surgery was used in some cases. However, some soldiers who were horribly disfigured ended up staying in nursing homes rather than going home or appearing in public.

Blood Banks Came into Use During World War I

Before World War I, blood was directly transferred from one individual to another, but this wasn’t practical on a battlefield with the high numbers of wounded. Captain Oswalt Johnson, an Army doctor, was the first person to establish a blood bank at the Western Front by adding sodium citrate to blood, which prevented its coagulation. With this innovation, blood could be kept for up to 28 days on ice and sent to where it was needed for soldiers who had experienced a high degree of blood loss.

The Draft Began During World War I

The Selective Service Act was passed by Congress and signed into law in May 1917 by President Woodrow Wilson. This law was needed to increase the number of soldiers serving at the Western Front battlefields and to relieve the battle-weary troops already there. By the war’s end, around 2.7 million men had been drafted, and an additional 1.3 million had volunteered to fight.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Ellis Island_2

On Nov 12, 1954, Ellis Island closed its doors. It had served as the reception station for more than 12 million immigrants to the United States between 1892 and 1924. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about this gateway for millions to a new life in America....

Pirates Were Hung There in the 1800s

The island that was named after Samuel Ellis, its last owner, served as a spot where condemned prisoners were taken to be hanged in its early days. New Yorkers called it “Gibbet Island,” which was named for the metal casing that enclosed the bodies for display. The gibbet in question was erected in 1781 for Thomas Wilkinson, a convicted pirate who was actually hung on Windmill Island. His body was transported to Gibbet Island and hung as a display inside a metal framework. The idea of displaying the body was to dissuade other sailors from piracy, and the original framework can be seen by visitors to the Philadelphia History Museum at Atwater Kent.

Three Children Were the First to Pass Through as Immigrants

The first immigrants to pass through the immigration station at Ellis Island were three Irish minors unaccompanied by an adult. Annie Moore was 15-years-old when she arrived aboard the steamship Nevada along with her two younger brothers, the youngest of whom was 7. To commemorate the occasion, she was handed a $10 gold piece by officials.

The Immigration Center Burned Down in the Late 1800s

Because the construction of the original immigration center was Georgia pine, when it caught on fire on June 15, 1897, the whole building burned down. While there were no injuries, all the federal and state records from 1855 and before were destroyed. The new building, which was fireproof, was opened on December 17, 1900.

Some Arriving Passengers Could Skip Processing at Ellis Island

Not all passengers had to submit to immigration processing at Ellis Island. The way officials looked at it, if immigrants paid for a first-class or second-class ticket, they probably did not have financial problems and were unlikely to be sick. This meant they would probably not be a financial burden for the rest of American society, so they were given a free pass into the country.

Suspected Enemy Aliens Were Detained There During Two Wars

During both World War I and World War II, aliens who were suspected of being enemies were detained under custody at Ellis Island. During World War I, the inspection of immigrants arriving in the United States was conducted at the docks or onboard the ship, and those who were suspected of being radicals were kept at Ellis Island, with many of them being later deported. When World War II came along, merchant seamen who were thought to be enemies of the United States were kept in the dormitory and baggage building.

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I did  not  know  that  blood  banks  were  established  during  WW I==== I  did  not  know

that the  youngest  person  to  enlist  in  the  army  was  only  12===

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I did not  know  that the  1st  3 immigrants to  pass  though  ELLIS  ISLAND   were  children===

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Holland Tunnel

On November 13, 1927, the Holland Tunnel linking New York City and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River was opened to the public. Here are 5 surprising facts you didn't know about the Holland Tunnel...

Construction of the Holland Tunnel Shared Several Firsts in History

The Holland Tunnel was built because it was deemed impossible to construct a bridge to connect New York City and New Jersey. This tunnel was the first that passed through the Hudson River and the longest in the entire world when it was completed. The tube width is the world’s widest as well. It measures 29.5 feet wide, which set the standard for underwater tunnels built in the future all around the world.

The Holland Tunnel Gets its Name From the Designer

While many people may think the tunnel was named after the Netherlands for some reason, it was named after the designer, Clifford Millburn Holland. His design was for the two two-lane tunnels. However, Holland died the day before the tunnels were supposed to link on October 28, 1924. President Coolidge had planned a remote detonation as part of the day’s events to celebrate the completion of the tunnel, but celebratory events were canceled due to the designer’s death, and it was decided to name this amazing structure after him.

Calvin Coolidge Opened the Tunnel From His Yacht

When the tunnel was dedicated on November 13, 1927, President Coolidge was aboard his yacht, Mayflower, which was in the Potomac River. He used a telegraph key in gold, which moved apart the American flags located at the Holland Tunnel entrance to signal the opening. This key was the same one used by President Woodrow Wilson to detonate the final blast of the Panama Canal's construction.

