Yet more useless facts

[peachyboo]

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in
waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht
the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl
mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do
not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe and the biran
fguiers it out aynawy
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[frecklesnz]

I love those strange facts. I am admittedly weird and proud of it. Or so say the poor suckers I work with who are forced to listen to them. Ha Ha who care what the dopes think.
_________________
What are we going to do today Brain?
Same thing we do everyday Pinky, Try to take over the World.

[peachyboo]

When colonial gunsmith Joshia Meriam constructed a musket, it was usually accomplished and paid for in three parts - lock (firing mechanism), stock (wood), barrel (metal tube). Once completed the item as a whole was given to its owner. Today when one obtains an item with all its parts, it is owned "lock, stock and barrel". If militia man Thaddeus Blood placed his musket in the safety position (half-cocked) then entered battle, he had better remember to advance to full-cock or the weapon would not fire and he would be in trouble. A person "going off half cocked" in 1999 is not successful due to lack of preparation and forethought.

Nathan Stowe might prime his weapon (small measure of powder in the pan), load the main charge to the barrel, fire and only have the priming powder explode. This was known as a "flash in the pan" or misfire. Today, the term means a sudden brief success not likely to be repeated or followed by a greater success. Stowe might need a new flint but being unable to afford or unwilling to pay for such, he will take a knife and chip or skin pieces from the old flint until it is serviceable. Today, a cheap or thrifty person is called "a skin flint".

Other idioms may be traced to 18th Century taverns. Thomas Munroe, tavern keep, might use chalk to mark upon his wall the bill of a patron who wished to pay at a later time. This was a reminder to collect owed money. Something is "chalked up" to experience in our world meaning that while unfortunate, it is not regretted but an attempt will be made to insure it does not happen again. An account mark is made in the memory. Today, people who quarrel or enter a confrontation are said to be "at loggerheads". Colonial tavern keep Amos Wright used a heated loggerhead (long metal bar with a ball on the end) to warm drinks. Patrons sometimes used them in fights.

Grog was a cheap 18th Century drink of rum and water invented by a ship's captain to water down sailor's daily liquor ration in hopes of ending drunken brawls. Today one who consumes too much spirits may appear "groggy" or mildly intoxicated. Keeper Ephraim Jones might yell to rowdy patrons to "mind their p's and q's" (pints and quarts of drink) and today the term still refers to watching ones manners and conduct; behaving properly. In 1999, a "rule of thumb" is a way to accomplish a task based on experience rather than theory or careful calculation. A colonial brewer (without a thermometer) would dip his thumb into a mixture to determine when the liquid was the right temperature to add the yeast.

If we receive unexpected good fortune (usually money) it is called "a wind fall". For Jonas Bateman in the 1770s it meant that trees or limbs were blown down and easily obtained for firewood. Also, the King's agents marked certain trees for use by the Royal Navy. Tampering with them resulted in severe punishment. However, if a storm blew the tree down, it could be claimed by anyone... a wind fall.

Have you ever been "read the riot act" or informed in an angry manner that your conduct was wrong and must stop? The Riot Act of 1715 was meant to address groups gathering and threatening the peace. A magistrate could read part of the Act commanding people to disburse in the King's name or face action. In the 1880s Americans began using the term to mean "scold".

Purchase Brown, 1770s farmer, would "ear mark" his animals with a distinctive brand to denote ownership or purpose. Citizens would gather annually on muster day to watch the militia drill, enjoy food and drink, socialize and have a fun time. They had a "field day". When John Buttrick, Jr. retired for the night, he probably would sleep on bedding of straw and thus in today's usage he would "hit the hay". Meliscent Barrett might have the rope supports between the wooden sides of her bed frame tightened (no metal springs) to insure a good night's sleep. As today, she would be requested to "sleep tight".

