Showing posts with label History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History. Show all posts

Monday, November 18, 2019

Who Is That?

You know who this is...




And this....



But do you know these people??? What changes have they made in the world?

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1.  Sonia Sotomayor, the first person of Hispanic descent to serve as an Associate Justice (judge) on the United States Supreme Court and the third female Associate Justice. She is originally from New York. The other 2 women are Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

2.  Malala Yousefzi. At the age of 14, she was the youngest person to ever win a Nobel Prize. She is outspoken about women's rights, particularly focusing on education. She was shot in the head for being so outspoken, survived, and continues to speak out for womens' rights.
Read about her: Triogenius, 1-6-2014: The Rebel.

3. Greta Thunberg. She is a climate-change activist from Sweden and is not quite 16 years old. She began her call for climate awareness by protesting outside the Swedish Parliament building. She travels the world to spread support for protecting the world's climate. She also is autistic, and calls that her 'superpower'. 


Are you interested in learning about young people that have influenced our lives? Check this out: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/photos/8-amazing-kids-who-have-changed-the-world/get-ready
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4. Nelson Mandela. He is a South African man who spoke out against apartheid, and spent 27 years of his life in prison. Read about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

5. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft,, which provides many basic computer programs we all use or have used . Read about him at Triogenius, 9-1-2014. 

6. Rosa Parks, considered a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement, refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man in 1955, and was arrested. This is a picture of her being fingerprinted, and yes, she was actually arrested over a dispute about a seat on a bus. Her case was heard in court and eventually, the court found in her favor.  Read more about Rosa here:  http://www.rosaparks.org/biography/


7.  Mother Theresa, a highly regarded nun who was born in Albania and served in Calcutta, India, the founder of the Missions of Charity, serving the poorest people of the country and those suffering from AIDs, leprosy, and other diseases. She also was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

8.  Stephen Hawking. Hawking was a physicist who studied things like how the universe began, black holes, and time: He wrote a book, "A Brief History of Time." He suffered from motor neuron disease, which eventually robbed him of the ability to speak as you and I do, but communicated using a computer*..  He died in 2018 at the age of 76.

*learn about the person who developed this sort of computer..beginning when she was 12 years old--Rachel Zimmerman:  http://women-inventors.com/Rachel-Zimmerman.asp

9.  Sally Ride, the first female astronaut in the U.S. Ms. Ride was born in 1951. She was the first American woman in space, flying twice on the space shuttle Challenger and spending over 14 days in space. . She was the youngest person at age 32 to orbit the Earth. After she retired from NASA, she was a physics professor. Ms. Ride died in 2012.

10. Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin. He did research on the staphylococcus germ, watching how it grew and behaved when invading healthy cells. He planned to go on a holiday and stacked his samples in a pile, and when he returned he noticed there was some other kind of mold in some of the staph samples that was consuming and destroying it. His remark was, "That's funny.." Penicillin in many forms is still used as the first antibiotic to fight infections. Fleming lived from 1881 to 1955. He was born in Scotland and lived in England.

11.  Jane Goodall, born 1934. She is an Englishwoman who has devoted her life to the study of chimpanzees, living among them and discovering that they use tools, for one thing. Ms. Goodall still advocates for protection of chimpanzees as well as  promoting the saving of the environment,especially that of endangered species. Did you know that her notes and records were first digitized by the University of Minnesota? Here is more on her life:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall

12. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone (an early prototype is pictured). He worked for Motorola. The first cell phone conversation was Cooper calling a friend while standing on the streets of New York City.

Now you know some important people...
Think of more that you can explore:
  • Who invented something you use every day, and when did that happen?
  • Who has achieved great success, and how did he or she do it?
  • Who would be a role model for you?
  • Who rose from humble beginnings to accomplish great things?





Tuesday, June 19, 2018

A Brief History of Recorded Music Or, It Wasn't Always Digital

Timeline of Recorded Sound Firsts:
  • 1840s  Player pianos*
Have you ever heard of a Player Piano?


