Augustus Nathaniel Lushington was born in Trinidad, British West Indies back in 1869.  In 1875 he was sent to a teacher-training school in Trinidad.  He worked there and after several year was promoted to the rank of principal.  He left for Venezuela working as a clerk in the town of La Guayra for a British-owned railroad.In 1889, he left for the United States winding up in Binghamton, New York.  He enrolled in Cornell University to study Agriculture, graduating with a degree in Agriculture in 1894.   With no job opportunities for him in the West Indies he started another education at the University of Pennsylvania.  He graduated with a veterinary degree in just three years.  when students walk into the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the first thing the... 08/09/2021

Joan Little was born in Washington, North Carolina back in 1953.  She was the eldest of six siblings, she was forced to care for them and four half-siblings as well. As a teenager, she worked in the tobacco industry and was a waitress. Little’s problems with law enforcement began in 1968.  Her mother asked a judge to declare her a truant an committed her to the Dobbs Farm Training School in Kinston, North Carolina.She escaped and lived with relatives in Philadelphia, three weeks after graduating from high school she developed a thyroid problem and returned to North Carolina for an operation. Starting in 1973, she was arrested on a variety of charges from theft to breaking and entering, along with possession of stolen good and possession of a sawed-off-shotgun.  On 27, August 1974, a pol... 06/27/2021

John Clarence Karcher was born in Dale, Indiana back in 1894 to Leo and Mark.  His family moved to Oklahoma Territory when he was 5 settling in Hennessey.  At 18 he graduated from high school in 1912.  He continued his education at the University of Oklahoma, earning his BS degree in both Electrical Engineering and physics, graduating as the head of his class.After graduation, he accepted the Tyndal Fellowship in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, beginning his graduate work for his PhD, however WWI interrupted his graduate studies, so he worked at the United States Bureau of Standards.  His assignment was to locate heavy artillery batteries in France by studying acoustic waves the guns generated.  Instead he switched his concentration to seismic waves.  In 1921, he created the ... 01/09/2021

Edward Austin Johnson was born in Wake County, North Carolina back in 1860.  He attended Washington High School then Atlanta University.  He was a school principal from 1883 to 1891, first in Atlanta and then in Raleigh, North Carolina.  He earned a law degree at Shaw University in 1891, practicing in the Raleigh area.  He also taught at Shaw as he was the first graduate of the law school, serving as dean.  He won every case he argued before the North Carolina Supreme Court.  He died in 1944, he was 84.What you may not know about Edward is that he was the first African-American member of the New York state legislature when he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1917.  He also was an author he wrote A School History of the Negro Race in America, it was the first textbook by a b... 12/19/2020

Edward Porter Alexander was born in Washington, Georgia back in 1835 to Adam and Sarah.  He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point back in 1857, third in his class.  After graduation, he taught engineering at the academy before send to Utah.  He was sent to Fort Steilacoom in Washington Territory, near current San Francisco.When the Civil War started he left the U.S. Army to join the Confederate Army as a captain of engineers.  He died in 1910, he was 74.What you may not know about Edward is that at the First Battle of Bull Run he used signal flags to transmit a message during combat over a long distance, which turned the tide of battle in the Confederates’ favor.  The actual idea of using signal flags was kept a secret that was taught to him during his time aft... 11/02/2020

Michael James Heney was born back in 1864 in Stonecliffe, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada to Thomas and Mary.  When he was fourteen he ran away from home to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, starting as a water boy graduating to a track laying crew assistant and mule skinner.  He continued to be promoted to foreman of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Easter Railroad.When the Klondike Gold Rush came he was ready.  He started working for the Pacific Contract Company, first as a labor foreman then as a contractor.  His contract was bought out for 250,000.00 and he retired, at least for the moment.  He was then hired by the Copper River and Northwester Railway.  Having completed the construction, he retired for the last time.  He died in 1910, he was 46.What you may not know about Michael is... 10/02/2020

Elias Howe Jr., was born in Spencer, Massachusetts back in 1819 to Elias Sr., and Polly.  He apprenticed in a textile factory in Lowell before moving to Cambridge in 1837. There he found work as a mechanic with a carding company. The next year we worked for Ari Davis as a master mechanic specializing in the manufacture and repair of chronometers and other precision instruments.He married Elizabeth Ames in 1841.  In 1851, he received a patent that would make him a millionaire and I may add is still in use to this day.  He won a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition of 1867 for his invention.  He was awarded the Legion d’honneur by Napoleon III for his invention.  Sadly, that same year he died of gout and a massive blood clot.Now, you may be asking yourself what in the world did he invent?  ... 09/18/2020

