FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

The Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial built in Washington, D.C. between 1939 and 1943 in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, a central intellectual force behind the American Revolution, founder of the Democratic-Republican Party, and the nation’s third president.

The memorial features multiple quotes from Jefferson intended to capture his ideology and philosophy, known as Jeffersonian democracy, which was staunchly supportive of American republicanism, individual rights, religious freedom, states’ rights, virtue and prioritized and valued what he saw as the undervalued independent yeoman. Jefferson was simultaneously deeply skeptical of cities and financiers and hostile to aristocracy, elitism, and corruption. He is widely considered among the most influential political minds of his age and one of the most consequential intellectual forces behind the American Revolution.

The Jefferson Memorial is built in neoclassical style and is situated in West Potomac Park on the shore of the Potomac River. It was designed by John Russell Pope, a New York City architect, and built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain. Construction on it began in 1939 and was completed in 1943, though the bronze statue of Jefferson was not completed and added until four years after its dedication and opening, in 1947. Pope made references to the Roman Pantheon, whose designer was Apollodorus of Damascus, and to Jefferson’s own design for the rotunda at the University of Virginia as inspirations for the memorial’s aesthetics.

The Jefferson Memorial and the White House form anchor points to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument, initially intended to be built at the intersection of the White House and the Jefferson Memorial’s site, was ultimately built further east because the ground at that location was deemed too soft and swampy.

The Jefferson Memorial is a designated national memorial and is managed by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior‘s National Mall and Memorial Parks division. In 1966, the Jefferson Memorial was named to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2007, it ranked fourth on the “list of America’s favorite architecture“, published by the American Institute of Architects.

TODAY’S ALMANAC

Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday

Born in 1743 in Shadwell, Virginia, Jefferson was the third president of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He began his political career in 1769 in the Virginia legislature. Forty years later, he retired as president of the United States. He died on July 4, 1826, at Monticello, his home in Virginia. He once wrote, “All my wishes end where I hope my days will end—at Monticello.”

Thomas Jefferson was a dedicated farmer, and his interest in agriculture is evident in much of his writings. His plantation Monticello included vegetable gardens, flower gardens, orchards, vineyards, grain fields, and ornamental landscapes. Jefferson worked on improving plant varieties as well as agricultural tools, such as the plow.

To celebrate his birthday, pay a visit to the country home he designed. To fully grasp his political philosophy, called Jeffersonianism, read his collected works, including “The Fundamentals of Government.” It was none other than Abraham Lincoln who said, “The principles of Jefferson are the axioms of a free society.”

Question of the Day

Does the North Star ever change? In other words, will Polaris always be the North Star?

Yes, the North Star does change, and Polaris will not always be it. Like a top, Earth’s axis precesses; that is, it slides along the surface of an imaginary cone. The precessional motion is very slow; one complete cycle of the axis about the cone requires about 26,000 years. In the course of 26,000 years, the north celestial pole will move on the celestial sphere along a circle of approximately a 23-1/2 degree radius, centered on the pole of the ecliptic (where the perpendicular to Earth’s orbit intersects the celestial sphere). In the 20th century, the north celestial pole is very near Polaris, but in about 12,000 years, the celestial pole will be fairly close to the bright star Vega.

Advice of the Day

In time take time, when time does last, for time is no time when time is past.

Home Hint of the Day

The easiest and fastest way to get rid of stumps is to get a company that deals in tree work to chip the stumps out with a machine. You can then use the chips as mulch on flower beds.

Word of the Day

Epact

A number from 1 to 30 that indicates the Moon’s age on January 1 at Greenwich, England; used for determining the date of Easter.

Puzzle of the Day

What happens when it rains cats and dogs?

You have to be careful not to step in a poodle.

Born

• Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. president) – 1743
• Butch Cassidy (American Wild West outlaw) – 1866
• Samuel Beckett (author, playwright, & Nobel Prize winner) – 1906
• Caroline Rhea (comedian & actress) – 1964
• Rick Schroder (actor) – 1970

Died

• Archie “Grey Owl” Belaney (conservationist) – 1938
• Annie Jump Cannon (astronomer) – 1941
• Wallace Stegner (writer) – 1993
• Mark “the Bird” Fidrych (baseball pitcher) – 2009
• Jonathan Frid (actor) – 2012

Events

• Pres. FDR dedicated the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.– 1943
• First navigational satellite Transit-1B launched– 1960
• The Beatles recorded their hit song “Help!” – 1965
• An explosion occurred aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft on its way to the moon. Short of oxygen and flying a crippled ship, the crew aborted the moon landing and headed back to earth under emergency conditions– 1970
• A dwarf mouse named Yoda celebrated his fourth birthday, making him the oldest of his kind and far beyond 100 in human years. Yoda owes his longevity to genetic modifications that affected his pituitary and thyroid glands and reduced insulin production – and which left him a third smaller than an average mouse and very sensitive to cold– 2004
• Barry Bonds, the San Francisco slugger, hit his 661st career home run, passing Willie Mays (also his Godfather) to take sole possession of third place on baseball’s career list– 2004

Weather

• Zero degrees F at Hanover, New Hampshire– 1874
• Dozen tornadoes in eastern Iowa– 2006
• Tornado tore through Iowa City, Iowa– 2006
• 8.9 inches of snow fell on Great Falls, Montana, setting a new record for this date– 2010
• A tornado struck the states of Bihar and West Bengal in eastern India– 2010

COURTESY www.almanac.com