Category: Quick hits

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” This quote is widely attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but whatever the source, many people agree with the sentiment. One advance in such moral progress occurred on this date in 1868, when the first collegiate veterinary department in the U.S. began its instruction at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The country’s first veterinary doctorate was awarded in 1876 to Daniel Salmon, …

October is a special month in the history of handling data. In a month that holds the anniversaries of the first adding machine and the tentative birth of the Internet, October is also when the first all-electronic calculations were performed on an experimental computer. John Vincent Atanasoff was an associate professor in mathematics and physics at Iowa State College. Beginning in September 1939 with a $650 grant from the school, and with the help of a top engineering student, he …

National Hispanic Heritage Month continues, and much media prominence given to this 55 million-strong community centers on the growing heft of the Hispanic vote in elections. Already 17 percent of America’s population, it is projected to number nearly 129 million by the year 2060. In the 2012 election, over 11 million Hispanics, or 48 percent of those eligible, cast ballots. This is a decline from 2008, when just less than 50 percent of eligible Hispanics voted. But the 2012 figure …

Friday, October 2nd. U.S. based manufacturers receive new orders every month worth close to a half-trillion dollars. To underscore the health and prospects of this economic sector, today is the fourth annual Manufacturing Day, with activities staged across the country by American companies. The focus is a series of open houses to show the breadth and vitality of American manufacturing innovation and quality, and illustrate the need for skilled employees. Currently, over 11 million Americans work in this sector. The …

On this date in 1785, the first city directory in the United States was published. Fittingly, it was in the young country’s place of birth — Philadelphia. The directory’s title was the unwieldy “Macpherson’s Directory, for the City and Suburbs of Philadelphia, extending to Prime-Street, southward; Maiden-Street, northward; and from the River Delaware to Tenth-Street, westward.” It contained 6,250 resident names. The 1790 Census found Philadelphia’s population to be just over 28,500, making it America’s second largest urban place, behind …

On this date in 1882, the world’s first hydroelectric power plant began operating on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. Inspired by Thomas Edison, a man named H.F. Rogers built the facility using a water wheel to power the lights in the Appleton Paper and Pulp Company, a nearby building and his home. Soon, hydroelectric power plants were spurring industrial growth in many parts of the country. Today, 407 hydroelectric power establishments across the U.S. produce about 7 percent of …

As September’s National Honey Month ends tomorrow, Wisconsin — the land of milk — hosts the opening of the World Dairy Expo, running through Saturday. The exposition in Madison is expected to draw about 77,000 attendees. Farmers, producers and visitors will see some of the best dairy cattle, learn about genetics, profit margins, and even cow comfort — while mingling with some thousands of dairy men and women from dozens of different countries. America’s dairy product manufacturing employs about 130,000 …

As National Hispanic Heritage Month continues, and another fiscal year draws to a close, much attention is focused on the country’s economic performance. The 54 million strong Hispanic community in the United States inhabits a formidable and expanding place in the nation’s economy. Over 19 percent of Hispanics over the age of 16 work in management, business, science, and arts occupations. When tabulated recently, there were 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S., an increase of almost 46 percent from …

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 …