In Jonathan Swift's book "Gulliver's Travels" have a look at chapter 3 of "A Voyage To Laputa". It reads: "They have likewise discovered two lesser stars, or satellites, which revolve about Mars, whereof the innermost is distant from the centre of the primary planet exactly 3 of his diameters, and the outermost 5". There is nothing unusual in that except Gulliver's Travels was published in 1726 and Mars' 2 moons were first discovered by US astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877!

Italian mathematician Geronimo Cardano published the laws of chance governing card & dice games. But he became most famous for his accurate horoscope predictions. He even predicted his own death in 1576 - even down to the exact hour. When the time came he was still healthy, so he killed himself rather than being proved wrong!

When Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835, Halley's Comet was visible in the sky over Florida, Missouri. It did not pass very near to the earth that year, but its presence was enough to create a legend. Aware throughout his life that he was born when Halley's Comet was visible, Mark Twain predicted in 1909 that he would die when it returned: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it.... The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.'" He was right. When Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910, Halley's Comet was once again visible in the sky.

Winston Churchill was not only a great speech maker, his wit was also legendary. In the House of Commons Nancy Astor MP, angry with Churchill, said 'If I were married to you, I'd put poison in your coffee'. Churchill replied 'Nancy, if you were my wife, I'd drink it'. Another female MP, Bessie Braddock, when seeing Churchill intoxicated, said 'Winston you're drunk' to which Churchill replied 'Bessie you're ugly. And tomorrow I shall be sober'.

King Mithridates VI ruled in Asia Minor in the first century BC. He was so afraid of assassination by poisoning, he came up with a novel idea. He gave himself small doses of poison each day in the hope that he would naturally build up a resistance to poisons. It was so successful that when the Romans invaded in 63 BC, instead of being captured he tried to commit suicide, but the poison he took had no effect on him. Eventually the King ordered a slave to kill him with his sword!

After being killed during the celebrated Battle of Trafalgar, British Admiral Horatio Nelson was put into a large barrel of brandy to preserve his body during the voyage back to England. When the ship arrived back home Lord Nelson was removed from the barrel and the crew celebrated his achievements by drinking the remaining brandy!

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England and scourge of the monarchists died peacefully on 3rd September 1658. 18 months later the monarchy had been restored and the royalists wanted revenge for the regicide of King Charles I. Cromwell's corpse was exhumed from his tomb in Westminster Abbey and dragged through the streets of London to Tyburn. He was then given a symbolic hanging. 6 hours later his corpse was taken down from the gallows and beheaded by an executioner. His head was then paraded through the streets before being stuck on an iron spike and displayed atop Westminster Hall.

In the late 1950s Lincoln City Football Club had a centre half named Ray LONG who was over 6 foot tall, and a left winger called David SHORT, who was only 5ft 4. Another piece of football trivia, the great strikers Dixie Dean and Jimmy Greaves, were both aged exactly 23 years 290 days, when they both scored their 200th league goals!

In July 1981, a tortoise was sentenced to death for murder. Tribal leaders in an eastern Kenyan village formally condemned the tortoise because they suspected it of causing the deaths of six people by magic. However, because none of the villagers was prepared to face the tortoise's wrath by carrying out the execution, it was chained to a tree instead. The tortoise was later freed after the government promised an inquiry into the six deaths.

After the death of her husband, poet Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) kept his heart wrapped up in silk until she died.
The cruise liner Queen Mary, now at harbour in Los Angeles, was originally meant to be known by a different name. A director of Cunard - the ship's owners - met King George V intending to name the ship Queen Victoria. He asked if the vessel could be named after 'the greatest Queen this country has ever known'. The King replied 'That is the greatest compliment ever paid to my wife. I'll ask her'. Hence, the ship became the Queen Mary.

The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and Great Britain in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.

In 1994 Los Angeles police arrested a man for dressing as the Grim Reaper - complete with scythe - and standing outside the windows of old people's homes, staring in.
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[Lilywhite]

[CarGeo]

Wow, that was all very interesting...
I like what I was told though...

