On this day in history.

[giradman]

Here’s my photo of the Rosetta Stone, taken during my visit to the British Museum in 2014.
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It’s the most visited artifact in the museum and there are always crowds of people around it. It took me almost 1/2 an hour to get this view without people in the way..........

I've tried taking a picture of it when I visited the museum, more than 2 years ago, and it was impossible to get a photo without people. You were lucky.

Well, same experience here in trying to see the Rosetta Stone; although, I must say that viewing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris was even more irritating - pic below of a crowd at a distance from the rather small Da Vinci painting - and a quote & pic from another visitor stating that the experience was 'thoroughly unpleasant' (my bolding) - gave me a chuckle! Dave

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (1503-1506) Seeing La Joconde is a thoroughly unpleasant experience because of the crowds. It’s arguably the most famous painting in the world, due in large part to the hullabaloo that went on in 1911 when she was stolen. Missing for two years, both French poet Apollinaire and Picasso were suspects, before Peruggia (the Italian thief and former Louvre guard) was caught. When hired by François I in 1516, Leonardo brought his treasured painting with him to Château d’Amboise (where he died three years later). (Source)

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[giradman]

Neil Armstrong Walks on Moon Today in 1969!

Nearly 50 years ago now, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon - I was in medical school and watched the event on TV in a friend's apartment in Ann Arbor - just a thrilling moment - see first quote below and the first three pics.

Earlier this year, Susan & I saw a new film below (which I've already bought as a BD), Hidden Figures about Katherine Johnson and her colleagues who were the 'human computers' at the time for the US space program - a few quotes and pics of her also at the end below - in 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama, the highest honor the US Government can award to a civilian (kind of like the equivalent of the Medal of Honor) - highly recommend the film - Dave

At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. The American effort to send astronauts to the moon has its origins in a famous appeal President John F. Kennedy made to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: “I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.” At the time, the United States was still trailing the Soviet Union in space developments, and Cold War-era America welcomed Kennedy’s bold proposal. (Source)

In 1953, when Katherine G. Johnson went to work at the agency that would later become NASA, a “computer” was someone who solved math problems and “wore a skirt,” she recalled in a 2008 profile published by NASA. As her career advanced, she was called on to check up on the electronic computers coming into use. Her computation proved so exact and outstanding that, last month, the 97-year-old African-American mathematician received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the U.S. government presents to civilians.(Source)

“Johnson exhibited exceptional technical leadership and is known especially for her calculations of the 1961 trajectory for Alan Shepard’s flight (first American in space), the 1962 verification of the first flight calculation made by an electronic computer for John Glenn’s orbit (first American to orbit the earth), and the 1969 Apollo 11 trajectory to the moon,” according to a White House statement. “In her later NASA career, Johnson worked on the Space Shuttle program and the Earth Resources Satellite and encouraged students to pursue careers in science and technology fields.” (Source)

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[scifan57]

Neil Armstrong Walks on Moon Today in 1969!

Nearly 50 years ago now, Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon - I was in medical school and watched the event on TV in a friend's apartment in Ann Arbor - just a thrilling moment - see first quote below and the first three pics.

Earlier this year, Susan & I saw a new film below (which I've already bought as a BD), Hidden Figures about Katherine Johnson and her colleagues who were the 'human computers' at the time for the US space program - a few quotes and pics of her also at the end below - in 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama, the highest honor the US Government can award to a civilian (kind of like the equivalent of the Medal of Honor) - highly recommend the film - Dave






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It was just a few days before my 12th birthday when the first manned Lunar landing happened. My parents let me stay up most of the night to watch it live as it happened.

The boots that made those historic first footprints on another planetary body are still on the Moon, along with the backpacks and hasselblad cameras. Only the film magazines ere brought back to Earth. All this was to lighten the load as much as possible to be able to bring back as many Lunar rocks and soil samples as possible. I think they should have made an exception for Neil Armstrong’s boots, after all mankind can set foot on another world for the first time only once.

 

[giradman]

Machu Picchu Discovered This Day in 1911

Machu Picchu is located high in the Peruvian Andes Mountains (nearly 8,000 ft), and may have been a 'mountain retreat' for Incan royalty (Source). The site was discovered this day in 1911 by the American archeologist, Hiram Bingham (pics of him below and one early photo on the town). Now a commonly visited tourist site w/ easier access, however, back in the early 20th century (possibly 1930s), my wife's grandmother (Dr. Rita Finkler, who loved to travel) visited the place and likely had to walk and ride an animal of some type to reach the place. Other pics below of the current appearance of Machu Picchu, plus a 50+ minute video worth a watch for those interested.

