Friday, November 13th. This month 111 years ago, Connecticut inventor Harvey Hubbell moved household electricity from shock it to socket. In November 1904, he received a patent for the world’s first detachable electric plug: the two-, now sometimes three-prong plug familiar to us today. Remarkable as it sounds, at the time electric terminals would extend out from a wall, and any electrical device had to be hardwired to them–a time consuming process with a chance of electrocution. Hubbell was no one-hit wonder, as in the 1890s he created an electric switch and patented the pull-chain electric light socket. Electrical supplies for builders and homeowners are available at around 6,500 home centers in the U.S., along with more than 15,000 hardware stores. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.
Saturday, November 14th. The way to make a small fortune investing in stocks is to begin with a large one. That old joke seems apt in this year of Wall Street turbulence, but in the long run, the market has steadily advanced. Closing at over 18,000 six months ago, it was on this date 43 years ago that the Dow Jones Industrial Average first topped the 1,000 level. Developed by Charles Henry Dow, the index was first published in 1896 with a mark of 40.94. In 1972, 16.5 million shares were traded on an average day. Now, that figure is 945 million. To help Americans navigate the market, there are some 18,000 investment advising establishments in the U.S., employing over 100,000 people. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <census.gov>.
Sunday, November 15th. Many pioneering men and women are being honored as National American Indian Heritage Month continues. One of them is Susan La Flesche, an Omaha Indian from Nebraska, who aspired to become a doctor. Her ambition led her to enroll at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Not only did she graduate in 1889, but did so at the head of her class, becoming the first female American Indian physician. Dr. La Flesche returned home to Nebraska, where she married, raised a family, and built the first Indian hospital in the state. Among adult American Indians and Alaska Natives, over 82 percent have a high school diploma or equivalent. About 18 percent have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in college. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.