Everyone is truely ignorent, just on different subjects...
_________________
Everybody is ignorent, only on differnt subjects - Will Rogers
If spelling is my worst flaw... Then I have it pretty good

[peachyboo]

A typical American eats 28 pigs in his/her lifetime.

Americans eat 20.7 pounds of candy per person annually. The Dutch eat three times as much.

Americans spend approximately $25 billion each year on beer.

Americans spent an estimated $267 billion dining out in 1993.

An etiquette writer of the 1840's advised, "Ladies may wipe their lips on the tablecloth, but not blow their noses on it."

Aunt Jemima pancake flour, invented in 1889, was the first ready-mix food to be sold commercially.

Caffeine: there are 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine in an eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee, 10 milligrams in a six-ounce cup of cocoa, 5 to 10 milligrams in one ounce of bittersweet chocolate, and 5 milligrams in one ounce of milk chocolate.

California's Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle in 1905 when he was 11-years-old.

Capsaicin, which makes hot peppers "hot" to the human mouth, is best neutralized by casein, the main protein found in milk.

China's Beijing Duck Restaurant can seat 9,000 people at one time.

Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine (PEA), a natural substance that is reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love.

Consumers spend more than $7 billion a year on chocolate. Annual per capita consumption of chocolate is 12 pounds per person.

Each American eats an average of 51 pounds of chocolate per year.

Fortune cookies were invented in 1916 by George Jung, a Los Angeles noodle maker.

Fried chicken is the most popular meal ordered in sit-down restaurants in the US. The next in popularity are: roast beef, spaghetti, turkey, baked ham, and fried shrimp.

Goulash, a beef soup, originated in Hungary in the 9th century AD.

Haggis, the national dish of Scotland: take the heart, liver, lungs, and small intestine of a calf or sheep, boil them in the stomach of the animal, season with salt, pepper and onions, add suet and oatmeal. Enjoy!

Hostess Twinkies were invented in 1931 by James Dewar, manager of Continental Bakeries' Chicago factory. He envisioned the product as a way of using the company's thousands of shortcake pans which were otherwise employed only during the strawberry season. Originally called Little Shortcake Fingers, they were renamed Twinkie Fingers, and finally "Twinkies."

In 1860, 'Godey's Lady's Book' advised US women to cook tomatoes for at least 3 hours.

In 1926, when a Los Angeles restaurant owner with the all-American name of Bob Cobb was looking for a way to use up leftovers, he threw together some avocado, celery, tomato, chives, watercress, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, and Roquefort cheese, and named it after himself: Cobb salad.

In 1995, KFC sold 11 pieces of chicken for every man, woman and child in the US.

In an authentic Chinese meal, the last course is soup because it allows the roast duck entree to "swim" toward digestion.

In the United States, a pound of potato chips costs two hundred times more than a pound of potatoes.

Large doses of coffee can be lethal. Ten grams, or 100 cups over 4 hours, can kill the average human.

Laws forbidding the sale of sodas on Sunday prompted William Garwood to invent the ice cream sundae in Evanston, IL, in 1875.

Mayonnaise is said to be the invention of the French chef of the Duke de Richelieu in 1756. While the Duke was defeating the British at Port Mahon, his chef was creating a victory feast that included a sauce made of cream and eggs. When the chef realized that there was no cream in the kitchen, he improvised, substituting olive oil for the cream. A new culinary masterpiece was born, and the chef named it "Mahonnaise" in honor of the Duke's victory.

McDonald's "Big Mac" slogan, introduced in 1975, is: "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a sesame seed bun."

McDonalds and Burger King sugar-coat their fries so they will turn golden-brown.

Nabisco's "Oreo's" are the world's best-selling brand of cookie at a rate of 6 billion sold each year. The first Oreo was sold in 1912.

Per capita, the Irish eat more chocolate than Americans, Swedes, Danes, French, and Italians.