In the late 70s/early 80s, Susan and I almost planned a trip to Peru, mainly to visit these Incan ruins, but we never went, much to my regret (too old now! ) - I've had an interest in anthropology and the pre-Columbian American civilizations since my college days and have read many books on the subject over the decades. In 1972, we did a 2-week trip to Mexico and visited a number of Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula and also just outside of Mexico City. Dave

On July 24, 1911, American archeologist Hiram Bingham gets his first look at Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca settlement in Peru and now a top tourist destinations.Tucked away in the rocky countryside northwest of Cuzco, Machu Picchu is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders, whose civilization was virtually wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th century. For hundreds of years afterwards, its existence was a secret known only to the peasants living in the region. But in the summer of 1911, when Bingham arrived with a small team of explorers to search for the famous “lost” cities of the Incas. (Source)

Traveling on foot and by mule, Bingham and his team made their way from Cuzco into the Urubamba Valley, where a local farmer told them of some ruins located at the top of a nearby mountain. The farmer called the mountain Machu Picchu, which meant “Old Peak” in the native Quechua language. The next day–July 24–after a tough climb to the mountain’s ridge in cold and drizzly weather, Bingham met a small group of peasants who showed him the rest of the way. Led by an 11-year-old boy, Bingham got his first glimpse of the intricate network of stone terraces marking the entrance to Machu Picchu. (Source)

The excited Bingham spread the word about his discovery in a best-selling book, sending hordes of eager tourists flocking to Peru to follow in his footsteps up the Inca trail. The site itself stretches an impressive five miles, with over 3,000 stone steps linking its many different levels. Today, more than 300,000 people tramp through Machu Picchu every year, braving crowds and landslides to see the sun set over the towering stone monuments of the “Sacred City” and marvel at the mysterious splendor of one of the world’s most famous man-made wonders. (Source)

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[giradman]

Banting & Best Isolate Insulin in Toronto this day in 1921!

Nearly a hundred years ago, Frederick Banting & Charles Best isolated insulin, the pancreatic hormone crucial in regulating blood sugar and important in understanding and treating diabetes, when needed - many other options have become available since my days in medical school. Just 2 years after this announcement, Banting and John MacLeod were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine & Physiology, the short time emphasizing the importance of this discovery. Dave

At the University of Toronto, Canadian scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully isolate insulin for the first time. Within a year, the first human sufferers of diabetes were receiving insulin treatments, and countless lives were saved from what was previously regarded as a fatal disease. Diabetes has been recognized for more than 3,000 years, but its exact cause was a mystery until the 20th century. By the early 1920s, many researchers strongly suspected that diabetes was caused by a malfunction in the digestive system related to the pancreas. At that time, the only way to treat the fatal disease was through a diet low in carbohydrates and sugar; this diet allowed diabetics to live–for about a year. (Source)

In the summer of 1921, two Canadians Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully isolated insulin from canine test subjects, produced diabetic symptoms in the animals, and then began a program of insulin injections that returned the dogs to normalcy. On November 14, the discovery was announced to the world. Two months later, with the support of J.J.R. MacLeod of the University of Toronto, the two scientists began preparations for an insulin treatment of a human subject; they were able to extract insulin from the pancreases of cattle. On January 23, 1921, they began treating 14-year-old Leonard Thompson with insulin injections. The diabetic teenager improved dramatically, and the University of Toronto immediately gave pharmaceutical companies license to produce insulin, free of royalties. By 1923, insulin had become widely available, and Banting and Macleod were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. (Source)

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[scifan57]

Banting & Best Isolate Insulin in Toronto this day in 1921!

Nearly a hundred years ago, Frederick Banting & Charles Best isolated insulin, the pancreatic hormone crucial in regulating blood sugar and important in understanding and treating diabetes, when needed - many other options have become available since my days in medical school. Just 2 years after this announcement, Banting and John MacLeod were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine & Physiology, the short time emphasizing the importance of this discovery. Dave




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I’m wondering why Charles Best wasn’t included in the Nobel Prize. MacLeod was actually on vacation when Banting and Best first isolated insulin.

 

[giradman]

I’m wondering why Charles Best wasn’t included in the Nobel Prize. MacLeod was actually on vacation when Banting and Best first isolated insulin.

My thoughts too - a couple quotes below from Best's Wiki Article - seems that Best was just a young medical student who assisted Banting; MacLeod oversaw Banting's work and also added James Collip to the 'team' to help 'isolate' insulin - seems like the Nobel committee decided to honor just Banting & MacLeod, although both recognized the contributions of Best & Collip and shared their prize money. I'd rather have had my name as a recipient of the Nobel - Dave

Charles Best - as a 22-year-old medical student at the University of Toronto he worked as an assistant to the surgeon Dr. Frederick Banting and contributed to the discovery of the pancreatic hormone insulin, which led to an effective treatment for diabetes. In the spring of 1921, Banting travelled to Toronto to visit J.J.R. Macleod, professor of physiology at the University of Toronto, and asked Macleod if he could use his laboratory to isolate pancreatic extracts from dogs. Macleod was initially sceptical, but eventually agreed before leaving on holiday for the summer. Before leaving for Scotland he supplied Banting with ten dogs for experiment and two medical students, Charles Best and Clark Noble, as lab assistants.

