James Smith McDonnell was born in Denver, Colorado back in 1899. He was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas graduating from Little Rock High School in 1917. He continued his education at Princeton University graduating in 1921, with a Master’s of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from MIT in 1925.After graduation, he started working for Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company.  in 1931, he was hired as an engineer for the Glenn L. Martin Company resigning in 1938.  He later served as chairman of the United Nations Association of the United States.  In 1980, he was awarded the NAS Award in Aeronautical Engineering for the National Academy of Sciences. He died of a stroke in 1980, he was 81.What you may not know about James is that in 1939 he founded the McDonnell Aircraft C... 09/01/2021

Eduardo Liceaga was born in Guanajuato City, Mexico back in 1839 to Francisco and Trinidad.  He received his education at the old College of San Gregorio, Mexico City and later at the College of the State of Guanajuato.  He took first prize in Latin, winning prizes and honorable mention.His medical education was at the National School of Medicine in Mexico City, graduating in 1866.  Emperor Maximillian bestowed on him the degree of Surgeon and a gold medal.  He taught surgery in his alma mater becoming its director, serving from 1904 to 1910.  In 1913, he was made honorary director.  He worked for twenty-five years as the director of the Maternity and Infant Hospital.What you may not know about Dr. Liceaga is that he is known as the “most distinguished hygienist of the late-nineteenth c... 06/03/2021

Charles Leiper Grigg was born in Prices Branch, Missouri back in 1868 to Charles and Mary.  When he turned 22 he moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he began working in the advertising field. By 1919, he was working as a salesman for a manufacturing company owned by Vess Jonea.  While working with Jonea he invented and marketed his first soft drink called “Whistle”.  The success of the drink led to his promotion to the marketing manager, however he and Jonea did not get along, he left the company, leaving Whistle behind. Later we worked with the Warner Jenkinson Company developing flavoring agents for soft drinks.  In 1929, he developed his second soft drink which made him a wealthy man.  He died in 1940 in St. Louis he was 71.Some of you may like to know what his second soft drink was c... 05/19/2021

Lucy Craft Laney was born in Macon, Georgia back in 1854 to David and Louisa.  At the age of four she could read, she attended Lewis High School in Macon.  After graduation she attended Atlanta University graduating in 1873.  She worked as a teacher in Macon, Milledgeville and Savanah, Georgia.After 10 years working as a teacher she opened the now call Lucy Craft Laney High School in 1883.  By 1928 it had more than 800 students, the school also served as a community center. In 1974, Governor Jimmy Carter hung her portrait in the Georgia state capitol to hone her, in 1992 Lucy was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement.What you may not know about Lucy is that she was an African-American, the school she opened was the first school for black children in Augusta.  She was principal ... 04/01/2021

Elizabeth Kortright was born in New York City, New York back in 1768 to Lawrence and Hannah.  At nine her mother died and her father never remarried.  Elizabeth first met James while he was serving as a member of the Continental Congress.  The couple were married in February of 1786 in New York City.  In December she gave birth to Eliza.James was appointed United States Minister to France.  While in France she helped secure the release of Madame La Fayette and gave shelter to Thomas Paine while he was in Paris. They returned to the United States in 1802.  In 1803, James was appointed the United States Minister to Great Britain and Spain.  They returned to Virginia in 1807.  Elizabeth suffered the first of a series of seizures and collapses in 1801, which would plague her for the rest of... 03/15/2021

Ellis O. Knox was born in Northern California back in 1900 to Albert and Addie.  He attended the public schools in Lake County, California.  In 1923, he graduated from UC Berkeley.  After graduation, he accepted a staff position at the Phoenix Union High School.  He met his wife Lois there and in 1926, they moved back to Los Angeles.He continued his education at the University of California, graduation with a doctorate he moved to the District of Columbia accepting a staff position at Howard University in 1931.  He was an adjunct professor at Yale and the American University.  In 1955, he was appointed to the President’s While House Conference on Education.  He worked alongside Thurgood Marshall.  In 1967, he ended his tenure at Howard University, moving back to Los Angeles where he ser... 03/02/2021

