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Friday, August 19th. Even in this Internet world, many of us still receive printed catalogs through the mail. The first such catalog — more of a flyer — was sent out by Montgomery Ward this week in 1872. That first catalog consisted of only one page, featuring 163 items for mail order purchase. By 1904, the Ward’s catalog weighed in at four pounds. Montgomery Ward ceased producing its catalog in 1985, and the company itself eventually failed in the largest …

An emotional and legal battle that lasted many decades ended on this date in 1920, changing the course of U.S. social and political history. The event was the certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment prohibits discrimination based on sex with regard to voting — in short, it extended to women the right to vote. Two days earlier, Tennessee had become the required 36th state to ratify the amendment, in spite of last minute efforts by some …

Hand-tools have a long history.  Evidence of hammer-stones and hand axes date from about 2.6 million years ago.  That’s well over 2 million years before the appearance of Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago.  Nearly all of those millennia passed before the development of the monkey wrench.  On this date in 1835, the adjustable or screw wrench was patented by Solymon Merrick of Springfield, Massachusetts.  The modern looking wrench was soon followed by improved designs that are still in use …

It’s still summer break for many kids, but already in progress is one of the nation’s largest seasonal events; one that exchanges leisure for classroom study. It’s back to school time. From nursery school to college, over 77 million students are headed to the classroom — that’s more than one-out-of-four of the total U.S. population age 3 and over. Of the 8.5 million Americans ages 20 and 21, over 51 percent are enrolled in college.  Nursery school or kindergarten enrollment …

Chairs have a history going back to the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, or even earlier in antiquity. But a couple of variants that no one was anxious to try out debuted this month in the 19th century. In 1890, the electric chair was used for the first time in Auburn, New York, to carry out a death sentence. Scarcely more alluring, a special dental chair was patented on this date in 1848 by Waldo Hanchett. His innovation was a wooden recliner …

Friday, August 12th. This date 35 years ago is significant in the advance of the digital age. On August 12, 1981, IBM introduced its model 5150 — which soon became known simply as the “PC.” There had been consumer computer models for some years before, such as the early Apple and Commodore, but the IBM machine marked a turning point in acceptance due to the manufacturer’s prominence. The company was famous for its pioneering, large mainframe computers, and even by …

A company founded in Seattle this month some decades ago has grown into a global titan in its industry.  Its business isn’t web-based retailing, building aircraft, or brewing coffee.  United Parcel Service began in 1907 as the American Messenger Company, founded by 19-year old Jim Casey for deliveries around Seattle on foot, or on bicycles.  The expanding company became UPS in 1930, and today commands a fleet of 237 aircraft and about 105,000 motor vehicles.   While UPS is the world’s …