– OUT OF THIS WORLD – Up, up, and away! This week, Tidbits researches the rich history of hot air balloons. • Manned balloon rides first took place in the 1700s, but the Chinese had been experimenting for more than 2,000 years before. It’s believed that Chinese military strategist Zhuge Liang invented a balloon when he and his army were trapped by their enemies. He wrote a message on a paper lantern requesting help, and nearby allied forces saw the lantern and came to his aid. • France’s Montgolfier Brothers are celebrated for launching the first manned hot air balloon […]
TIDBITS® Starts with business beginnings
by Kathy Wolfe These businesses have become household names, but how did they get their start? This week, Tidbits delves into the humble beginnings of some of our best-known businesses. • The nation’s number one pharmacy has been around since 1901, when 28-year-old Charles Walgreen opened a 20 x 50-ft. drugstore on Chicago’s south side. Competition was tough, with more than 1,500 drugstores already in operation. He brought a little experience with him – he’d been working at a neighborhood pharmacy since 1889, when he was 16, then became a registered pharmacist at age 20. A Walgreens employee invented […]
The Medusa Mess
• Greek mythology began with Gaea (the Earth) and Uranus (the Sky) who were the parents of twelve Titans, who were the first gods and goddesses. Later, these Titans gave rise to, and were subsequently overthrown by, all the rest of the Greek gods. • One of the Titans was named Pontus, who ruled over the sea. When Gaea got disgusted with Uranus because he threw some of their ugliest children into the underworld, she ditched him and married her son Pontus. They became parents of a son named Phorcys and his sister Ceto. Phorcys and Ceto ruled the oceans […]
Cape Canaveral
– OUT OF THIS WORLD – • Cape Canaveral is the name of a city in Florida located on the Atlantic Coast. It’s the location of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is adjacent to John F. Kennedy Space Center. The entire area is collectively known as the “Space Coast.” • The word “Canaveral” is Spanish, meaning “reed bed” or “sugarcane plantation.” The place name of Cape Canaveral is one of the oldest surviving European place names in the U.S. The name appeared on maps as early as the year 1564. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León visited […]
TIDBITS® Examines Spiders
by Janet Spencer ARACHNIDS • Spiders are not insects. They are arachnids. What’s the difference? All insects have six legs, whereas spiders have eight. Most insects have wings and antennae, but spiders do not. Insect bodies are divided into head, thorax, and abdomen, but spiders have only head and thorax. Spiders, insects, and crustaceans are all members of the Arthropod phylum, which includes all creatures that have segmented bodies and pairs of jointed legs. Spiders are members of the arachnid class, which also includes ticks, mites, and scorpions. There are over 45,000 kinds of spider in the world. • Nearly […]
Running of the bulls
It’s time for Spain’s annual Running of the Bulls! Run along with Tidbits as we investigate the details on this centuries-old tradition. • Pamplona, Spain’s annual San Fermin Festival provides the backdrop for the running of the bulls, a festival that takes place over nine days, July 6 to 14 every year. The dates are the same every year, no matter what the days of the week. Pamplona. The festival honors St. Fermin, the patron saint of the city that lies about 250 miles (402 km) north of Madrid. • The Running isn’t just one day – it occurs on […]
John Glenn
– OUT OF THIS WORLD – How much do you know about John Glenn? Check out the facts on this American hero. • Ohio-born John Glenn was in college when World War II started. He abandoned his studies to enter the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1942, and a year later was deployed as a Marine fighter pilot in the Pacific front. By the war’s end he had flown 59 combat missions in the South Pacific. • Glenn remained in the Marines, both as a test pilot and a trainer of other pilots, until he was called up as […]
TIDBITS® Gears up for the Tour De France
by Kathy Wolfe This year’s Tour de France bicycle race takes place from July 1 to 24. How much do you know about this 2,000+-mile event? Follow along and see! • From its humble beginnings in 1903, the Tour de France is now ranked as the world’s biggest annual sporting event. Twelve million spectators line the race route, while another 3.5 billion watch on television over the three-week period. • In 1902, a French newspaper, “L’Auto,” was seeking to boost circulation and conceived the idea of a bicycle race as a marketing scheme. Sixty cyclists entered the race, with just […]