When I first learned about the Vietnam War, I was always surprised with how long it lasted and the fact that it had only ended a year and a half before my birth. For some reason, I always believed it was a war that didn’t go on during the time of any of my [...]

If you are looking for a specific breed for the dog Laika, you won’t find one. For those of you who are aware of the dog, you’ll know that she was the first living creature to be sent into space aboard the Russian spacecraft Sputnik 2. The momentous flight was launched November 3, 1957 with [...]

When I was first out of high school, I became enthralled with the world of Ancient Egypt, or rather, I became enthralled with their language.  This urged me to purchase and read the entire Book of the Dead and somewhere along the way, I quickly lost my interest in it.  This isn’t to say that [...]

Growing up in British Columbia, I always had an interest in Haida art and that spark was nurtured during a school visit to the UBC Museum where I saw many different examples of Haida art that was absolutely breathtaking. For me, that art represented what it meant to be from the Northwest coast and there [...]

Before I answer the question, I would first like to point out who Lady Bird Johnson was.  Although I could write a full report on Lady Bird Johnson, the short version is that she was the First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969.  Her husband was President Lyndon Johnson.
Despite her claim as [...]

The horror that was the holocaust ended in 1945, but left more than six million Jews dead in its wake.  The events that make up the Holocaust took place all over Europe.  Concentration camps could be found in Germany, Austria, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Italy  and many other Nazi occupied countries.   Some were labor [...]

Albert Einstein was the most notable physicist of the 20th century.  Born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879, he attended schools in Germany and Switzerland.   He renounced his German citizenship in 1933, and moved to the United States.   He accepted a professorship at Princeton University and obtained his U.S. citizenship in 1940.  He received numerous [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]