Pedestrians Were Permitted to Walk the Length of the Tunnel Only Once

On the opening day of the Holland Tunnel, pedestrians were allowed to cross on foot, but apparently at a fairly high toll, according to a report by The New York Times. It apparently didn’t keep people away because it was reported that around 20,000 pedestrians had walked the length of the tunnel along the entire 9,250 feet within the first hour. That heavy foot traffic continued all day until the tunnel was closed at 7:00 p.m.

The Worst Accident Inside the Holland Tunnel Occurred in 1949

A truck carrying hazardous materials through the Holland Tunnel on May 13, 1949 caught on fire, killing a firefighter and injuring 66 civilians. The truck was transporting 80 barrels of carbon disulfide, which was forbidden. The truck had made it around 2,900 feet into the tunnel when a barrel came free and fell onto the roadway, cracking open. The vapor ignited, catching four other trucks on fire and causing five others to be abandoned. There were 125 vehicles trapped inside the tube before it could be closed.

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10 Unforgettable Sports Disasters Around The World

On November 14, 1970, an airplane crash devastated the football team from Marshall University, killing 37 players, 8 coaches, and 25 boosters. Join us in exploring some of the worst sports disasters to happen around the world...

Fire at Happy Valley Racecourse

Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong was the site of a mega-disaster on February 26, 1918, when a terrace collapsed, starting an enormous blaze that killed at least 576 people. Because of badly planned exits, the spectators at the horse races were unable to escape the fire, which lasted for around 20 minutes. This disaster was the most deadly in the history of sports.

A Lima Football Riot Resulted in Hundreds of Deaths

A football riot at the Estadio Nacional occurred on May 24, 1964, during a game being played between Peru and Argentina. A perceived bad referee call on a play by a Peruvian goalie started a riot when fans became angered and tried to storm the field even though Peru was ahead in the game by a score of 1-0. Police began firing tear gas, which caused a stampede, resulting in the deaths of 318 people as they tried to escape through the exits.

Bullfighting Ring Disaster in Columbia

A shoddily built set of stands in Columbia at the Corralejas bullring on January 20, 1980, resulted in the deaths of 222 spectators at the event, including young children. A violent thunderstorm moved into the area, reducing the ground to mud, which caused the stands to collapse as people rushed to get out of the rain. The accident was so horrific that this event was canceled for the next 20 years.

The Sports Arena Stampede in 1982

In Russia at Central Lenin Stadium in the Grand Sports Arena on October 20, the second-round match was being played for the UEFA Cup between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem. It was reported that a woman lost one of her shoes and people stopped to help her look for it. This caused the large crowd to start stumbling over each other, which ended up killing 340 sports fans in the stampede that followed.

The Race Track Disaster at LeMans

In 1955, a sports disaster at Le Mans, France, at the motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe cost the lives of one of the drivers and 83 spectators.  It also injured an additional 120. Pierre Levegh, the driver, was in a new Mercedes 300 SLR when his vehicle went out of control and struck an Austin-Healey while traveling at around 150 mph. The car went airborne and started somersaulting, as wreckage from the vehicle flew through the air. The vehicle burst into flames, and the tragedy caused several nations to ban motorsports until improvements could be made to the racetracks.

Mid-Air Collision Claims Lives of Uzbek Football Players

A mid-air collision in August 1979 killed the entire Uzbek football team. As they were on their way to Crimea, their plane was mistakenly placed in the flight path of another aircraft, and the two collided. The crash killed 178 onboard both planes above the city of Dniprodzerzhynsk in Ukraine. The team’s head coach had not been on the plane and he rebuilt the team to finish out the season.

Fans Die at Hillsborough, England, Football Game

The sports disaster at Hillsborough happened on April 15, 1989 due to overcrowding at the stadium. Because of the large numbers of fans attending the Nottingham Forest and Liverpool semi-final, people began climbing over the fences to get a better view. A barrier broke, which caused people to fall on top of one another, resulting in 96 fatalities.

Violent Storm Leads to Many Deaths at Kathmandu, Nepal

Ninety-three people died on March 12, 1988, when they were crushed while attending a soccer match in Nepal. A dangerous storm came into the area carrying hail, lightning, and high winds that caused the 30,000 sports fans to panic. Only one of the eight exits at the stadium was unlocked for them to make their escape, and 93 people were crushed and trampled to death, with another 100 injured.