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=player+piano&&view=detail&mid=949173693757D6BACBEE949173693757D6BACBEE&FORM=VRDGAR

Below is a link to a player piano, playing The Sound of Music. It gives you a close look at the keys doing their thing and how the paper roll moves, how the words are printed off to one side. A different kind of Karaoke...
 
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=player+pianos+rock+music&&view=detail&mid=0BB3C58FAD08FEFEF6370BB3C58FAD08FEFEF637&FORM=VRDGAR
 
Very cool vid showing some history, and how a cylinder was used by Edison:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=history+of+recorded+audio&&view=detail&mid=5EFA19240EF025FDE7C55EFA19240EF025FDE7C5&FORM=VRDGAR



               This is a phonograph designed by Thomas Edison in 1877 that used cylinders instead of records


A video of the oldest recording made in 1860 by a Frenchman and recently recovered using modern technology--this recording was made by 'burning' sound waves onto paper! :

  • 1894    Gramophone records
  • 1898    Wire recording
  • 1919    Sound on film
  • 1925    Cut records
Records were originally made to play at 78 rpm (revolutions per minute) and were made of a brittle, breakable, material called 'shellac.'
  • 1940s  Reel-to-reel tape recording


  • 1947    Dictabelts
These were vinyl belts used in offices: Someone could dictate a letter and the sound would 'record' onto the belt. A typist would take the belt and put it into a machine to hear, and then type up what was said.



  • 1948   LP (Long Playing) record on vinyl
These were played on a record player: the records had a hole in the center. You would place the record on the spindle of the turntable, turn the player on, and set the arm on the record. The arm had a needle in it which sent the sound to the speakers. The record player usually had three speeds: 33-1/3, 45, and 78 for very old records.




An album (record) would have songs on both sides, and played at 33 1/3 rpm. They cost about $5.00. However, keep in mind a teen's allowance might be $5 a month. While thinner than shellac and not easy to break, vinyl records warp easily from heat: if you kept them in the sun or close to a heat source, they will curve out of shape, which ruins the sound.



  • 1949   45 rpm record
These were singles, one song on either side. They cost about $1.00. They played at 45 rpm. You had to put an adapter in the center hole because it was too large to go on the spindle without it.
Adapter for 45s

This is what a record looks like when it's being played: The needle on the arm of the player is 'traveling' along the grooves of the record towards the hole in the middle. Hence, probably, the term "groovy."


In the 80s, DJs would usually have two players going at once and then move the turntable by hand to achieve the 'scratchy' sound popular at that time:


All recordings made by etching are actually one continuous spiral, whether on a cylinder or a vinyl record.


  • 1958   Tape cartridge
  • 1963    Tape cassette
  • 1964    8 track tape


  • 1967    Mini Cassette
  • 1982    CD (Compact Disc)
  • 2004    USB Flash Drive
Here is what a sound wave looks like when a computer analyzes it:
People buy about an equal amount of their music by download (such as ITunes) as they do actual CDs, about 11 million of each per year. We are also just listening to music online more and buying less of either type of music.


To learn how noise affects your hearing, see Triogenius April 6, 2015 (to your right in the Archives)




Some Happy music because it makes people want to dance........   http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dance+happy+minions&&view=detail&mid=70A147D370A82117D22470A147D370A82117D224&FORM=VRDGAR
  





Monday, October 9, 2017

It's Indigenous People Day

What do you know about Native Americans? They could also be called 'indigenous people' meaning, those who originate in a particular place. Theirs is a rich culture that has, through their creativity, endured for thousands of years.


Here are the tribes of the United States:


http://www.native-languages.org/states.htm

Fast facts:
Here are migration patterns for the world as we know it today. Keep in mind that the continents were not always separated as they are now:


  • The population of Native Americans was once a large and thriving number. Currently, only 1.4% of people living in the U.S. (4.5 Million) are Native Americans.
  • When settlers came to North America and brought horses, they also brought diseases such as chicken pox and measles, which the Native Americans had never been exposed to and had no immunity for. This caused the death of a great number of people.
  • Originally the two tribes that lived in what is now Minnesota, were the Sioux (Soo) and Ojibwe (Oh Jib Way) 'Chippewa' is another term for Ojibwe (a mispronunciation, perhaps?)
  • Currently, there are 567 tribes of Native Americans in the United States.