Lesley Hornby was born in Middlesex, London, England back in 1949 to William and Nellie. She attended the Brondesbury and Kilburn High School.  She married Michael in 1977, however he died in 1983 from a heart attack.  In 1988, she married Leigh Lawson, who adopted her daughter, who took his surname.She is considered by many to be one of the first international supermodels and fashion icon of the 1960’s.  I remember seeing her on TV, magazines and in the newspaper.  She arrived in New York in 1967, an event covered by the press.  Later she modeled in France, Japan and America, featured on the cover of US Vogue.  She has been photographed by several well know photographers.If the name doesn’t ring a bell maybe her stage name will, for those of us old enough to remember, “Twiggy”.  If you... 09/09/2020

Seth Green was born in Rochester, New York back in 1817 to Adonijah and Betsy.  During his childhood, he learned fishing skills from his father and the local Seneca people.  He did go to school but quit in the fifth or sixth grade, however exactly when he quit is lost to history.  He left his home in 1837 to take up commercial fishing along the Genesee River.In 1868, he was one of three people appointed to the first New York State Fish Commission.  Their annual budget was $1,000.00.  in 1871, the California Fish Commission asked Seth to stock the Sacramento River with the American Shad.   He arrived seven days later with 10,000 of them. By the early 1870’s he was internationally recognized as a leading expert on fish culture.  While on a fishing trip in 1882 off the coast of the Carolin... 04/23/2020

June Lucille Forer was born in Springfield, Massachusetts back in 1917 to Morris and Ida. As a child, she had wanted to be a dancer, but had to drop out due to a case of pneumonia. She began working when she was 12. She graduated from Classical High School in Springfield, two years later the family moved to Los Angeles, California. She married Hobart in 1955, he died in 1976, she never remarried. She died in 2017, she was 99. While you may not know the name surely, you’ve heard of the characters she brought to life. She was a voice actress. Here is a small list of the characters I remember, do you? Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Neil Fenwick, Cindy Lou, Lucifer the Cat, Peter Pan, Witch Hazel, Woody Woodpecker’s nephew and niece Knothead and Splinter and of course the Chatty... 01/18/2020

Joseph Beverly Fenby was born in Liverpool, England back in1841 to Joseph and Beverly. Sadly, I do not have any information about his upbringing education or much of anything until 1863, so let’s cut to the chase and begin.He received British patent number 101 for what he called the “Electro-Magnetic Photoscope”, or the Electro-Magnetic Phonograph. He was the first person to coined the word “phonograph, long before Edison did. It took Herman Hollerith invented the punch card tabulator in 1879. He also was the first person to invent the “Fenby folding chair” circa 1881, US Patent 244,216 and the folding camp stool US Patent 244,215. Those chairs are the basis for what we still use today. He died in 1903, he was 62.Your day is worthwhile when you make someone smile, so give the free gift ... 12/13/2019

Neil Tillotson was born in Canaan, Vermont back in 1898. Sorry that is about all I have on him until the 1920’s. He was working for the Hood Rubber Company and lost his job due to the result of the Great Depression. In 1931, he founded the Tillotson Rubber Company and as they say the rest is history.After he lost his job out of boredom and desperation he took some latex balloons hand-painted them in the shape of a cat’s head. In 1931, despite the depression Tillotson Rubber made 85,000.00 in sales which is equivalent to 1.2 million in today’s economy. His company invented a high-speed latex dipping machine that is still in use today making latex examination gloves that fit either hand. In 1954, he moved to Dixville Notch, New Hampshire where over the next 40 years he was the first voter... 09/17/2018

William Henry was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania back in 1920.  He joined the United States Marine Corp. serving during World War II and the Korean War.  He retired from the Corp where he died in Oakdale in 2009.Nothing big so far right.  Well for those of you who follow me you just know there is more to this story so what say let’s get to it. In 1959 William was flying a F-8 Crusader jet fighter from the Weymouth, Massachusetts to the Marine Corp Air Station in Beaufort in South Carolina.  He was flying at 47,000 feet when his engine failed forcing him to eject.  At that altitude, the air temperature was -58 degrees.   He immediately suffered from frostbite and decompression causing his eyes, ears and mouth to bleed.  His emergency supply of oxygen lasted only five minutes it took hi... 01/17/2018