The U.S. Figure Skating Team Lost in 1961 Disaster

Eighteen members of the U.S. team were heading to Prague, Czechoslovakia, on February 15 for the World Figure Skating Championships when their plane crashed in Belgium. The entire team was lost as well as a farmer who was standing on the ground where the plane crashed. The incident resulted in 73 fatalities in total.

Football Team From Marshall University Dies in Plane Crash

On November 14, 1970, a chartered jet carrying the Marshall University football team crashed, killing everyone on board. The team was returning from that day’s game, a 17-14 loss to East Carolina University. Thirty-seven Marshall football players were aboard the plane, along with the team’s coach, its doctors, the university athletic director and 25 team boosters. The accident was made into a movie in 2006 called We Are Marshall.

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I did  not  know  about  the  HONG  KONG  fire  that  killed  576 people

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Articles of Confederation

On this day in 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, a precursor to the Constitution of the United States. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about the Articles of Confederation…  

It Took Almost Four Years for All the States to Ratify the Articles.

The Articles of Confederation were adopted in November 1777, but it wasn't until 1781 that all 13 states finally ratified them. Congress had actually set a deadline for ratification, but only one state, Virginia, managed to make it. Ratification by all 13 states was necessary to set the Confederation into motion. Because of disputes over representation, voting, and the western lands claimed by some states, ratification was delayed until Maryland ratified on March 1, 1781, and the Congress of the Confederation came into being.

The Articles Left Congress Nearly Powerless.

The Articles left most local issues up to the states, with the national Congress responsible for nationwide items like defense and negotiations with other countries. However, the Articles gave Congress no teeth. The weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress was not strong enough to enforce laws or raise taxes, making it difficult for the new nation to repay their debts from the Revolutionary War.

They Went Through Six Drafts -- and Ben Franklin's Version Was Pretty Much Rejected.

Documents that served as the first version of the Articles were first sent to Congress starting in July 1775, but the first few drafts were effectively rejected. This included a version from Benjamin Franklin -- the first version, in fact -- now known as the Albany Plan. However, Franklin's plan did become a model for subsequent versions. The country eventually went through six different drafts; the version that was adopted was a heavily revised version of one submitted by John Dickinson from Pennsylvania.

Under the Articles, the States Essentially Acted as Small Countries Bound in an Alliance.

While Congress remained relatively powerless, the states themselves had a lot of power internally. States couldn't prohibit free movement between states and couldn't affect how another state ran itself, but other than that, each state was like its own little country. This was a reaction to the centralized power that England had held over the colonies; unfortunately, it went a bit too far in the decentralized direction.

A Cascade of Terrible Economic News Eventually Led to the Current Constitution.

Because Congress had no power to enforce tax collection, the country really had no money to pay important bills like debts owed by farmers who had been away at war. This led to an intense rebellion by those farmers, called Shays's Rebellion (after its leader, Daniel Shays) in 1786. In 1787, the government finally started holding talks to create a new set of documents to guide the country, and those documents became the Constitution.

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I did  not  know  that  there  were   6 drafts before  one the  1  version was  adopted====

I did  not know  that  each  state  acted  like  its  own  country  at  1st===

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Sound of Music_2

On November 16, 1959, "The Sound of Music" opened on Broadway, starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the musical based on the von Trapp family’s life...

Julie Andrews Nearly Turned Down The Role As Maria

Julie Andrews had just finished filming Mary Poppins in 1964 when she was first approached to star in The Sound of Music. The actress nearly turned down the role of Maria for fear that the character was too similar to that of Mary Poppins.

Critics in New York Hated It

The musical opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater on Broadway, and New York critics hated it, thinking it was too saccharine. However, ticket sales made in advance were already up to $2 million, and the public had a different opinion, which ended up making “The Sound of Music” one of the most popular musicals in American history.

The Real Maria Von Trapp Wasn’t Invited to The Premiere

The real Maria Von Trapp, of course, inspired the original musical and was invited to see it performed. She then had a cameo in the movie itself. And then, when opening night came around... she never got an invite. Shocked, she went to the producers to address what was presumably an oversight. Said the producers, "there were no seats left." Hey, what can you do? Apparently The Sound of Music was so darn popular that even Maria Von Trapp herself couldn't get a ticket.

Mary Martin’s Tony for “The Sound of Music” Sold for Thousands of Dollars

Martin died in 1990, and the Tony for “The Sound of Music” was inherited by her actor son, Larry Hagman. Upon Hagman’s death, the Tony ended up on the auction block in Boston. It was the third of three Tonys that Martin won during her career; it brought $43,750 at the auction held in 2015.

