Virginia Woolf was an English writer born on this day in 1882, considered to be one of the most important modernist twentieth-century authors. Did you know that: • Gustavus Dows patented a modern form of the soda fountain on this day in 1870• Michael Brassil received a patent for a candlestick on this day in […]
Ernst Heinrich Heinkel, a German inventor who built the first rocket-powered aircraft, was born on this day in 1888. Did you know that: • Charles Goodyear Jr. received a patent for the Goodyear Welt, a machine for sewing boots and shoes, on this day in 1871• The first canned beer, “Krueger’s Cream Ale,” was sold by Krueger Brewing […]
Wham-O toy company produced the first Frisbee disc, originally called the “Pluto”, on this day in 1957. Did you know that: • A patent for an envelope-making machine was granted to Jesse K. Park and Cornelius S. Watson on this day in 1849• Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist born on this day in […]
Wilbur Scoville was an American pharmacist born on this day in 1865. He is best known for his creation of the “Scoville Organoleptic Test”, now standardized as the Scoville scale. Did you know that: • Johannes Brahms’ first piano concerto premiered in Hanover on this day in 1859• Lev Landau, the physicist who made fundamental […]
Horace Wells, the American dentist who pioneered the use of anaesthesia in dentistry, was born on this day in 1815. Did you know that: • John Fitch, American inventor of the steamboat, was born on this day in 1743• British crime writer Agatha Christie published her first novel “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” introducing the […]
Buzz Aldrin is an American former astronaut, engineer, and fighter pilot born on this day in 1930. He and mission commander, Neil Armstrong, were the first two people to land on the Moon. Did you know that: • William Kelly patented the blast furnace for manufacturing steel on this day in 1857• The first outdoor […]
Born on this day in 1809, Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery. Did you know that: • Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett patented food storage in tin cans on this day in 1825• The first […]
Born on this day in 1856, Daniel Hale Williams was an American surgeon who performed the first successful heart surgery. Did you know that: • Joseph Glidden, American inventor of the modern barbed wire, was born on this day in 1813• The Electro-Magnet, the first paper ever printed by the power of electromagnetism, was issued […]
Born on this day in 1942, Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, activist, and entertainer. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the twentieth century. Did you know that: • Leroy Firman received a patent for the telephone switchboard on this day in 1882• Punchboards […]
André Jules Michelin was a French industrialist born on this day in 1853. He, with his brother, Édouard, founded the Michelin Tyre Company. Did you know that: • Spanish, the first grammar of a modern language, was presented to Queen Isabella on this day in 1492• The refrigerator car was patented by William Davis in […]
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist born on this day in 1929. Did you know that: • The first top hat was worn by John Etherington in London on this day in 1797• Elisha Otis was issued a patent for “improvement in hoisting apparatus” (a safety elevator) on this day […]
