Today in History
October 14
1947: Gen. Charles "Chuck" Yeager, ace pilot during World War II (1939-1945), flew the Bell X-1 airplane at 700 miles per hour at 43,000 feet to break the sound barrier, the first pilot to do so.
1890: Dwight D. Eisenhower, five-star general who served as Allied Commander during World War II and then President of the United States from 1953-1961, the 34th president, was born. As Allied Commander, Eisenhower directed the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, the largest coordinated land, sea, and air invasion ever to be conducted. The Allies ultimately were successful in liberating Europe and defeating Nazi Germany. After serving as president, Eisenhower retired to a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He died on March 28, 1969 at the age of 78.
STAY CURRENT
Beta-Carotene: a Pumpkin Power Pigment
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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
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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,...
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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
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