Sean Connery Could Have Played The Captain

Those who were considered to play Captain von Trapp were Sean Connery, Bing Crosby, and Richard Burton. However, the role went to Christopher Plummer. Major stars also auditioned for the parts of the children in the movie, including Mia Farrow, Patti Duke, Geraldine Chaplin and Sharon Tate, who all tried out for the role of von Trapp’s daughter, Leisl. The role was given to Charmian Carr. Other stars who tried out for roles as the children were Richard Dreyfuss and Kurt Russell.

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I did not  know  that the real  MARIA VON TRAPP  was  not  at the  opening  premier of the  movie

because  all the  tickets  were  sold  out====

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Richard Nixon_2

On this day in 1973, in the midst of the Watergate scandal that eventually ended his presidency, President Richard Nixon told a group of newspaper editors that he is “not a crook.”  Here are 5 things you didn't know about the president that some nicknamed “Tricky Dick.”...

Nixon Met His Wife at a Community Theater Audition

Nixon and Thelma “Pat” Ryan were both trying out for roles in “The Dark Tower,” a community theater production that was to be held in Whittier, California. According to Pat Nixon, her future husband proposed during their first date, and she thought he was “nuts.” They dated for two years before marrying on June 21, 1940, in the presidential suite of a hotel in Riverside, California.

Nixon Lost His First Election

Nixon was president of his class in eighth grade but lost the high school election in 1929 as student body president. He made up for these early losses by being president of the student body of Whittier College due to supporting dances on the campus. His next loss was in the presidential election to John F. Kennedy, but he was then elected as the 37th president following the administration of Lyndon Johnson.

Nixon Was an Avid Bowler

One of Nixon’s favorite pastimes in the White House was bowling. He’d even bowl a few frames dressed in his suit. In addition to using the alley in the adjacent Old Executive Office Building, Nixon had another one-lane alley built in the basement beneath the North Portico entrance to the White House.

Nixon Was a Quaker

Nixon’s mother, Hannah, was a devout Quaker who instilled the faith in her husband and children. As a boy, Nixon went to Quaker meetings four times on Sundays and played the piano at church services. He enrolled at Whittier College, a Quaker institution, and attended mandatory chapel hours every day.As he faced impeachment proceedings as a result of Watergate, the Quakers from Minneapolis and Milwaukee sent a petition months earlier asking that he be removed from office.

Milhous Was His Mother’s Maiden Name

Nixon’s unusual middle name came from the maternal side of his family. When the ancestors of Nixon’s mother moved from Germany to England in the 1600s, they changed their last names from Milhausen to Milhous.

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6 Shocking Facts To Know About The Kennedy Family

On November 18, 1969, financier and diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died at age 81. Here are 6 shocking facts you probably didn't know about the the Kennedy family...

Jackie Kennedy Underwent Electroshock Treatments

It was suspected that Jack Kennedy kept girlfriends on the side. Because of his affairs and two miscarriages, he admitted his wife, Jackie, to a hospital to treat her for depression. She was taken to Valley Head Psychiatric Clinic in Massachusetts by ambulance where she stayed for one week. During that time, she was given three electroshock treatments, which she said were “the nightmare ride of my life.”

Rosemary, Joseph P. Kennedy’s Daughter, Was Lobotomized

The Kennedy family’s oldest daughter suffered a loss of oxygen at her botched birth and was intellectually disabled as a result. As she grew older, her sister Eunice said that Rosemary became erratic and would go into violent rages where she would hit other people. At this point, Rosemary was committed to a mental facility and given a lobotomy, which left her with the mental capacity of a child of two and unable to walk or speak well.

Michael Kennedy Was Investigated for Statutory Rape

Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, the son of Robert and Ethel, was allegedly having an affair with the underage babysitter for the family and was being investigated by authorities for statutory rape when he died. Kennedy died while in Aspen, Colorado, on a skiing trip on December 31, 1977. At the time of his death, he was 39 years old.

Kennedy’s Oldest Son, Joseph, Jr. Died During World War II

Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and was working as a bomber pilot when he died on August 12, 1944, near East Suffolk in the United Kingdom. He had completed 25 missions as a bomber pilot and was eligible to return to his home but instead volunteered for another mission called Operation Aphrodite, which targeted enemy facilities. The torpex explosive on-board Kennedy’s plane detonated prematurely before he and Lt. Wilford Willy were able to bail out of the BQ-8 drone they were in, which exploded in midair.

Robert Kennedy Made an Accurate Prediction About the Future

On May 27, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy stated that in 40 years, an African-American could attain the position of president of the United States. In addition, he said that while prejudice existed, progress was being made, and the status quo was unacceptable. His prediction was correct because Barack Obama was elected president 40 years later.