Tools used by Native Americans: What do you think these might have been used for?


For an extensive education about Native Americans, visit the History Channel's article: There are videos and explanation of the migration, and many Native American cultures:  http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-cultures


Anton Treuer's life work is to preserve culture and especially language for his tribe: most languages of Native Americans were never written down, so the words need to be passed down from generation to generation. His website: http://antontreuer.com/about/ He is a professor at Bemidji State. Here's a video: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=anton+treuer&&view=detail&mid=9A6557E999E8DA705B299A6557E999E8DA705B29&&FORM=VDRVRV


Artistry is a rich part of Native American culture: Making items that are not only functional but beautiful and symbolic. Here are some baskets carefully woven with designs on them:

And a bowl with a complex design:

The amount of work it took to create this beautiful costume (and shoes!!!) is really amazing:




Native Americans have made music for centuries. Did you know they played not only drums and flutes, but also made guitars, harps, fiddles, bells, and rattles?


Here is a group of ornately carved Native American flutes: Notice the bird heads and animals carved on each:




Some drums made by Native Americans:





Interesting facts about powwow drums:
Among Native Americans, ceremonial drums are treated with great care and respect. North American powwow drums are placed on a blanket or stand during performance and are covered when not in use. They are smudged with tobacco in a special sunrise ceremony before the public powwow events, and neither drugs nor alcohol may be used near the drums. In addition, paraphernalia such as drumsticks, stands, or medicine bags may belong to a particular drum. The Ojibwa dance drum is regarded as a living being, and great care is taken with its construction and decoration. For the Mapuche, the life of a kultrún comes to an end with the death of its owner, and it is either buried with her or destroyed. The sound of the drum conveys symbolic meaning for many Native Americans. A rapid drumbeat in certain songs from the Northwest Coast signifies the transformation of a Thunderbird into a human state.      -from Britannica.com





Listen to some Native American Music:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=native+american++music&&view=detail&mid=DFD34616F385260362E3DFD34616F385260362E3&FORM=VRDGAR


Take a little time to learn about the people who were here first. After all...






Monday, September 25, 2017

Lighthouses






You're traveling the ocean in a ship and wondering where, exactly you are. What to do.....??


And then someone says, I know--let's build a big fire on that high hill for ships to use as a guidepost.


Thus began the lighthouse as we know it today.


If a fire was a good idea, people decided, then a building where a 'permanent' fire could be housed was even better. By the 1600s there were at least 30 lighthouses built around the coast close to Europe and England. The lighthouse, or a concept of it, was mentioned as early as the 8th century BC in The Odyssey and The Iliad.
Montazzah Lighthouse, Alexandria, Egypt
Originally the lights were meant to help navigate by, but eventually also became a way of warning ships of bad sailing conditions or hazards that lie ahead of them.




Lighthouses were built as far out on a coastline as people dared, but they weren't always engineered well and could be 'taken' by the sea in a storm. There was a need to anchor them deeper into the ground and build them of masonry, brick, or concrete, which made them longer-lasting. The lights were fueled by wood, coal, or oil, and tended by people who kept the glass (lens) clean, trimmed the wick if using oil as a fuel, maintained the outside of the building, and some kept records of ships passing through as well.


Go with a couple as they climb up to the top of a lighthouse in Cape Hatteras:  Notice this one has a black band around it..  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tour+of+lighthouse&&view=detail&mid=7A8223C2357271D1FFD07A8223C2357271D1FFD0&FORM=VRDGAR
When a community didn't have a lighthouse, they would often have a light in the tall steeple of a church located on the coast to help ships find their way.

