FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Laura Secord (née Ingersoll; 13 September 1775 – 17 October 1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She is known for having walked 20 miles (32 km) out of American-occupied territory in 1813 to warn British forces of an impending American attack. Her contribution to the war was little known during her lifetime, but since her death she has been frequently honoured in Canada. Though Laura Secord had no relation to it, most Canadians associate her with the Laura Secord Chocolates company, named after her on the centennial of her walk.

Laura Secord’s father, Thomas Ingersoll, lived in Massachusetts and fought on the side of the Patriots during the Revolutionary War (1775–1783). In 1795 he moved his family to the Niagara region of Upper Canada after he had applied for and received a land grant. Shortly after, Laura married Loyalist James Secord, who was later seriously wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights early in the War of 1812. While he was still recovering in 1813, the Americans invaded the Niagara Peninsula, including Queenston. During the occupation, Secord acquired information about a planned American attack, and stole away on the morning of 22 June to inform Lieutenant James FitzGibbon in the territory still controlled by the British. The information helped the British and their Mohawk allies repel the invading Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams. Her effort was forgotten until 1860, when Edward, Prince of Wales awarded the impoverished widow £100 (£12,955.64 in 2022) for her service on his visit to Canada.

The story of Laura Secord has taken on mythic overtones in Canada. Her tale has been the subject of books, plays, and poetry, often with many embellishments. Since her death, Canada has bestowed honours on her, including schools named after her, monuments, a museum, a memorial stamp and coin, and a statue at the Valiants Memorial in the Canadian capital.

TODAY’S ALMANAC

What is cinnamon, and where is it produced?

Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of two related evergreen trees in the laurel family. One is true cinnamon, the other is cassia. The trees are native to Asia. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to humankind.

Advice of the Day

Don’t marry for money; you can borrow it cheaper.

Home Hint of the Day

If you’re tired of trimming grass along a stone wall, embed a line of bricks, flush with the surface, along the wall. When mowing, keep one wheel of your mower on the grass and one on the brick.

Word of the Day

Dendrophobia

Fear of trees

Puzzle of the Day

Sly ware (Change these words into a single word.)

Lawyers

Born

• Paul Morphy (chess master) – 1837
• John Dillinger (outlaw) – 1903
• Anne Morrow Lindbergh (author & aviator) – 1906
• Billy Wilder (director) – 1906
• Bill Blass (fashion desinger) – 1922
• Kris Kristofferson (actor) – 1936
• David Lander (actor) – 1947
• Meryl Streep (actress) – 1949
• Dan Brown (author) – 1964
• Steven Page (musician) – 1970
• Kurt Warner (football player) – 1971
• Carson Daly (talk show host) – 1973
• Donald Faison (actor) – 1974
• Brad Hawpe (baseball player) – 1979

Died

• Judy Garland (singer & actress) – 1969
• Fred Astaire (dancer & actor) – 1987
• Pat Nixon (U.S. First Lady) – 1993
• Esther Friedman Lederer, pen name Ann Landers (Ask Ann Landers columnist) – 2002
• Moose (the Jack Russell terrier known as Eddie on Frasier) – 2006
• George Carlin (comedian; first to host Saturday Night Live) – 2008

Events

• Henry Hudson, son, and 7 crew set adrift by mutineers– 1611
• During the War of 1812, Laura Secord of Queenston hiked 18 hours to warn British of an upcoming attack– 1813
• Adolphe Sax registered a patent for the saxophone– 1846
• Arkansas is readmitted to the Union– 1868
• Harry Houdini married Wilhelmina Beatrice Bess” Rahner”– 1894
• Circus train crashed in Ivanhoe, Ind., 86 killed– 1918
• James Christy discovered Pluto’s moon Charon– 1978
• Ashrita Furman of New York set the record for distance traveled by pogo stick: 23.11 miles– 1997
• Law-protected killdeer nest with 4 eggs held up prep for RBC Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario– 2018

Weather

• Fergus Falls, Minnesota, was struck by a devastating tornado that killed 59 people and destroyed 400 buildings– 1919
• Holt, Missouri, received 12 inches of rain in 42 minutes.– 1947
• The largest recovered hailstone in the U.S. fell from the sky in Aurora, Nebraska. It measured 7 inches in diameter, had a circumference of 18.75 inches, and weighed just under 1 pound– 2003
• Hail storm, Dublin, New Hampshire– 2007
• The temperature reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit in Vero Beach, Florida– 2009

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