Be inspired by fascinating men and women whose drive and determination transformed our country and our lives.
While early Greeks and Mayans found various substances to chew on, it was Native Americans chewing on resin from spruce trees that inspired John Curtis (1827-1897) to create the first chewing gum that was sold commercially.
Chewing Gum: First Gum Made to be Sold Read More »
For Americans, the mere mention of “Four score and seven years ago…” brings to mind President Lincoln giving the address he delivered at Gettysburg 149 years ago on November 19, 1863.
But what else do we know about the occasion?
Little-Known Story about the Gettysburg Address Read More »
Beulah Louise Henry, Known as “Lady Edison”
 Beulah Louise Henry (1887-1973) registered 49 patents and is credited with at least 110 inventions. She was always tinkering to improve things she could use.
Inventor Beulah Louise Henry: Known as “Lady Edison” Read More »
In 1847 Linus Yale, Sr. (1797-1858) opened a lock shop in Newport, NY. His particular interest was creating locks that
 did a better job at securing bank vaults. He knew the Egyptians had used pin-tumbler lock several thousand years ago, but they were made of wood and were large and bulky. Yale was fascinated by the thought that the tumbler lock might be re-fashioned using more modern materials.
The Yale Lock: Still Keeping Homes Safe 160 Years Later Read More »
Detroit is an American city that deserves far more respect than it’s getting right now.
Detroit People–Past and Present–Who Made a Difference Read More »
Today our society has cameras everywhere, and we have become accustomed to being able to watch tragedy unfold. From the day in 1994 when twenty news helicopters tailed the Ford Bronco carrying O.J. Simpson on the afternoon he was to have turned himself in at police headquarters to the videos on both television and the Internet as Michael Jackson’s body was removed from his home on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, we have come to expect that we will be able to see moment-by-moment images of whatever tragic story is getting good press that day.
Weegee and Early Crime Photography Read More »