Persians first began using colored eggs to celebrate spring in 3,000 B.C. 13th century Macedonians were the first Christians on record to use colored eggs in Easter celebrations. Crusaders returning from the Middle East spread the custom of coloring eggs, and Europeans began to use them to celebrate Easter and other warm weather holidays.

Potato chips are American's favorite snack food. They are devoured at a rate of 1.2 billion pounds a year.

Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs in 1853 by chef George Crum. They were a mocking response to a patron who complained that his French fries were too thick.

Refried beans aren't really what they seem. Although their name seems like a reasonable translation of Spanish frijoles refritos, the fact is that these beans aren't fried twice. In Spanish, refritos literally means "well-fried," not "re-fried."

Research show that only 43% of homemade dinners served in the US include vegetables.

Rice is the staple food of more than one-half of the world's population.

Saffron, made from the dried stamens of cultivated crocus flowers, is the most expensive cooking spice.

Since Hindus don't eat beef, the McDonald's in New Delhi makes its burgers with mutton.

Sliced bread was introduced under the Wonder Bread label in 1930.

Swiss Steak, Chop Suey, Russian Dressing, and a Hamburger all originated in the US.

Tequila is made from the root of the blue agave cactus.

The Agen plum which would become the basis of the US prune industry was first planted in California in 1856.

The average child will eat 1,500 PB sandwiches by high school graduation.

The California grape and wine industries were started by Count Agoston Haraszthy de Moksa, who planted Tokay, Zinfandel, and Shiras varieties from his native Hungary in Buena Vista in 1857.

The color of a chile is no indication of its spiciness, but size usually is - the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is.

The daughter of confectioner Leo Hirschfield is commemorated in the name of the sweet he invented: Although his daughter's real name was Clara, she went by the nickname Tootsie, and in her honor, her doting father named his chewy chocolate logs Tootsie Rolls.

The difference between apple juice and apple cider is that the juice is pasteurized and the cider is not.

The dye used to stamp the grade on meat is edible. It's made from grape skins.

The English word "soup" comes from the Middle Ages word "sop," which means a slice of bread over which roast drippings were poured. The first archaeological evidence of soup being consumed dates back to 6000 B.C., with the main ingredient being Hippopotamus bones!

The FDA allows an average of 30 or more insect fragments and one or more rodent hairs per 100 grams of peanut butter.

The first ring donuts were produced in 1847 by a 15 year old baker's apprentice, Hanson Gregory, who knocked the soggy center out of a fried doughnut.

The fungus called truffles can cost $800 to $1,500 per pound. They are sniffed out by female pigs, which detect a compound that is in the saliva of male pigs as well. The same chemical is found in the sweat of human males.

The hamburger was invented in 1900 by Louis Lassen. He ground beef, broiled it, and served it between two pieces of toast.

The hottest chile in the world is the habanero.

The ice cream soda was invented in 1874 by Robert Green. He was serving a mixture of syrup, sweet cream and carbonated water at a celebration in Philadelphia. He ran out of cream and substituted ice cream.

The largest item on any menu in the world is probably the roast camel, sometimes served at Bedouin wedding feasts. The camel is stuffed with a sheep's carcass, which is stuffed with chickens, which are stuffed with fish, which are stuffed with eggs.

The Pillsbury Bake-off has been held every year since 1948.

The pound cake got its name from the pound of butter it contained.

The sandwich is named for the Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92), for whom sandwiches were made so that he could stay at the gambling table without interruptions for meals.

The vintage date on a bottle of wine indicates the year the grapes were picked, not the year of bottling.

The white part of an egg is the albumen.

The white potato originated in the Andes mountains and was probably brought to Britain by Sir Francis Drake about 1586.

The world's first chocolate candy was produced in 1828 by Dutch chocolate-maker Conrad J. Van Houten. He pressed the fat from roasted cacao beans to produce cocoa butter, to which he added cocoa powder and sugar.

The world's costliest coffee, at $130 a pound , is called Kopi Luwak. It is in the droppings of a type of marsupial that eats only the very best coffee beans. Plantation workers track them and scoop their precious poop.

