By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as “Fonzie” or “The Fonz“, is a fictional high school dropout played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lead character when he […]

By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS The National Aviation Day (August 19) is a United States national observation that celebrates the development of aviation. The holiday was established in 1939 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who issued a presidential proclamation which designated the anniversary of Orville Wright‘s birthday to be National Aviation Day (Mr. […]

By Zola Elder FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship’s captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865, he commanded USS San Jacinto during the Trent Affair in which he stopped a Royal Mail ship […]

By Lady Williamson FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles). With around 280 […]

By Mona Hatfield All our thoughts and condolences are with Helen’s family and friends, as well as those in the swimming community who trained, competed and worked with Helen during her time in the sport. Backstroke specialist Helen – who trained at Ashton Central Swimming Club […]

By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS The Klondike Gold Rush was a migration by an estimated 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region of Yukon, in north-western Canada, between 1896 and 1899. Gold was discovered there by local miners on August 16, 1896; when news reached Seattle and San Francisco the following year, it triggered a stampede of […]

By Zola Elder Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic churches in the United States mark the feast of the Assumption on August 15 each year to celebrate the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s body into heaven upon her death. Assumption Day is considered […]

By Lady Williamson FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Li’l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared across multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written and drawn by Al Capp (1909–1979), the strip ran for 43 years […]

By Mona Hatfield   FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Cathy Kratzert Gerring (born April 28, 1961) is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. Born Cathy Kratzert, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, she played college golf at Ohio State University. Gerring won three times on the LPGA Tour, all in 1990. She played on […]

By Zola Elder FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz (English: /ˈælkəˌtræz/, Spanish: [alkaˈtɾas] “the gannet“) or The Rock, was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The site of a fort since the 1850s, the main prison building was […]

By Zola Elder FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS The Smithsonian Institution (/smɪθˈsoʊniən/ smith-SOH-nee-ən), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge”. Founded on August 10, 1846, it operates as a trust instrumentality and is not […]

By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Robert Swan (October 20, 1944 – August 9, 2023) Robert Swan was born and raised in Chicago, where he began acting on stage. Swan later began appearing on film and television. Swan is best known for his roles in Hoosiers, The Untouchables, Natural Born […]

By Lady Williamson FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Smokey Bear is an American campaign and advertising icon of the U.S. Forest Service in the Wildfire Prevention Campaign, which is the longest-running public service announcement campaign in United States history. The Ad Council, the United States Forest Service (USFS), and the National Association of State […]

By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Odie is a fictional dog who appears in the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. He has also made appearances in the animated television series Garfield and Friends and The Garfield Show, two live-action/CGI feature films, and three fully CGI films. TODAY’S ALMANAC Question of the Day Can I make my new […]

By Zola Elder FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Donald Charles Frederick Messer (May 9, 1909 – March 26, 1973) was a Canadian musician, band leader, radio broadcaster, and defining icon of folk music during the 1960s. His CBC Television series Don Messer’s Jubilee (1959–69) featured Messer’s down-east fiddle style and the “old-time” music of […]

By Zola Elder   HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN TO OUR BELOVED FOUNDER!    

By Zola Elder FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Sharon Farrell (December 24, 1940 – May 15, 2023) was an American television and film actress, and dancer. Originally beginning her career as a ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre company, Farrell made her film debut in 1959 in Kiss Her Goodbye, followed by […]

By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS William Francis Kemmler (May 9, 1860 – August 6, 1890) was an American peddler, alcoholic, and murderer, who, in 1890, became the first person in the world to be executed by electric chair. He was convicted of murdering Matilda “Tillie” Ziegler, his common-law wife, a […]

By Zola Elder FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS The Geheime Staatspolizei (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈhaɪmə ˈʃtaːtspoliˌtsaɪ] (listen); transl. ”Secret State Police”), abbreviated Gestapo (/ɡəˈstɑːpoʊ/ gə-STAH-poh, German: [ɡəˈʃtaːpo] (listen)), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organisation. On 20 April 1934, oversight of the Gestapo passed to […]

By Mona Hatfield FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS Andrew Smith Hallidie (March 16, 1836 – April 24, 1900) was an American entrepreneur who was the promoter of the Clay Street Hill Railroad in San Francisco. This was the world’s first practical cable car system, and Hallidie is often therefore regarded as the […]