John Kennedy Ordered Cuban Cigars Before He Signed a Trade Embargo

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy asked Pierre Salinger, his press secretary, to obtain many Petit Upmann Cuban cigars, his favorites, for him right away. The following morning, Salinger found his phone ringing when he arrived at 8:00 a.m., and it was the president wanting to know about the cigars. Salinger had obtained 1,200 of the requested cigars, and it was then that Kennedy pulled out the embargo paper and signed it, which made the importation of Cuban products into the United States illegal.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Gettysburg Address_2

On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Here are 5 surprising facts you probably didn’t know about the Gettysburg Address...

Lincoln Did Not Make the Keynote Speech

Edward Everett, a famous orator from Massachusetts, was the keynote speaker at the dedication ceremony for the cemetery. He spoke for two hours, talking about all the exploits of the Union Army at Gettysburg and alluding to Greek History. After he heard Lincoln’s speech, he wrote to the president afterward, saying that Lincoln had done more in two minutes than his own speech of two hours.

Lincoln’s Speech Only Lasted About Two Minutes

Lincoln’s speech was just 10 sentences long. In contrast to Everett’s hours-long address, Lincoln spoke for just two minutes. A popular myth tells of President Lincoln hastily jotting down his 270-word speech on the back of an envelope during the train ride from Washington to Gettysburg. In truth, Lincoln put a great deal of planning into his remarks. He began writing the speech the night before he left and completed it after his arrival in Pennsylvania. No one knew at the time that Lincoln’s short speech would go down in history as one of the most memorable speeches of all the presidents.

Lincoln Wrote Every Word of The Gettysburg Address

While subsequent presidents have all enjoyed significant assistance from speechwriters in crafting their messages, President Lincoln took a more hands-on approach and is one of the few presidents in U.S. history to have written the entirety of his speeches and remarks.

No Photo Was Taken of Lincoln Addressing the Crowd

Although a photo of Lincoln moving through the crowd exists, photographers did not capture his photo while he was speaking. This is because what became known as the Gettysburg Address was only about two minutes long. The amount of time photographers of the day needed to set up their cameras took longer than the speech itself.

Only Five Copies of the Gettysburg Address Are Known to Exist

Lincoln gave his two copies of the Gettysburg Address to his secretaries, John Hay and John Nicolay, and they are in the possession of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A third copy was given to Edward Everett and resides at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The fourth is in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House, and the fifth is at Cornell University.

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5 Fun Facts About The Traffic Light

On November 20, 1923, the U.S. Patent Office granted a patent to Garrett Morgan for his three-position traffic signal.  Here are 5 facts you probably didn't know about the traffic light...

Traffic Lights Were Invented by a Former Detective

Lester Wire was a Salt Lake City detective who conceived the idea of electronically controlled traffic lights in 1912. At the time, patrolmen were required to direct the traffic at a busy intersection, so he used a wooden box with green and red lights on all sides, mounted it on a pole and wired it to the electric lines used for trolley cars. A patrolman was still needed because it was operated manually, but the officer could sit comfortably in a booth and out of the weather to direct traffic.

Cleveland Boasted the First Traffic Light in the Country

The first four-way signal was placed at the busy intersection of East 105th and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 5, 1914. It was controlled by a police officer from a booth, the same as those invented by Lester Wire. Although the first electric traffic signal had red and green lights only, it was the first use of a modern signal.

The Yellow Light Didn't Exist Until The 1920s

It was obvious fairly early on that having only green and red lights on a traffic signal might be a problem because drivers had no warning when to slow down except for a buzzer or warning whistle, and the traffic signals caused a lot of collisions. By 1920, William Potts, a police officer in Detroit, had added a yellow signal light to warn motorists that the light was about to change. Although Officer Potts used it, the patent for this invention was credited to Garrett Morgan in 1923. Morgan ended up selling his patent to General Electric.

One of the Oldest Traffic Lights Is Still in Use

Ashville, Ohio, is home to the oldest traffic light that is still operational. It looks less like a traffic light and more like a spaceship with its oval shape, metal finish and one light in the middle like a giant eye, but it was installed in 1932. Amazingly, it has been in operation for more than 80 years.

Railroad Lights Were the Inspiration for the Colors Used

The traffic light was modeled after the signals used on railroad tracks and crossings. There's little evidence as to why the colors red and green were chosen to represent "stop" and "go." But science has validated the decision: because red light has a longer wavelength than green, it can be seen from farther away. The sooner you see the light, the sooner you hit the brakes.

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PHKRAUSE 

I did not  know  that the  oldest   installed  traffic  light is  still  operating since  1932===

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