RCMP Anniversary

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Yesterday was the 130th anniversary of the beginning of the famous Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1873 the Northwest Mounted Police was founded; in 1920 the name was changed to what is used today, the RCMP. For more information click here and click here. What did you learn today?

Telegraph Anniversary

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On this day in 1844 Samuel Morse sent the first telegraphed message between cities via his patented single-wire telegraph system.  He telegraphed a message from the Bible, which was chosen by the Patent Commissioner's daughter:  "What hath God wrought?"  The message was transmitted from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland.  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

101st Birthday of NYPL

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101 years ago the New York Public Library was dedicated and opened for service.  At the time it was the largest completely marble structure in the U.S.A.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today? 

Abraham Lincoln's Patent

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Abraham Lincoln invented a floating dry dock, and had it patented.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Swiss Army Knife

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One of my prized possessions, which I use regularly and carry in my pocketbook (next to one of my grandmother's lace handkerchiefs, incidentally) is my Swiss Army Knife.  Using it in setting up for my studio's Spring Recital yesterday, I wondered about the knife's history.

Click here and click here to read about the history of the Swiss Army Knife.  One of the things I didn't know was that it is standard issue for the U.S. Space Shuttle members.  What did you learn today?

7,000 Years of Eclipse History!

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Click here for a NASA website that includes 7,000 years of eclipse history, as well as information on today's eclipse.  What did you learn today?

A Centaur, A Dog, and Two Bears

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Tomorrow at 9:00 P.M. in the Northern Hemisphere, you should be able to see the constellations Centaurus and Canes Venatici.  Canes Venatici is the hunting dog used to hunt the bears in the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Fireproof Trees!

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The bark of the redwood tree can be up to a foot thick, and contains tannins that help the tree be virtually fireproof.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Happy 220th Birthday NYSE

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Two-hundred-twenty years ago today the New York Stock Exchange was established.  On May 17, 1792 twenty-four people met by that legendary tree on what is now Wall Street.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

When the Mississippi River Went Backwards

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A series of earthquakes in 1812 caused the mighty Mississippi to flow backwards!  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Graham: Vegetarian Cracker?!

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The graham cracker was invented in 1829 by Sylvester Graham (American, 1794-1851) for a high fiber addition to his vegetarian diet.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

From a Ship to the Toybox

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Richard James, the inventor of the Slinky, was a World War II naval engineer, who came up with the idea of using the spring as a toy while he was working with the springs on a ship.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Mothering Day and Mother's Day

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Mothering Day has been celebrated in England since the early 18th century.  Mother's Day has been celebrated in the United States since the early 20th century.  In England and Scotland special cakes called furmety, carlings, and simnel cake have been made on Mothering Day.  Carnation is the flower most commonly associated with Mother's Day in the U.S.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

That's Some Salty Water!

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Earth's oceans have different levels of salinity due to rainfall, evaporation, river runoff, and ice formation.  For more information and lists of oceans' salinity levels click here, and click here.  What did you learn today?

How Old Is Aspirin?

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People have been using the ingredients in the aspirin tablet as a pain reliever since 400 B.C.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Mona Lisa's Shadows

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Leonardo da Vinci used 30 layers of paint, about 40 micrometers each, on the Mona Lisa in order to execute a technique called Sfumato, which makes shadows look realistic.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

The Big Village Of North America

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In the language of native Indians in Canada, Canada means "Big Village".  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Can't Buy Antarctica...

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Antarctica is the only land on Earth not owned by any country, nor is there any military presence.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Are You As Tall As You Think You Are Right Now?

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Humans are about 1/2 inch shorter in the evening than in the morning.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Starting A Fire With Ice

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You can start a fire by using clear ice as a lens, same as you would use a magnifying glass.  For mor information click here.  What did you learn today?

Bones Then and Now!

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You were born with about 300 bones, but as an adult you will have only 206!  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Who Shares Your Birthday?

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You share your birthday with about 1/365 of the world's population.  Therefore, you share your birthday with about 19 million other people.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Pumping Blood

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The human heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Coin-Edge Ridges

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There are 118 ridges on the edge of a dime, and 119 ridges on the edge of a quarter.  There are no ridges on the edges of pennies and nickels.  For more information about the history of U.S. coins, click here and click here.

What did you learn today?

Ancient May Day Rituals

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The ancient Pagans celebrated May 1 as the day that divided the year in half.  Among other rituals, they set new fires on this day for luck and purification.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?