  • In 1858, the first electric-powered lighthouse was built in England.
  • Some lighthouse lights revolve and some have a steady light. Some flash on and off.
  • Some use mirrors to reflect more light
  • Different lenses can be used to make a lighthouse more visible
  • The atmosphere affects the quality of the light: Fog, smoke, haze, wind, smog--all can make it harder to see, even as bright as they are
  • The light can be a maximum of 100,000 candelas. By comparison, a 60 watt light bulb used often in a table lamp, has 800 lumens or roughly 9600 candelas.
  • Lighthouses are usually white, but may also be a color or black to make it more visible in the sea


  • Lighthouses can be built in the sea with the right footings
  • Helicopters are commonly used to do maintenance on tall lighthouses
  • In the early 1900s, some lighthouses added a 'fog signal,' a low sounding horn operated by a sort of mechanical set-up. Lighthouses that use a 'horn' now are automated (unattended by people).
Video with a fog horn:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lighthouse+fog+horn&&view=detail&mid=505CD5C80376DF037EBB505CD5C80376DF037EBB&FORM=VRDGAR
  • In addition to lighthouses, there are light ships: these are ships that anchor in the ocean at all times and have lights mounted high on their masts for guidance. They are always automated, no people are on the lightships


  • Lighted buoys also are used to help ships follow certain paths. They're anchored to stay in the sea. These buoys have color coded paint and flash color coded lights: They flash red for ships to stay to the left (port) side, or green for the ship to stay to the right (starboard) side.
  • A Cardinal Buoy marks the deepest water and the safest route.
A lighthouse actually built in the ocean. (it houses a light, and that's all)
Frequently asked questions about lighthouses:  https://www.us-lighthouses.com/faq.php
As of today, there are over 600 lighthouses in the United States. Only one is manned by a person, all the rest are automated. The United States Coast Guard maintains the lighthouses.

Lots of interesting stuff about lighthouses:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/lighthouse






Coast Guard listing of different symbolism used by lighthouses, buoys, and other details:  https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lightLists/LightList%20V7.pdf


This is Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior, in Duluth:





Monday, February 6, 2017

Black History Month

February marks Black History Month in the United States.


It started out as National African American History Week, the 2nd week in February, in 1926, The reason for this date? Both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born in February.


Read about the Emancipation Proclamation, signed in January of 1863, here: http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation




Did you know this about Lincoln and the Proclamation?  http://www.history.com/news/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-lincoln-slavery-and-emancipation


The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1868 gave former slaves citizenship, but it had its flaws: It did not necessarily guarantee them their Constitutional rights. This was debated for years through Congress and the Supreme Court.


.The 15th Amendment gave men of color the right to vote (but not women, nor could any woman vote until 1919).

Shocking, right????

Note the use of the Roman Numerals XV

For a look at many constitution-related documents, follow this link to the National Archives site: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs


The celebration of the contribution of African Americans expanded to the month of February in 1976, and became Black History Month. It is about more than slavery, though. Here is just a brief listing of African Americans and their contributions to America:
  • Harriet Tubman was well known for her work with the Underground Railroad, guiding slaves to freedom in the north. She will be the first woman featured on money, the $20 bill.
  • W E B Dubois, Founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The organization began in 1909 and is still thriving today.
  • Hirem Revels was the first Black senator
  • Spelman College, in Georgia, was the first college for African American women http://www.spelman.edu/


  • Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, in Alabama, was the first college for African American men: http://www.tuskegee.edu/


  • Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955 because she would not give up her seat on the bus to a white man. Here she is being fingerprinted:




  • Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, an African American, made the decision that interracial marriage is legal. In the past, it was not: You could be arrested for marrying someone of a different race.
  • Shirley Chisholm was the first African American in the House of Representatives, from New York. She served from 1969 to 1983.
  • The first African American in outer space was Guion Bluford, Junior.
  • Read about astronaut Ron McNair, who has a TRIO scholarship program named for him:
  •     https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mcnair.html 


  • The McNair Scholarship is unique in that it is for graduate students (those who have finished their Bachelors Degree) https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triomcnair/index.html
  • Colin Powell was the first Secretary of State of African American background
  • Condoleeza Rice was the first African American and first female to be Secretary of State.
  • Barack Obama was the first African American elected president.
  • We currently have 1 African American in the Senate, and 43 in the House of Representatives.
Young people talk about being mixed-race here: http://themash.com/blog/news/2012/11/15/mixed-race-teens-talk-about-identity/


What is the significance of Black History Month to you? Think about it, talk amongst yourselves, and see what we all have in common.