The world's deadliest mushroom is the Amanita phalloides, the death cap. The five different poisons contained by the mushroom cause diarrhea and vomiting within 6 to 12 hours of ingestion. This is followed by damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system - and, in the majority of cases, coma and death.

To determine the percentage of alcohol in a bottle of liquor divide the proof by two.

Van Camp's Pork and Beans were a staple food for Union soldiers in the Civil War.

Vanilla is the extract of fermented and dried pods of several species of orchids.

When honey is swallowed, it enters the blood stream within a period of 20 minutes.

When Swiss cheese ferments, a bacterial action generates gas. As the gas is liberated, it bubbles through the cheese leaving holes. Cheese-makers call them "eyes."
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[bob]

some comments:

[peachyboo]

Yak hair is considered the best kind of hair from which to make a clown wig.

There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people.

Eighty percent of American women say they would like to have sex more often.

The average American makes 3.4 trips to the grocery store each week.

About 10,000 containers fall off cargo ships each year.

In Lehigh, Nebraska it's against the law to sell donut holes.

In 75 percent of American households, women manage the money and pay the bills.

"Abasiophilia" is the overwhelming sexual attraction to those who use leg braces and wheelchairs.

The sweet potato is a member of the morning glory family.

The biggest beer-consuming people in the world are the Czechs, followed by the Irish, with Germans in third place.

A sea polyp can change sexes at will.

Coffee was first known in Europe as "Arabian Wine."

The average marital affair lasts two to four years.

No one knows where Mozart is buried.

People who eat popcorn at the movies are three times more likely to cry in the movies than those who don't eat popcorn.

A jumbo jet weighs as much as 76 African elephants.

The little bumps on the surface of a table tennis paddle are called "pips."

The first state to secede from the Union was South Carolina in 1860 after President Lincoln was elected.

Per capita, Canadians buy more diamonds than anyone else on Earth.

In 1971, the lead role in the film "Dirty Harry" was supposed to go to Frank Sinatra rather than Clint Eastwood.
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[Roofoot]

Apparently 60,000 Amerians per year are injured by toilets, whereas only 10,000 injured by rakes.
_________________
"The moral of the story is that all dreams inevitably end in horrible implosions"

[peachyboo]

ALCATRAZ PRISON
Alcatraz Federal Prison was closed in March of 1963. The facility had served as a US military prison from 1859 to 1933 and as a federal prison from 1933.

ANNE FRANK
13-year-old Anne Frank made the last entry in her diary on August 1, 1944; a diary she had kept for two years while hiding with her family to escape Nazi deportation to a concentration camp. Three days later the Grune Polizei raided the secret annex in Amsterdam, Holland, where the Jewish family was in hiding. Anne died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at age 15.

AUTOMOBILE
The last Model T Ford came off the assembly line on May 26, 1927.
The 1550 Silver Spyder Porsche was the last car designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche.
The Studebacker-Packard Co. made the last Packard on August 19, 1958.

BRANDING FOR PUNISHMENT
Jonathan Walker, in 1844, was the last person branded in the US as punishment for a crime. He had the initials SS branded into the palm of his right hand as punishment for helping American slaves escape to the Bahamas. (The charge against him was slave stealing.)

CIGARETTE AD ON TELEVISION
On December 31, 1970, the last cigarette ad, a commercial for Virginia Slims, was aired on the "Tonight Show." Cigarette advertising was banned from radio and TV effective January 1, 1971.

DRIVER'S LICENSE
New York was the last state, in 1984, to put photographs on driver's licenses.

ELLIS ISLAND
In 1954, Ellis Island closed after processing more than 20 million immigrants since opening in New York Harbor in 1892.

LAST CALL
A bartender's announcement that customers may order one more drink before the bar closes is known as the last call.

LAST HORSEMAN
The last horseman of the Apocalypse is Death, according to Revelations 6:2-8.

