What’s in a day?
I had a hard time deciding what to talk about this morning. A lot has happened on May 10 throughout history, and there’s a lot to choose from. Christopher Columbus visited the Cayman Islands in 1503 and named them Las Tortugas, because there were a lot of turtles there. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette became the […]
About Mothers
Thu 5/9/2024 8:19 AM One hundred and ten years ago today, on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. For those of you not paying attention, that means that this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day – don’t forget. James Joyce said, “Whatever else is unsure […]
Doing it well
Think of something you do well. Quietly -to yourself I’ll wait. Did you think of a talent or hobby that you spend time doing or practicing or performing? Did you think of a competition? The word well describes the quality of that something I just asked you to think about – well is an adverb […]
How do you know?
Tue 5/7/2024 9:31 AM On May 7, 1711, three hundred and thirteen years ago today, Scottish philosopher David Hume was born in Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland. Hume is best known for his idea that all human knowledge comes only from experience—that we can know only what our senses impress upon us, not what our minds can […]
When the Effort gets Painful
Mon 5/6/2024 8:07 AM On May 6, 1954, seventy years ago today, Roger Bannister became the first person ever to run a mile in under 4 minutes. The race took place at Iffley Road Track at Oxford University, where the 25-year-old Bannister was not just an athlete, but also a full-time medical student. Since Bannister’s […]
Feared or Loved?
Fri 5/3/2024 8:11 AM Five hundred and fifty-five years ago today, on May 3, 1469, Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy. He came from a long line of attorneys and government officials, and at age 25, he carried on the tradition, taking a post in the office of the second chancery, which placed him […]
The Genius and Persistence of “the real McCoy”
On May 2, 1844, 180 years ago today, Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario to George and Mildred Goins McCoy—fugitive slaves who had escaped from Kentucky and traveled north to Ontario via the Underground Railroad. Elijah was educated in the segregated black schools of Ontario, and then went to Scotland to study at the University of […]
What’s in a name?
On May 1, 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto officially got its name. While researchers had suspected the existence of Pluto for years based on observations of activity around Neptune and Uranus, the formal discovery of Pluto occurred on February 18, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. Pluto’s name comes from the Roman god of the underworld. But […]
