I learned this today. On November 14th, 1910, Eugene Ely flew a plane off a ship, technically making that ship the first ever aircraft carrier. He made the first takeoff and landing in 1911. It was a flying event in Belmont Park, New York and Eugene Ely was trying to prove that it was possible […]
#86 When did people start using aircraft carriers? Read More »
The first ever money was the Mesopotamian shekel, used about 5,000 years ago. Before we had money, people used the bartering system. Bartering probably started when hunter-gatherers began to form larger groups. When hunter-gatherers were in small groups, they could service all of their own needs. They only needed food, clothing, and shelter. Once the
#85 When did people start using money? Read More »
I learned this today. London was built where it is because it is the closest point to the sea that could be bridged. There may have been a small settlement where London is from prehistoric times, but there is no real evidence for that. There is, however, evidence of a bridge crossing the river Thames
#84 Why is London where it is? Read More »
I learned this today. The Middle Ages and the Dark Ages both refer to Europe between the Fall of Rome in 476 AD and the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century. Some people say the “Medieval Period” is a better expression, but this means pretty much the same thing. The idea that this
#80 Why do we say Middle Ages and Dark Ages? Read More »
I learned this today. Steam cars outnumbered internal combustion engine cars and electric cars from 1900 until about 1907. Steam engines are external combustion engines because the fuel is burned away from the engine. They release far fewer polluting gases than internal combustion engines. A steam engine works by burning a fuel source to heat
#78 Why were steam cars so popular in 1900? Read More »
I learned this today. The first dinosaur was named 20 years before the word “dinosaur” was invented. Dinosaur fossils have probably been dug out of the ground ever since people have been able to dig, but no one would have known what they were. Chinese writings from about 2000 years ago reference dragon bones, which
#76 When were the first dinosaur bones found? Read More »
I learned this today. The QWERTY keyboard was invented because it made it faster for Morse code typists to type. A common story is that the QWERTY keyboard was invented to stop typists from typing quickly. The story goes that when typists typed quickly, the bars that held the letters could jam if they pressed
#67 Why do we use a QWERTY keyboard? Read More »
I learned this today. The difference between AC and DC current is that in DC the charge only flows in one direction but in AC it changes direction periodically. Direct current (DC) was first produced in 1800 by the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. That is why the volt is named after him. He produced electricity
#64 What is the difference between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC)? Read More »
I learned this today. Zippers weren’t called zippers until about 30 years after they had been invented and they got their name from a boot. A number of different people claim to have invented the zipper, but Elias Howe Jr. technically holds the patent for what can be called the closest thing to an early
#62 Why are zippers called zippers? Read More »
I learned this today. We say “the press” to refer to the media because the first newspapers were made on a movable type printing press. Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable-type printing press somewhere between 1440 and 1450. By 1450, it was in operation. Before his invention, printing was done using wooden blocks. The page to
#59 Why do we say “the press” to refer to journalists and newspapers? Read More »
