Random Fact
On this day in 1806, a young Army officer named Zebulon Montgomery Pike sighted a high mountain and decided to climb it. He had to abandon his attempt however, because of extreme weather conditions and the lack of suitable supplies for his men. Pikes Peak in Colorado, however, still bears his name.
Random Fact
The Bible, meaning “books” (Greek) is the sacred book of Judaism and Christianity. The Bible has two parts: the Old Testament, a record of the Jewish people and prophets before Jesus’ birth, and the New Testament, the story of Jesus and his disciples. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew (with some Aramaic) and has 39 books. It contains histories, hymns, laws, legends, myths, poetry, and stories. The second half was first written in Greek and has 27 books. The New Testament was written in the century following the death of Jesus. The Bible is the bestseller of all time and has been translated into about 2,100 languages. The latest versions are the New American Bible, Today’s English Version, and the Revised Standard Version. No other book has influenced all of history and every culture.
About Herman Melville
Herman Melville had written five novels before the one which was published on this day in 1851. Moby Dick begins with the words, “Call me Ishmael” and goes on to say, “I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts” before relating the story of Captain Ahab’s grim pursuit of the great white whale Moby Dick.
Random Fact
On this day in 1927, the Holland Tunnel was officially opened. This major throughway between New York City and New Jersey runs under the Hudson River. Before it was built, the only way to get across in an automobile was by ferry. There was an earlier railroad tunnel, but the Lincoln Tunnel and modern-day George Washington Bridge were yet to come.
Random Fact
Beetles make up the largest order in the animal kingdom — about 250,000 species of the insect. One of every three animals is a beetle. Many can fly and they range in size from very small to six inches long. They have hard, armor-like cases that protect the wings when they are not flying. Though some types of beetle recycle dead plant and animal material, there are quite a few that are a pest to humans and that destroy plants. Beetles lay eggs which hatch into larvae (grubs) and usually mature within a year. They are the longest-lived of all insects. Beetles dislike light and only a few, like ladybugs, don’t mind being seen.
Shawnee Smith, born July 3, 1970, is an American actress and musician. She is well known for her roles in the Saw film series and the CBS sitcom Becker. Smith once fronted the band Fydolla Ho, with which she toured the United States and the UK, and is also the other half of Smith & Pyle, a desert country-rock band, with actress Missi Pyle.
Photos
Shawnee Smith 1
Shawnee Smith 2
Shawnee Smith 3
Random Fact – God Bless America
Today “God Bless America” is well known as a semi-official national anthem, but it was 22 years old before it was first heard in public. Irving Berlin wrote it during World War I, but it was not publicly sung until November 11, 1938, when Kate Smith introduced it on a radio broadcast.
Random Fact – Bamboo
The Bamboo plant is a member of the grass family, which has been used for years to make houses, furniture, boats, piping, baskets, and musical instruments. The plant looks like a tree and its most striking feature is that most produce seeds only once in their lifetime — but a bamboo plant can live for more than 100 years. In 1990, scientists announced that they are developing a way of producing bamboo flowers more rapidly, which may be very important to its cultivation. The woody, hollow aerial stems (culms) of bamboo grow in branching clusters from a thick underground stem (rhizome). The culms often form a dense undergrowth that excludes other plants. Bamboo culms can attain heights ranging from about 4 to 6 inches in the smallest species to more than 130 feet in the largest.
Random Fact – Livingstone
A momentous meeting took place on this day deep in the African jungle. In 1871, journalist Henry M. Stanley met missionary David Livingstone. Though many think that Livingstone was lost – he was actually just sick. Stanley became famous for his “rescue” of the Scottish missionary and explorer when actually Stanley brought much-needed food and medicine, and Livingstone soon recovered. Livingstone remained in Africa for quite some time after Stanley returned to civilization. Stanley was also known for his discoveries in and development of the Congo region.
Random Fact – World War 2
In 1942, U.S. and British forces invaded Nazi-held North Africa. This day was a major turning point in the outcome of World War II. The Allied forces switched roles from a defensive to an offensive position.