Since Banting required only one assistant, Best and Noble flipped a coin and Best won and took the first shift. Banting decided to keep Best for the entire summer and eventually shared half of his Nobel Prize money and a part of the credit for the discovery of insulin. MacLeod was overseeing the work of Frederick Banting, who had no experience of physiology. In December, when Banting and Best were having difficulties in refining the pancreatic extract and monitoring glucose levels, MacLeod assigned the biochemist James Collip to the team. In January 1922, while Collip was working on insulin purification, Best and Banting administered prematurely their pancreatic extracts to 14-year-old Leonard Thompson, who suffered a severe allergic reaction. Eventually, Collip succeeded in preparing insulin in a more pure, usable form. Banting, Best and Collip shared the patent for insulin, which they sold to the University of Toronto for one dollar. In 1923, the Nobel Prize Committee honored Banting and J. J. R. Macleod with the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of insulin, ignoring Best and Collip. Banting chose to share half of the prize money with Best.

 

[scifan57]

August 2, 1776;

Members of Congress affix their signatures to an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independance.

 

[giradman]

August 2, 1776;

Members of Congress affix their signatures to an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independance.
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Full story below (Source) - for those interested, check link for some other facts about the document - Dave

1. The Declaration of Independence wasn’t signed on July 4, 1776.
On July 1, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, and on the following day 12 of the 13 colonies voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee’s motion for independence. The delegates then spent the next two days debating and revising the language of a statement drafted by Thomas Jefferson. On July 4, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence, and as a result the date is celebrated as Independence Day. Nearly a month would go by, however, before the actual signing of the document took place. First, New York’s delegates didn’t officially give their support until July 9 because their home assembly hadn’t yet authorized them to vote in favor of independence. Next, it took two weeks for the Declaration to be “engrossed”—written on parchment in a clear hand. Most of the delegates signed on August 2, but several—Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean and Matthew Thornton—signed on a later date. (Two others, John Dickinson and Robert R. Livingston, never signed at all.) The signed parchment copy now resides at the National Archives in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, alongside the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 

[giradman]

USS Nautilus Travelled Undersea Beneath the North Pole Ice Cap in 1958!

The USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine was launched in 1954, and four years later travelled nearly 1600 nautical miles about 500 feet undersea beneath the polar ice cap - with the disappearing Arctic Sea ice from global warming, this feat may not be an option in the near future? Dave

On August 3, 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world’s first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then steamed on to Iceland, pioneering a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe. (Source)

The USS Nautilus was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. In 1947, he was put in charge of the navy’s nuclear-propulsion program and began work on an atomic submarine. Regarded as a fanatic by his detractors, Rickover succeeded in developing and delivering the world’s first nuclear submarine years ahead of schedule. In 1952, the Nautilus’ keel was laid by President Harry S. Truman, and on January 21, 1954, first lady Mamie Eisenhower broke a bottle of champagne across its bow as it was launched into the Thames River at Groton, Connecticut. Commissioned on September 30, 1954, it first ran under nuclear power on the morning of January 17, 1955. (Source)

The submarine traveled at a depth of about 500 feet, and the ice cap above varied in thickness from 10 to 50 feet, with the midnight sun of the Arctic shining in varying degrees through the blue ice. At 11:15 p.m. EDT on August 3, 1958, Commander Anderson announced to his crew: “For the world, our country, and the Navy–the North Pole.” The Nautilus passed under the geographic North Pole without pausing. The submarine next surfaced in the Greenland Sea between Spitzbergen and Greenland on August 5. Two days later, it ended its historic journey at Iceland. For the command during the historic journey, President Dwight D. Eisenhower decorated Anderson with the Legion of Merit. (Source)

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[giradman]

Columbus Sets Sail for his First Voyage Today in 1492!

Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos, Spain (near Seville) for his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean presumably headed to the Spice Islands, Japan/China, and India - instead he 'bump into' the Americas, and eventually made 4 trips to the Caribbean area. On his initial voyage, he had just 3 small ships, the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria (the largest about 60 ft in deck length).