LAST POST
The title of music played at military burials is called the last post.

LAST SUPPER
The Passover meal taken by Jesus and his disciples before his death.

LONDON TRAM
London's last tram ran July 6, 1952, as motor buses replaced streetcars.

MOON LASTS
US Astronaut Eugene Cernan is the last person to set foot on the moon - December 1972.

The last words spoken from the moon were from Eugene Cernan, Commander of the Apollo 17 Mission on 11 December 1972. "As we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind."

MORSE CODE
The last Coast Guard radio navigation station still using Morse code transmitted its last message on March 31, 1995 from Chesapeake, Virginia.

PROHIBITION
On December fifth, 1933, national Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

RED DYE #2
The most frequently used dye in drugs, food and cosmetics, red dye No. 2, was banned by the US Food and Drug Administration on February 12, 1976, after studies indicated the dye was carcinogenic.

SLAVERY IN US
On December 18th, 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was declared in effect.

US CIVIL WAR
All Confederate troops west of the Mississippi River surrendered on May 26, 1865.

US CURRENCY
Bills in denominations of $500 and up were last printed in 1969.
Gold coins were last circulated in 1933. The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 made it illegal for private persons to own gold bullion.
The last Indian Head or Buffalo nickel was issued in 1938 by the Denver Mint. Three men: Two Moons, Crow Tails, and John Big Tail had been used as models for the Indian head.
The last Lincoln cent with wheat ears on the reverse side was issued in 1958.
The last time US quarters and dimes actually had any silver content was 1964.

US INDIAN RESISTANCE
The last major American Indian resistance to white settlement was the 'Battle of Wounded Knee,' in 1890.

US PRESIDENT
The last "foreign" born US president was William Henry Harrison. He was born in 1773, in Virginia, before the USA was formed. The Constitution would later require that the president be a native-born citizen and a resident of the US for at least 14 years.
The last US President not born in a hospital was Lyndon B. Johnson. He was born in a farmhouse in Texas in 1908.
The last US President to be born in a log cabin was James Garfield. He was born on Nov. 19, 1831.
The last US President to own slaves was Ulysses S. Grant. In 1848, when he married Julia Dent, she already owned 1 slave. She received a second as a wedding gift, and later purchased a third one. Grant bought a slave named William Jones and later freed him.
The last US President to resign from office was Richard Nixon, on August 9, 1974.
The last US President to serve 4 terms was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1947, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution limited future presidents to two terms.

WITCHCRAFT TRIAL IN ENGLAND
The last witchcraft trial in England was the trial of Jane Wenham in 1712. She was found innocent.

TELESPHOBIA
The fear of being last.
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[peachyboo]

Band-Aids!
They wouldn't exist if it weren't for Listerine.


Band-Aids® actually came from Listerine!

In the 1860's, a British surgeon named Sir Joseph Lister pioneered sanitary operating room procedures. In many hospitals, the post-operative mortality rate was in excess of 90%. I think it's clear to us today that his ideas were well needed.

Why, you may ask?

It seems that the doctors operated with their bare hands in street clothes. Spectators were allowed to observe the operations first hand. For surgical dressings, they used pressed sawdust which was lifted off the floors of the saw mills. Instruments were not sterilized - only washed with soap and water.

Lister gave a speech in Philadelphia in 1876, expressing his views on germs. No one was interested.

No one except a Missouri physician named Joseph Lawrence.

Lawrence went back to his lab and developed an antibacterial liquid, which was manufactured locally by the Lambert Pharmacal Company (any idea which Fortune 500 Corp. this became?).

They needed a name. We can be sure that they must have tossed around some great ones in that board room. Maybe 'horrible tasting liquid' or 'Stuff to make your bad breath smell like something else that still smells bad, but not THAT bad'. I guess they weren't interested in these great suggestions.

Instead, they gave it the name Listerine, in honor of Sir Joseph L----r (you can figure out the rest). This gave it an antiseptic image. The right name at the right time.

