Did You Know?
Did You Know In 1873 This Black A Cappella Group Performed for the Queen of England?
I love music, especially songs sung a cappella where harmonies can shine. Nothing’s better . . . unless you add an interesting historical background to the mix. Fisk University On January 9, 1866, Fisk Free Colored School opened in Nashville, TN. In only a few...
Did You Know This Famous Actor and Singer Had A Brother Named “Booty?”
Talk about stars that can do it all. Woodward Maurice Ritter certainly fits the bill. And if the name doesn’t sound familiar, that’s because you know him by his nickname, “Tex” Ritter. Early Life Tex Ritter was born on January 12, 1905, in Murvaul, Texas, the...
Did You Know These Four Texas Towns Were Made Famous by a World War 1 National Guard Unit, a Train, a Dice Game, and a Singer?
Have you ever driven through East Texas on Hwy 59, aka future I-69? If so, you’ve probably driven through Timpson and/or Tenaha. The Railroad On March 11, 1875, the Houston East and West Texas Railway Company (HE&WT) was chartered. The narrow-gauge railroad...
Did You Know Not All Full Moons Look The Same?
Astronomy doesn’t usually interest me, but . . . Full Moons By definition, a full moon is when the side of the moon facing the earth is completely lit by the sun. It occurs about every 29.5 days. There are just over twelve complete moon cycles each year....
Did You Know It’s Time To Celebrate?
What am I celebrating, you ask? My website’s fourth birthday, of course. The Stats Four years ago, I started my author’s website and began writing a weekly “Did You Know?” blog. On one hand, it seems like just yesterday. On the other, it seems an eternity ago....
Did You Know the 1883 American War Department Commissioned a Weather Forecast Book?
Now that we’ve moved into September, I can’t help but begin thinking about the coming fall and winter. (I’m looking for cooler weather. Wistful thinking, I know, but I can’t help it.) What’s winter going to be like this year? And are there any ways to know before it...
Did You Know This Toy has been Used in Light Fixtures & Pecan Picking Machines, And for Keeping Leaves Out of Gutters & Squirrels Out of Bird Feeders?
Many things we consider staples in today’s world were discovered or invented by happy accidents. This toy is one of them. The Beginning In the early 1940s, Richard James, a naval engineer at a navy shipyard in Philadelphia, was trying to solve the problem of...
Did You Know This Flower Was Named For The Youth In A Greek Myth?
I don’t know where you are, but here in Texas it’s H.O.T. Since last Thursday was Daffodil Day, I decided to cool off with the first flower of Spring. The Greek Myth The daffodil’s botanical name is narcissus and comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo....
Did You Know Not All Wild Mustangs Have Four Legs?
I just love nice surprises, don’t you? Recently, my family had an unexpected one. We discovered mustangs in our front yard. No, not horses. I’m talking about wild Texas grapes. The Surprise Because I mow the yard, I knew there were “berries” growing high in a...
Did You Know One Person’s Trash Really Can Be Another’s Treasure?
Have you ever bought secondhand items? The old saying about one man’s trash being another’s treasure is true. The Beginning In the U.S. during the nineteenth century, people faced uncertainty and conflict. The country was in trouble, and so were her citizens....