The legacy of Columbus remains contentious and controversial - the European 'invasion' of the Americans wiped out 80% - 90% of the native populations and destroyed some amazing civilizations - disease by far was the most common cause of this fatal interaction; below, just a few 'facts' of interest, a tee shirt that I own, and a book recommendation, i.e. American Holocaust (1992) by David E. Stannard - today NPR had a number of short programs on the topic w/ interviews of several Native Americans. Dave

From the Spanish port of Palos, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail in command of three ships—the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina—on a journey to find a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. On October 12, the expedition sighted land in the Bahamas, and went ashore the same day, claiming it for Spain. Later that month, Columbus sighted Cuba, which he thought was mainland China, and in December the expedition landed on Hispaniola, which Columbus thought might be Japan. He established a small colony there with 39 of his men. The explorer returned to Spain with gold, spices, and “Indian” captives in March 1493 and was received with the highest honors by the Spanish court. He was the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland in the 10th century. (Source)

During his lifetime, Columbus led a total of four expeditions to the New World, discovering various Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South and Central American mainland, but never accomplished his original goal—a western ocean route to the great cities of Asia. Columbus died in Spain in 1506 without realizing the great scope of what he did achieve: He had discovered for Europe the New World, whose riches over the next century would help make Spain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth.(Source)

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[scifan57]

Columbus Sets Sail for his First Voyage Today in 1492!

Today in 1492, Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos, Spain (near Seville) for his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean presumably headed to the Spice Islands, Japan/China, and India - instead he 'bump into' the Americas, and eventually made 4 trips to the Caribbean area. On his initial voyage, he had just 3 small ships, the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria (the largest about 60 ft in deck length).

The legacy of Columbus remains contentious and controversial - the European 'invasion' of the Americans wiped out 80% - 90% of the native populations and destroyed some amazing civilizations - disease by far was the most common cause of this fatal interaction; below, just a few 'facts' of interest, a tee shirt that I own, and a book recommendation, i.e. American Holocaust (1992) by David E. Stannard - today NPR had a number of short programs on the topic w/ interviews of several Native Americans. Dave




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Of course, Columbus wasn't the first European to reach the Americas. The Vikings did it almost 500 years earlier. The big difference is that the Viking expeditions did not result in a permanent European presence like the aftermath of Columbus's voyages of discovery. Norse colonization of North America - Wikipedia
Newfoundland, the first British colony was first established in 1497, only 5 years after Columbus made his first voyage. Newfoundland Colony

 

[giradman]

Of course, Columbus wasn't the first European to reach the Americas. The Vikings did it almost 500 years earlier. The big difference is that the Viking expeditions did not result in a permanent European presence like the aftermath of Columbus's voyages of discovery. Norse colonization of North America - Wikipedia
Newfoundland, the first British colony was first established in 1497, only 5 years after Columbus made his first voyage. Newfoundland Colony

Believe that we've had this discussion before - what is interesting about the Norsemen's incursion across the northern Atlantic to Greenland and the east coastal North American continent is the relationship to the Medieval Warm Period (Wiki quotes below + graph) - the partial ice melt and more hospitable terrain facilitated settlements of the Vikings in these areas, especially from the 10th into the early 14th centuries - boy, that is a long time w/ so little known about their history then and there, or their interaction w/ native North Americans - now, I've read books on the Vikings over the decades but seems none remain in my collection (we donate a lot of books to several local charities); and the subsequent Little Ice Age is yet another interesting topic of discussion. Dave

The Medieval Warm Period (MWP), Medieval Climate Optimum, or Medieval Climatic Anomaly was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region that may also have been related to other climate events around the world during that time, including China[1] and other areas, lasting from about 950 to 1250.[4] It was followed by a cooler period in the North Atlantic and elsewhere termed the Little Ice Age. Some refer to the event as the Medieval Climatic Anomaly as this term emphasizes that effects other than temperature were important.

Norse colonization of the Americas has been associated with warmer periods. Popular books say that Vikings took advantage of ice-free seas to colonize areas in Greenland and other outlying lands of the far north, but that has been challenged. Around 1000, the climate was sufficiently warm for the Vikings to journey to Newfoundland and establish a short-lived European outpost. From around 985, Vikings founded the Eastern Settlement and Western Settlement, both near the southern tip of Greenland. In the colony's early stages, they kept cattle, sheep, and goats, with around a quarter of their diet from seafood. After the climate became colder and stormier around 1250, their diet steadily shifted towards ocean sources; by around 1300, seal hunting provided over three quarters of their food.

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[giradman]

Below a repeat from exactly one year ago -

First Atom Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima this day by the Enola Gay!

Today in 1945, the first atom bomb was dropped on Japan w/ devastating results in quote below; a second bomb, code named “Fat Man”, was dropped three days later over Nagasaki, Japan. It is estimated that between 129,000- 246,000 people died, up to half of them in the first hour, as the results of these two bombs. By August 14, 1945, Japan had unconditionally surrendered (Source). Dave
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[scifan57]

August 7, 1947;

Thor Heyerdahl and his 5 man crew complete a 4,300 mile, 101 day voyage from Peru to Raroia in the Tuamotu Archipeligo near Tahiti on the balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki. Kon-Tiki expedition - Wikipedia