Category: Open Lines

In 1940, a major problem facing the nation was finding a replacement for rubber. War clouds were gathering, and the supply of natural rubber from Asia was threatened. On this date 74 years ago, the first synthetic rubber tire was displayed in Akron, Ohio. It was made by the B.F. Goodrich Company from readily available ingredients — soap, gas, petroleum, and air — and greatly helped the looming war effort. Now, natural rubber is used once again to make a …

Most little boys at the age of 6 are content to play with toy trucks without thinking about how they could be improved. This was not the case for Robert Patch. He designed a truck that could be assembled and disassembled easily by a youngster — and changed into different types of truck each time, such as a dump truck or a closed van. Patch submitted his application and drawings in 1962, and on this date in 1963, he was …

This is National Dairy Month, observed since 1937 when it was called National Milk Month. The makers of butter, cheese and ice cream wanted some recognition, so it shortly changed to its current name and promotes the quality and nutritional benefits of refrigerated dairy products. Americans eat more dairy products than any other food group except fruits and vegetables, averaging 612 pounds each annually. This includes nearly 36 pounds of various cheeses, 21 pounds of ice cream, sherbet and other …

On this date 90 years ago, Congress passed — and President Coolidge signed — the Indian Citizenship Act, which stated “all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby declared to be, citizens of the United States: Provided that the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property.” Prior to this act, about two-thirds of American Indians …

The nation’s first daily newspaper, the short-lived Pennsylvania Evening Post, began publication on this date in 1783, printed by Benjamin Towne in Philadelphia. Americans’ hunger for news was such that by 1850, there were some 250 dailies. The number of newspapers peaked around a hundred years ago, when there were 2,600 dailies published across the nation, with a circulation of over 24 million. Today, with increasing competition from the Internet, television, and radio, the number of daily newspapers in the …

This date 10 years ago was the Saturday before Memorial Day, and thus appropriate for the dedication ceremony for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Authorized in 1993, the memorial honoring the 16 million Americans who served in the global conflict, including the 400,000 dead, received nearly $2 million in donations and pledges, thanks in part to the efforts of actor Tom Hanks as spokesman for the memorial campaign. Currently, of the more than 21 million living …

On this date one century ago, what was perhaps history’s most consequential assassination took place to surprisingly little notice at the time. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, was killed along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist. After a month of bluster and failed diplomacy, by early August 1914, most of Europe was at war, one that the United States joined in 1917. When the smoke cleared in 1918, and the Ottoman, Russian, Austria-Hungarian and German empires …

The difficulty of neatly painting cars two different colors led to the patenting of one of the world’s most practical items — at least around gift-giving time — on this date in 1930. Five years earlier, Richard Drew, while working for the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing company, had developed an easy-to-peel, glue-backed masking tape to ease the task of separating two-tone paint jobs on new cars, which until then involved moistened plaster tape. Then, he expanded its use by introducing …

This Memorial Day happens to mark the 20th anniversary of a consular agreement between the U.S. and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after a break of almost 19 years. President Bill Clinton announced the formal normalization of diplomatic relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 12, 1995, just over 20 years since the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, the then-capital of South Vietnam. The contentious intervention to preserve South Vietnam from communist takeover cost 58,000 America …

There are few bonds in nature to rival that between pets and their owners. Most pets are rewarded for their loyalty and devotion with shelter, food, and welcome attention. Though less welcome, they are also rewarded with medical care. Pets commonly make several visits a year to the veterinarian for annual shots and a checkup. Of course, they also go to the vet if they get sick or hurt. The first state sponsored veterinary school in the U.S. opened on …

We take for granted the many entertainment options so readily at hand because of the World Wide Web. Yet it sometimes brings you up short when you realize how new is this experience. It was just 21 years ago on this date that a movie was digitized and loaded onto the Internet. In 1993, just under 23 percent of U.S. households had computers, and a negligible number accessed the Internet with early browsers, searching a mere 600 websites. That first …

One of the most versatile and gifted people in American history announced the invention of bifocal eyeglasses this month in 1785. Benjamin Franklin had been using one pair of glasses to read with and another for distant vision. Tired of switching between pairs, he had the two pairs of lenses cut in half and mounted in the same frame. The idea of these split lenses, or bifocals, was slow to be adopted because of cost. Among Franklin’s many other inventions …

Gas prices are a frequent cause for consumer complaint — but at least purchases aren’t restricted, as they were beginning this month in 1942. That’s when 17 states began rationing gasoline to help the war effort. By December, rationing was nationwide and remained in effect until the end of World War II, along with a national speed limit of 35 miles an hour. Now, there are more than 118,000 gas stations across the country. Each year, they sell nearly $452 …

The first criminal case in the U.S. in which fingerprint evidence alone won conviction occurred this month in New York City in 1911. Burglary suspect Caesar Cella, alias Charles Crispi, was undone by prints identified by detective Joseph Faurot. Just a few months earlier, a murder conviction was obtained in Chicago with the aid of fingerprint evidence. The first known crime case solved by fingerprint matching occurred in 1880 in Tokyo, but the unique pattern of each person’s fingerprints had …

Today is National Bike to Work Day, the exact center of May’s National Bike Month. From coast-to-coast, cycling enthusiasts are expected to take part in a wide range of activities sponsored by environmental and civic groups, health organizations, and police departments. Across the U.S., about 18 percent of the population over age 16 does at least some bike riding during the year, with an estimated 9 million bike trips in the country every day. Even in the face of rising …

As Americans live longer, the problems of financing their retirement and paying their medical bills continue to make headlines. But the growing number of healthy seniors also means opportunities. Both the problems and opportunities are in the spotlight in May — it’s Older Americans Month. There are just over 43 million people aged 65 and older in the U.S., 13.7 percent of the population. By the year 2060, the number of elderly is projected to be 92 million. Before that …

A most unusual childbearing event in medical history occurred in Lima, Peru on this date 75 years ago, which in 1939 happened to be Mothers Day. A boy was delivered by caesarian section, but that’s not uncommon. What was unique is that the mother, Lina Medina, was just over five and a half years old. For a time, this extraordinary story was believed to be a hoax, but it was quickly confirmed. How the girl was impregnated has never been …

Today marks the 407th anniversary of the founding of the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, at Jamestown, Virginia. The name honored King James I of England. Captains John Smith and Christopher Newport were among the leaders of a group of royally chartered settlers, who sailed from Plymouth, England aboard three small ships — the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. By 1625, more than 1,200 European colonists lived in Virginia. Today, the state has a …

Yesterday honored mothers, but it also was the 160th birthday of a German-American whose name may not be familiar, but whose invention had a profound impact on the reading habits of all Americans, and indeed, the world. His name was Ottmar Mergenthaler. His invention, the linotype — allowed one person to set type for printing by simply pressing keys on a keyboard — bypassing four different operations at much greater speeds. It was first used in 1886 by the New …

This is a time to recognize those nonhuman friends who add a special dimension to our lives — it’s Be Kind to Animals Week and National Pet Week. While pets are a source of companionship, many dogs provide protection and act as eyes for the blind, as well as helping other disabled owners. Less is expected of cats, who keep humans as household staff. Dogs are found in well over one-third of U.S. homes, cats in slightly less than one-third. …