Grammy award winning singer Nelly Furtado was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on December 2, 1978.  She wasn’t born into the music business but instead used her talents to rise from daughter of a working-class family to chart topping singer.   Her first single, “I’m Like a Bird”, earmed her the Grammy for the Best Female Pop Vocal [...]

Samuel Langhorne Clemons, who wrote under the pseudonym Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835.   His best known works include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1876 and 1884, respectively.   Experts have trouble agreeing about how Clemons chose the pen name Mark Twain, but [...]

While many might think the answer to this question is Italy,  it is actually the Greeks who deserve thanks for this popular food.   It wasn’t until the 18th century that the flat bread dressed with oils and herbs made its way to Italy.   The Greeks might have been first, but credit does go to 19th century Italy [...]

Niel Young has been a major influence on both the folk and rock music scenes since the 1960’s.  He was born in Ontario, Canada on November 11, 1945.  He began playing music in high school and played with the successful group Buffalo Springfield.  He left the band in 1968 to go solo.  His efforts were met [...]

Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847.  He was born in the home designed by his father, Samuel.  The family sold the house in 1854, but after Edison’s death members of his family purchased the home with the intention of turning it into a museum.  Today, the Edison Birthplace Museum [...]

Gunpowder was invented around 85o A.D. in China.  This mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal was not invented by men seeking to make a more effective weapon.  It is thought that instead it was discovered accidentally by Chinese alchemists seeking a much different invention.   The experts are split as to what that was.  Some [...]

Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world stretching 29,035 feet toward the sky.  Only around 3,000 people have reached the summit and hundreds more have died trying.  The mountain lies on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.  It separates the countries of Nepal (where Everest is called Sagarmatha meaning “goddess of the sky”) and [...]

George Washington, first president of the United States, died on December 14, 1799.  He died in a bedroom of his plantation home, Mount Vernon.  Mount Vernon, which is open to the public,  is located 16 miles south of Washington D.C.  Washington loved his home so much that his will stated he was to be buried on the grounds of [...]

On April 14, 1912 the Titanic struck a large iceberg starting a chain of events that caused the “unsinkable” ship to sink.  The ship is still located in the spot where it sank which is 375 miles southeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland.  This location is 13 miles southeast of where the last distress call was [...]

Scientists hail stem cell research as one of the most promising ways to find treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, juvenile diabetes, cancer and a host of other ailments.   Stem cells can be harvested in five ways. 

Embryonic stem cells are harvested from embryos within 7-10 days after fertilization. 
Fetal stem cells are harvested from tissue of aborted fetuses.
Umbilical [...]