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Today, when a home is damaged or destroyed by fire, there usually is no question that it was insured against such a common danger. The first fire insurance company in Colonial America was the Friendly Society for the Mutual Insurance of Houses Against Fire. Organized in 1734 in Charleston, South Carolina, it began receiving subscriptions in January 1735. The company was apparently bankrupted by claims after a disastrous citywide fire in 1740. The first full-time, professional firefighting company was formed …

The business world was confronted with a new idea on this date in 1914, when Henry Ford announced that he would reduce the workday from nine to eight hours and pay his factory assembly line workers a minimum wage of $5 a day, which is nearly $119 in current dollars. The idea eventually gained general acceptance, and in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law a federally mandated minimum wage of 25 cents an hour. Currently, the hourly minimum …

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the sale of alcoholic beverages resumed in the U.S. but was subject to a patchwork of differing regulations. Local options mean that some counties remain dry. Some states regulate the alcoholic content of beer sold at supermarkets and gas stations. In a few states, beer, wine and liquor may be sold practically anywhere. And in 18 states, liquor is sold exclusively in facilities run by the government. These are usually called ABC stores, for alcoholic …

The place where many of our ancestors first stepped ashore when they came to America seeking a new life opened on this date in 1892 — Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The very first immigrant processed at the new facility was a 15-year-old Irish girl named Annie Moore. Over the course of more than 60 years, some 12 million people flowed through the center. Some sources say the number is considerably higher. The peak year was 1907, when just …

On this New Year’s Eve, some 319 million Americans of all ages are ready to greet the year 2015. A hundred years ago, the U.S. population was just over 99 million. Fifty years ago, it was around 192 million. The 2010 Census counted just under 309 million people. To show how the nation is growing, by this time tomorrow there will be 10,800 new babies on hand to welcome the new year, the first of whom will be reported in …

As a year draws to a close, it is common to reflect on the passage of time. How history will judge 2014 is not yet known, but this year’s anniversaries are woven into the fabric of today. Two-hundred years ago, we experienced a foreign invasion and occupation, as British troops captured Washington, DC and burned the White House. One-hundred years ago, Henry Ford set an eight-hour workday, while President Woodrow Wilson signed a Mothers Day proclamation. Fifty years ago, we …

Yesterday was the 33rd birthday of Elizabeth Comeau, formerly Elizabeth Jordan Carr. Her birth in 1981 was notable because her delivery by cesarean section marked the success of the country’s first in-vitro fertilization, so both her conception and birth involved technology. The in-vitro fertilization technique, sometimes described as implanting a test-tube baby, was first used in England in 1977, with Louise Brown being born in late July of 1978. Elizabeth Comeau is now a journalist and a mother herself. Her …

The millions of Americans who for nearly a century and a half have enjoyed well-brewed coffee can direct their gratitude to James H. Nason of Franklin, Massachusetts. He received the nation’s first patent for a coffee percolator on this date in 1865. Now, not only does just about every home in the U.S. have a coffeemaker, but many also grind their own fresh from coffee beans. The percolator still has a market niche, but since the 1970s has been overtaken …

Today is Christmas Day — a joyous religious observance for many, but for almost everyone, one of the happiest days of the year. Outside or indoors, whether in balmy or snowbound climates, children are busy trying out their shiny new treasures, ranging from traditional bikes to the latest marketing craze. Inside, others are busy with video games and other electronic marvels. Many will have attended church services to honor the day. And in many of the more than 115 million …