Today in History
October 31
1926: Harry Houdini, escape artist known for freeing himself from seemingly impossible circumstances, died.
1864: Nevada became the 36th state of the United States.
STAY CURRENT
Beta-Carotene: a Pumpkin Power Pigment
Editor's Note: When asked, many people will say fall is their favorite season of the year. I am one of them. The crisp fall...
Birds of a Feather – Bird Together
Editor's Note (Oct. 8, 2026): Many years ago I decided to cover The Big Sit, an event at a national wildlife refuge in which...
SCIENCE IN HISTORY
Beta-Carotene: a Pumpkin Power Pigment
Editor's Note: When asked, many people will say fall is their favorite season of the year. I am one of them. The crisp fall...
Pathfinder Pilot Recalls D-Day
Editor's Note: In May 2019 I traveled to Oxford, Connecticut for media day hosted by the D-Day Squadron as they prepared to depart to...
See the Forest AND the Trees at Redwood National Park
Editor's Note: In 2015, I visited a redwood forest in northern California for the first time. Before arriving at the edge of the forest,...
Take a Hike – Into a Cauldron!
Editor's Note: In 2015, I visited Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. Its history is the history of the National Park Service because...
Glass: a Hot and Cool Combo of Art and Science
Editor's note: One of the hottest and coolest stories I have covered was my 2016 visit to the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion...
Sneakers Have Soles – and Soul
Editor's note: In December 2015 I learned of a new exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art - The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Curated...
RECOMMENDED READING
Book Recommendation: Code Girls by Liza Mundy
Oct. 12, 2026 - Code Girls: the Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World...
Nancy Love: WASP Pilot
May 22, 2026 - Nancy Love: WASP Pilot by Sarah Byrn Rickman (2019) is the story of...
Book Recommendation: The Berlin Candy Bomber
March 20, 2026 - The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail Halvorsen (2010, 244 pages) is Halvorsen's autobiography...