Category: Open Lines

Friday, September 25th. For those who believe that beer is proof that a higher power loves us and wants us to be happy, a great chance for bliss is found in Denver. The 2015 Great American Beer Festival continues today in the Colorado Convention Center. Some 49,000 people are attending this latest sold-out celebration, which began in 1982 in Boulder and moved to Denver in 1984 to accommodate the burgeoning interest. Building on past performance, the festival includes one-ounce samplings …

We are partway through National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, which runs from September 20 to 26. One of goals of the annual event is to salute the determination of the nation’s 56.7 million residents who confront their disabilities as they go about their daily lives. Another is to say thanks to the thousands of rehabilitation professionals, such as the nation’s 204,000 physical therapists, who help those in need adapt to and overcome their disabilities. About 19 percent of the population is …

The nation’s oldest institution of higher learning conferred its first nine college degrees on this date in 1642 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Called the “New College,” the school was founded by Puritans in 1636 and began teaching in 1638. The following year, it was renamed in honor of John Harvard, a young minister who bequeathed his library and half his estate to the institution. Harvard stood alone in the American colonies for a long time — until 1693, when …

The average age of the American population is on a steady climb, and the national median is around 37. As people grow older, many tend to become a little vague about their exact age. After about 85, though, they tend to become proud of their longevity. Not too many years ago, someone who had lived to be 100 was a true rarity. Even today, those reaching 100 are contacted by the White House, and often the national and local media. …

On this date in 1959, Congress acted to help some Americans achieve minimum levels of nutrition, passing a bill that created food stamps for those with low incomes. In 2008, the Food Stamp Program was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Today, there are over 46 million Americans in 13.5 percent of all households enrolled in the program, nearly double the number from 2004. The average value of the benefit they receive each month is almost $125, and …

Friday, September 18th. Early this month in 1914, the last known remaining member of a bird species some thought to have been the most abundant on Earth passed away. The death of the 29-year-old female passenger pigeon named Martha marked the extinction of the species that once covered North America with enormous flocks. Deforestation and extensive hunting reduced the flocks greatly by the second half of the 19th century, and the decline could not be reversed. Martha died in captivity …

On this date in 1787, the Constitutional Convention wrapped up in Philadelphia with the delegates accepting the document and sending it on to the states for ratification. Less than two years later, the new U.S. government had to take out a loan. This week in 1789, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton was in negotiations to borrow nearly $192,000 from the Bank of New York and the Bank of North America. The money was needed to pay the salaries of President Washington …

One of the nation’s largest corporations is 107 years old today, although in common with other centenarians, it has its ailments. General Motors was conceived by William Durant of Flint, Michigan. Durant cofounded Chevrolet — named after noted racing car drivers Louis and Gaston Chevrolet, originally from Switzerland — and Durant promoted Buick to prominence on early racetracks. Over the years, Durant headed and then lost control of General Motors not once, but twice. In 1908, when GM was founded, …

Today marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month — a time to recognize the contributions and cultures of the nation’s fastest-growing population group. The idea started as a special week in 1968 and was expanded to a full month 20 years later. There are 54 million Hispanics in the U.S., 17 percent of the total population, forming the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority. Over half of that population resides in California, Texas or Florida, and nearly two-thirds are …

The stubborn economic difficulties the nation is experiencing began seven years ago today, and may seem unique. But they have their antecedents in history. Most of us are familiar with the Great Depression of the 1930s. But 142 years ago, the nation was struck by the Panic of 1873, now called the Long Depression. It started because of a collapse in the demand for silver in Europe, and spread around the world. In the U.S., banks failed, railroads went bankrupt, …

Friday, September 11th. This was a day that didn’t exist in Colonial America in 1752, as the familiar calendar underwent what is called the “Gregorian correction,” switching from the ancient Julian calendar to adjust for errors accumulated over centuries. After September 2, the next day was September 14, and there was rioting by those who felt cheated and demanded the 11 days back. The British parliament’s Calendar Act of 1750 had also changed New Year’s Day from March 25 to …

Three important dates in American newspaper history occurred in September. These anniversaries span more than three centuries. On September 15, 1982, USA Today began publishing.  On September 18, 1851, the New York Times issued its first edition. And in September 1690, the first newspaper in America was published in Boston. Called “Public Occurrences, Both Forreign and Domestick,” it lasted for one day in Boston before being shut down by British authorities unhappy with its content. Although the industry is struggling, …

The first instance of debugging a computer was recorded on this date in 1947. The early Mark II computer being developed at Harvard University was balky, and a programming team — which included Navy Lieutenant Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer history — found and fixed the problem. A moth had wedged into a relay board, causing a short circuit. The deceased moth was extracted and preserved. The log card containing notes on the debugging, and the appended remains of …

Of the millions of students going to class in the new school year, many are attending junior high schools or middle schools. The first such school in the U.S. opened its doors this week in 1909 — the Indianola Junction Junior High School in Columbus, Ohio, with seventh, eighth and ninth grades. Ninth grade students were offered courses in English, German, algebra, science and geography, as well as manual training, domestic science, history, and the government of Ohio. Today, most …

This is Labor Day — a time to honor the nation’s working men and women, and traditionally, the end of the summer season. The observance has more than the usual significance this year because of the recent years of slow employment growth. The first Labor Day was celebrated in September 1882 in New York City. By 1894, more than half the states were observing the occasion, and noting the first Monday in September as a national holiday became federal law …

Friday, September 4th. Today is the 234th anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles by the Spanish governor of California. It was a small village of just 11 families, but was given the name “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.” The town had grown to some 6,500 residents when the Mexican Revolution overthrew Spanish colonial rule in 1821. California was among the territories ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican-American War, and became …

Football season is soon to be in full swing again. Many colleges begin playing their schedules today, and the National Football League season starts a week from now. For many years, it was believed the first professional game took place on this date in 1895 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It was considered professional because one player was paid the sum of $10. However, recent research determined that the first professional game took place in 1892 in Pittsburgh between two athletic clubs. …

To highlight its importance, both as a crop and as part of the changing U.S. diet, this is National Rice Month. Globally, rice is the world’s most important cereal grain. Reflecting both our increasing cultural diversity and awareness of good nutrition, Americans have increased their annual consumption of rice from 1980’s 9½ pounds to today’s 31 pounds each. Rice has been grown in America since the late 17th century and is currently a $3 billion a year crop. While raising …

“News is coming up next.” Such words are familiar to many of us, as Americans catch up on what’s happening around the world by listening to radio newscasts at home, at work, on their computers and in the car. One of the first daily news programs on the young medium launched on this date in 1922. It was called “The Radio Digest,” and was hosted by George Thompson over WBAY in New York City. At the time, there were just …

The 1950s may be recalled for many now-quaint things, but it was also a decade with antecedents for our current technological pursuits. On this date in 1955, William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corporation demonstrated the world’s first solar-powered car. This vehicle didn’t take the world by storm because it was a model a mere 15 inches long. The first solar powered car that could actually be driven was unveiled in 1962; a 1912 Baker electric car was fitted …