So how does this lead to the Band-Aid?

It turns out that one other person was impressed by Lister's talk- Robert Johnson, a pharmacist from Brooklyn.

He and his two brothers decided to start a company to produce large dry cotton and gauze dressing. The company had a great name - Johnson and Johnson (why was the third brother excluded?). They were shipped in germ-resistant packages, guaranteeing sterility until opened.

Their next product was baby powder, also still on the market.

I can hear you yelling all the way over here in New York. SO WHERE DID THE BAND-AIDS® COME FROM?

Calm down and let me get a word in edgewise.

In 1920, another brother, James Johnson, heard that his employee had invented a neat product. The guy's name was Earle Dickson (note how his name is lost in history and the company took all the credit and profits).

Way back on December 6, 1917, Earle married Mrs. Earle (the former Miss Josephine Frances Knight). Josephine was extremely accident prone and constantly seemed to be cutting her fingers with those darn sharp kitchen knives. Problem! His company's bandages were too big for her delicate little bruises.

By 1920, he grew weary of having to bandage up his wife's dainty little fingers. He decided to affix small pieces of the sterile gauze to the center of strips of surgical tape. (I can hear the crowds of people now - "DUH! That's pretty obvious!" These are the same people who are unable to figure out how Newton discovered gravity because it's so obvious.)

He mentioned what he had created to a fellow employee at Johnson and Johnson and was encouraged to approach management with the idea.

The Johnsons weren't overly impressed initially. At least not until good old Earle showed that he could easily apply it to himself. No help needed! Wow! Shazaaaaaam! What a great idea!

Unfortunately, the original handmade bandages did not sell - only $3000 worth of the product was sold during the first year. (The New York Times reports that "they came in sections 2 1/2 inches wide and 18 inches long" - does this seem a bit large to you?)

By 1924 the Band-Aids® were produced by machine and sales took off. History was then made. Over one hundred billion have been made to date.

By the way, poor old Earle was not that poor in the end. The company actually made him a vice president (until he retired in 1957) and then a member of the board of directors. Unfortunately, Earle didn't enjoy a long retirement - he passed away on September 22, 1961 at age 68. At the time of his death, Johnson and Johnson was selling over $30,000,000 worth of Band-Aids® each year.
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[Smurfette1313]

That was great!
Thanks Peachy!
_________________
Salsa Shark. Were gonna need a bigger boat. Man goes into cage, cage goes into salsa. Shark is in salsa.
- Randal (Clerks)

[taranaki]

That was a brilliant post,peachy.Not only was it chock full of trivia,but whoever wrote it knew how to tell a story.Nice find.
_________________
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

[peachyboo]

It's been proven that people can lessen reactions to allergies by laughing.

The space between your eyebrows is called the "glabella."

At any one time, one in four people are daydreaming about sex.

The Statue of Liberty weighs 225 tons.

Reindeer herders have the most dangerous occupation in Sweden.

"Clinophobia" is the fear of beds.

There are three golf balls on the surface of the moon.

Twenty-seven percent of female lottery winners hide their winning ticket in their bra.

Someone who is bilingual can also be called "diglot."

It takes the average person seven minutes to fall asleep.

"Taphephilia" is sexual arousal derived from being buried alive.

The dial tone of a normal telephone is in the key of "F."

The are 255 squares on a Scrabble board.

The penis of a barnacle may reach up to 20 times its body size.

Seven percent of Americans eat at McDonald's on any given day.

The Eiffel Tower has 2,500,000 rivets in it.

Children who are breastfed tend to have an I.Q. seven points higher than children who are not.

The 1951 film Quo Vadis used 32,000 costumes—the most in any one film.

The ostrich has a 46-foot long small intestine.

Assuming Rudolph is in front, there are 40,320 ways to arrange the other eight reindeer
_________________
Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart.

[Notabunny]

It takes me a lot longer than 7 minutes to fall asleep because I'm counting all those reindeer arrangement combinations.