Category: Open Lines

Young America got the motive power it needed to expand beyond the capacities of the horse on this day in 1807 — as the public got its first glimpse of a steam-powered boat. Robert Fulton in his vessel, the Clermont, went 150 miles from Albany to New York City in 32 hours. The impact of the trip was not immediately clear, and some even called the effort “Fulton’s Folly.” But steamboats caught on and revolutionized the way America moved. Today, …

Yes, the 4th of July is long gone, but in La Porte, Indiana, fireworks fans have been having a festival, which began last Saturday and runs through this Friday. That’s because La Porte is the site of this year’s annual convention of the Pyrotechnics Guild International. The purpose is to promote the design and safe display of the finest quality pyrotechnics. There will be fireworks events each evening, as the professionals compete for the title of “Grand Master.” The Guild’s …

Today marks the birthday of one of America’s most beloved authorities on food — Julia Child, who didn’t take a cooking lesson until she was in her 30s. When her husband was assigned to Paris, she fell in love with French cooking and wrote the first of several important cookbooks demystifying that nation’s culinary art. The books led to a television show of several decades and many awards, including the French Legion of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. …

We’re all used to thumbing through the catalogs that arrive in the mail almost daily for the latest bargains. However, this pastime may be older than you think. The first such catalog was sent out by Montgomery Ward this week in 1872. That first catalog consisted of only one page, but the idea was so successful that by 1904, the Ward’s catalog weighed in at four pounds. Today, the mail-order business is still thriving, generating an increasing amount of sales …

When golfers talk about the greatest players, one of the names that always comes up is Ben Hogan, born on this date 100 years ago. Known for his dedication to practicing, and intensity on the course, he spent his early career fighting off poverty, once entering a tournament with 15 cents in his pocket. Hogan reached his highest level in the years following a near fatal head-on crash with a bus. He is one of only five players to win …

Few brand name products are celebrated by an entire town in a special festival. But in Hastings, Nebraska, where Kool-Aid was invented, such an event starts today and runs through Sunday. Those attending will be treated to big name entertainment and the world’s largest Kool-Aid stand, dispensing 14 different flavors. The powdered drink was invented in 1927 by Edwin Perkins. He later married his childhood sweetheart, Kitty Shoemaker, who some claim had developed her own famous product — Jell-O. It’s …

There’s a very American celebration going on in many parts of the country — the annual state fair. One of the largest, in Iowa, starts today and will draw 1 million people by its close in 10 days. A total of 15 states will stage their fairs this month. Those who attend will experience the special blend of eating, entertainment and entrepreneurship that make up a state fair. These events date from the early 19th century and celebrate the annual …

Forty-three years ago today, one of the nation’s most notorious crimes began to unfold — the murders of actress Sharon Tate and some of her friends by Charles Manson and members of his so-called “family.” Manson, a drifter and petty criminal, was obsessed with songs of the Beatles, which he felt contained coded references to a forthcoming racial war in the U.S. He intended the Tate murders to start that war, believing he would become the nation’s leader in the …

One of the saddest days in the long history of journalism occurred on this day in 1981, in Washington, D.C., as The Washington Star newspaper printed its last edition after covering local and national news for 128 years. The Star was looked on as the national capital’s paper of record, and its pages were praised for their objectivity and accurate content. Luckily, its complete archives are being made available online. The demise of The Washington Star was a harbinger of …

It isn’t often that a young person does something alone that captures the attention of the whole world. On this day in 1926, 19-year-old New Yorker Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She chose a day so rough that steamship trips were cancelled. She not only completed the swim, but her time of 14 hours and 31 minutes broke a record that had stood for more than 50 years. A powerful swimmer, Ederle had won …

He seems to be ageless — but one of America’s great singers, Tony Bennett, is 86 years old today. He started performing at age 10 and fought in the U.S. Army in France and Germany. After the war, Bennett became very popular and had a succession of top hits. As rock music became dominant, he faded from the music scene for awhile. But he staged a comeback in the 1980s and recorded a Grammy-Award winning album at age 68. In …

Today marks the birthday in 1932 of Lamar Hunt, an influential figure in the development of several professional sports in America. He cofounded the American Football League and owned the Kansas City Chiefs. Hunt also came up with the name “Super Bowl” for the annual meeting of what is now the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. He also was a strong backer of soccer and tennis in the U.S. and is a member of the hall of …

Spider-Man continues to stay near the top of the heap in the superhero game, as his latest movie opened last month, this time in 3-D. And his Broadway musical, after a costly and controversial development phase, continues its run on the Great White Way. Actually, Spidey gets around pretty well for his age. It was 50 years ago today that “Amazing Fantasy Comics” appeared with the first story about Spider-Man. Bitten by a radioactive spider, teenager Peter Parker finds he …

The U.S. Patent Office opened for business on this date in 1790, established to protect the work of young America’s inventors. The first patent granted was to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont, for a new method of making fertilizer. The office has been busy ever since. Annually, more than 244,000 patents are granted. The Patent and Trademark Office also is a partner in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Virginia. Among those inducted last year were Bob Silver and …

Today’s Profile America is missing from their distribution, so here’s Saturday’s and Sundays: Many places in the U.S. are well known for their mosquitoes, but only in Clute, Texas, is a whole festival devoted to them. It’s the 32nd annual Great Texas Mosquito Festival, which winds up a three-day run this weekend. The arts and crafts, entertainment and food are expected to have drawn some 17,000 visitors — human, that is — plus an unknown number of winged guests. Watching …

The world’s most prestigious sporting event, the Olympics, opens today in London for the 30th time in the modern era. Held every four years, this year’s Olympics will see athletes from an estimated 205 nations take part. Among the 26 official sports, some 300 events will be featured. Tonight’s opening ceremony is expected to be viewed by 4 billion people around the world. One of the most popular televised events is gymnastics. In the 2008 Olympics, the U.S. won 2 …

The shape of the modern American military was cast on this date 65 years ago when President Truman signed the National Security Act. The Department of War was renamed the Department of Defense, and the secretaries of the Army and Navy were moved from the President’s cabinet and placed under the Secretary of Defense. The same act created the U.S. Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and the National Security Council. Known simply as “DOD,” the defense …

On these blistering hot summer days when we walk from the heat into a cool office, business, or home, we can thank a man many of us have never heard of — Willis Carrier. He patented what he called an “apparatus for treating air” in 1906. His idea has fundamentally changed the way most Americans live, work and play. Air-conditioning did not come into widespread use until following World War II. Even by 1960, only 12 percent of homes in …

This is National Drive-Thru Day — noting the popularity of restaurants that take your order by intercom and then hand it out a window to drivers while they remain behind the wheel. The first such service was the idea of Robert Peterson, at a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in San Diego in 1951, serving hamburgers for just 18 cents. At the time, drive-in restaurants were very popular, where staff brought food to people who stayed in their parked cars. Some even brought …

Today is the first day of Ragbrai — the name of an annual bike ride across Iowa sponsored by the Des Moines Register newspaper. The word stands for the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Not a race in the traditional sense, the event lasts for a week, with overnight stops at small towns spaced about 68 miles apart. Ten thousand riders are expected, the limit for the event, with many coming from countries around the world. Of these, …