Andrew Jackson was born in Alabama back in 1849.  For 15 years, he worked on a small farm.  At 16 he moved to a city just outside of Birmingham.  That is all I have about him of course there is more to his life so what say we start.Around the time he moved to Birmingham he invent and patented his first invention (a plow), followed three years later with an improved one.  Those two inventions earned him almost $10,000.00 which he invested in real estate.From 1890-1892, he earned another 2 patents improving the railroad coupler.  Sadly, he died in 1921, what is not known, is what he did from 1899 until his death.  What you may not know about Andrew Jackson Beard is that he was born a slave.  He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio for his work on the railro... 12/04/2017

Leslie Towns was born in Eltham, Kent, England back in 1903 to William and Mare. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when he was four.In 1919, he had a brief career as a boxer. Otherwise, he worked as a butcher’s assistant and a lineman in his teens and early twenties. Later in 1932, he met up with someone and as they say the rest is history.He and his friend invested heavily in oil leases and other business ventures making them wealthy beyond most of our wildest dreams. The two lived close together, worked on many projects however, they rarely saw each other socially.Leslie’s friend died in 1977 and Leslie died in 2003. What you may not know about Leslie Towns Hope is that he changed his name to Bob, Bob Hope that is and his friend was Big Crosby. I need not tell you more because you a... 09/29/2017

Victor Farris was born in Buffalo, New York back in 1910. Nothing is written about his childhood however, for this post that is not important. He was an inventor of sorts and that is the rest of the story. he noted glass mile bottles were so heavy that he invented and trademarked the paper milk carton.He was also noted for inventing the paper clip. In 1956, he married Celia Lipton a British-born actress and singer. The family moved to Florida where they adopted two daughters Marian and CeCe. Research of US patents showed no evidence of Victor actually applying for a patent of the paper milk carton or the paper clip.What Victor did do however made him a very rich man for you see he founded the Farris Engineering Corporation. That company became the largest manufacturer of valves in the w... 08/05/2017

John Wrench was born in Westfield, New York back in 1911 however, he grew up in Hamburg, New York. In 1933, he received a BA summa cum laude I mathematics and a MA in 1935. In 1938, he got his PhD in mathematics from Yale University.He started out his career teaching at George Washington University however, he joined the United States Navy during WWII developing high-speed computational methods. Working on projects such as underwater sound waves, underwater explosions, structural design, hydrodynamics and aerodynamics to name a few.His focus was however, was to compute the decimal digits of π(pi). In 1960, using an IBM 7090 he ran the formula out to an astronomical 100,000 digits. He printed out the results, had it bound and the printout can be found at the Smithsonian Institute. He pub... 07/24/2017

Robert Cockburn was born in Portsmouth, England back in 1909. Educated at Southern Secondary School and Portsmouth Municipal College. We worked as a science teacher while attending the University of London receiving his PhD in 1939.He joined the Air Ministry in 1940, where he worked on ground-to-air communication systems. Retiring in 1969 as the Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment. He was awarded the OBE in 1946 and 1947, the US Medal of Merit and in 1953 was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, receiving a knighthood in 1960.Well now you may be asking yourself what in the world did he do to be so recognized. In 1940, he set up a team to work on radio countermeasures. It was known as the Battle of the Beams. The object was to jam the German navigation beams thus redu... 05/25/2017

Benjamin Chapman was born in Oakland, California back in 1928. Most of his childhood was in Tahiti moving to San Francisco when he was 12.He entered the Marine Coups serving during the Korean War. He claimed to have earned the Silver Star, a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. After he died the Marine Corps held an investigation and found those claims to be false. After leaving the Marine Corps he worked as a real estate executive.However, he dawned a rubber suit that will forever place him in the history books. So, this will be a short version of what I normally write. For you see the rubber suit he dawned was to play a role in a movie. Standing a mere 6’5” he was just the right size. The rubber suit was to play a creature and the creature was the Gill-Man in the 1954 horror film “Creat... 04/07/2017

John Cadwalader was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1742 to Thomas and Hannah. The family moved to Philadelphia in 1750. In 1768 he married Elizabeth and the union netted them three children, two boys and one girl.In 1776 then Colonel in the Continental Army he was elected senior officer of the Philadelphia Associators, a volunteer militia. He was to take part in the Battle of Trenton however, the Delaware River had frozen and he could not get his artillery across thus missing the victory. He did however take part in further actions in New Jersey which ultimately led to the surrender of General William Howe and Lord Cornwallis. He died in 1786 at 44. Now for the rest of the story.It was during the war from late 1777 to early 1778 a group of senior Continental Army officer conspired to ha... 11/07/2016