Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The Things You Can Discover on the Internet


I've been intrigued by the Internet since I first discovered I had the capacity to gain access. I really can't remember when that was, but it's been a few years. What continues to amaze me is how much information there is floating around out there, available to anyone with only a click of the mouse.

As often happens, I began to wonder about odd "stuff," the stuff in this instance being the date of February 3. A few clicks of the mouse brought me to a hitherto undiscovered service of the ubiquitous Wikipedia: Wikipedia Answers. At that site, I discovered a plethora of interesting information concerning this date in history, from which I have selected the following (I offer my apologies, in advance, to my non-U.S.A. readers, as most of this information applies to American events):

1690 - The colony of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in America.
1809 - The Illinois Territory is created
1834 - Wake Forest University is established
1870 - The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, granting voting rights regardless of race (comment: men only)
1913 - The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the government to impose and collect income tax ( you needed to know that, didn't you?)
1947 - The lowest temperature in North America is recorded at Snag, Yukon: -81.4 degrees F., -63 degrees C.
1959 - THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED - A plane crash near Clear Lake, IA kills Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, The Big Bopper, and Roger Peterson
1966 - Unmanned Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft makes the first controlled rocket-assisted landing on the moon.
1984 - The first untethered spacewalk was made by U.S. astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Steward.

Birthdays of note on this date:
1809 - Felix Mendelssohn
1811 - Horace Greeley
1842 - Sidney Lanier
1874 - Gertrude Stein
1894 - Norman Rockwell
1904 - Pretty Boy Floyd
1907 - James Michener
1911 - Robert Earl Jones

Deaths of note on this date:
1468 - Johannes Gutenberg
1889 - Belle Starr
1922 - John Butler Yeats
1924 - Woodrow Wilson
1943 - THE FOUR CHAPLAINS - if you're too young to remember the story of these heroic men, it's worth a read; just click on the link.

OK... I'll stop there. If you've read this far, you are a blog friend indeed!

Additional information about all of the above is available at Wikipedia Answers, which has very nicely left a trail of clickable links in case you have any interest.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a bunch of very interesting info. Pat, but where do you find the time? When I have finished reading and commenting on my favourites, read and commented on David's POTD [I'm three days behind] read the comments on my own blog and drafted out a few ideas, JP is yelling up the stairs that 'isn't it time you started supper?' or...'Do you intend to stay there all day?'

Suldog said...

I love stuff like this. You never know when a bit of trivia might turn out to be really useful.

By the way, I've posted the award you so kindly gave to me. I denigrated it unmercifully, of course, but that's just my way of saying "Thanks!" :-)

abb said...

I often wonder how I ever survived before the days of googld and wikipedia.

Richard Lawry said...

I can now say that I learned something today. Thanks

An Arkie's Musings

rhymeswithplague said...

Well, I learned something today too, as I thought "John Butler Yeats" was a mistake and that it should have said "William Butler Yeats" so I did a search of my own on JBY and discovered he was WBY's father and a quite well-known painter in his own right which painting is certainly not my area of expertise, it is always good to learn something new but I am really concerned because I'm beginning to sound more and more like Billy Ray Barnwell, oh wait, I am Billy Ray Barnwell at the moment.

Rose said...

Don't you just love the internet...I could do without tv if I had to, but I would for sure miss the internet. I have always been able to find anything I wanted, except for a couple things. And one of them I sort of found after 12 years!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

There's certainly not much need for a library anymore, Pat, is there? Anytime I am looking for one thing on the internet, I always find something else to check out... All of a sudden, four hours have passed!!!!

I remember when Buddy Holly died. Doesn't seem like it was THAT long ago.

AND--I love the music of Mendelssohn.. Gorgeous!!!

Thanks for a great post this morning.
Hugs,
Betsy

Snap said...

Always fun to visit and learn something!

Hugs!

Andrea said...

Stopped by via Brinkbeest....so glad I did! I love interesting and thought provoking posts! Really enjoyed my time here today. :)