Marie-Claire Kirkland was born back in 1924 in Palmer, Massachusetts to Charles and Rose.  I didn’t find much of her childhood.  So, let’s cut to the chase.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947, her Bachelor of Civil Law in 1950 from McGill University.  She became a judge in 1973, retiring in 1991.  She died in 2016, she was 91.What you may not know about Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain is that she was the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, the first woman appointed a Cabinet minister in Quebec, the first woman appointed acting premier and the first woman judge to serve in the Quebec Provincial Court. I know this one is short, however sometimes I can’t find more to make it interesting.NW Arkansas, come for a visit, stay for a lifetime 02/18/2021

Herbert David Kelleher was born in Camden, New Jersey back in 1931.  He was raised in Audubon, New Jersey graduating from Haddon Heights High School.  After graduation, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Wesleyan University.  He continued his education with a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.After graduation he clerked for a New Jersey Supreme Court Justice.  He moved to Texas, but I do not have the date.  In 1978, he was installed as Chairman of the Board of Southwest Airlines.  He stepped down in 2007, retiring.  In 2010 he was appointed chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.  He died in 2019, he was 87.What you may not know about Herbert is that he was he co-founder, later chairman emeritus of Southwest Airlines.Your day is worthwhile when you make... 01/27/2021

Arthur Atwater Kent Sr. was born in Burlington, Vermont back in 1873.  The family moved to Worchester, Massachusetts in 1881.  He entered Worchester Polytechnic Institute majoring in mechanical engineering.  He excelled in mechanics and drawing, but he was weak in chemistry, algebra and language, having no interest in those subjects.He started the Kent Electric Manufacturing Company where he sold electric motors and generators.  In 1921, he was producing radio components.  His business was so successful he built a plant that eventually covered 32 acres in North Philadelphia.  By 1925 it was the largest maker of radios in the United States, employing over 12,00 workers. He died in 1949 in Hollywood, California he was 75.What you may not know about Arthur is that in 1921, he patented the ... 01/25/2021

Whitcomb L. Judson was born in Chicago, Illinois back in 1843.  He enlisted in the Union Army in 1861 at Oneida, Illinois serving in the 42nd Illinois Infantry Regiment.  he attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.  After graduation, he was a traveling salesman for Pitts Agricultural Works and then for Earle Manufacturing Company.Around 1889, his attention turned to inventions, his first one was for a “pneumatic street railway” system. In 1889 alone, he received six patents related to hi concept of a street railway running on compressed air.  Of course, it failed, so he turned his attention to some other invention.  He is more noted for his patent that was approved in May of 1893 U.S.P. 504,038 and 557,207 after improvements.  Later in 1893, he exhibited his new invention at the Ch... 12/31/2020

Estelle Scher was born in New York City, New York back in 1923 to Charles and Sarah.  Her mother was a homemaker while her father owned his own business installing glass windows on vehicles.  She graduated from Seward Park High School.  After graduation, she worked as a secretary while attending auditions as she wanted to be an actress.She was introduced to Arthur who she later married in 1947. The union produced two sons Carl and Barry.  While she was able to get a few roles in the New York theater circuit.  It wasn’t until she was 60 that she got a breakthrough role in the Broadway production Torch Song Trilogy.  She died in 2008, she was 84.While you may not know Estelle or even heard of her you surely know her by her stage name of Estelle Getty, best known for her role in The Golden... 03/11/2020

William Fothergill Cooke was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England back in 1806. He was educated at the Durham School before enrolling at the University of Edinbrugh. When he was 20 he enrolled in the Indian Army. After five year of service he returned to study medicine in Paris. In 1836, he was something that at the time was only experimental. He quit studying medicine and put the invention into practical operation.In 1837, he returned to England where he met Charles Wheatstone, together they opened up a partnership with Cooke handling the business side. For Cooke’s improvement and patents on the idea he was granted a civil list pension in 1871, he died in 1879.What you may not know about William is that he was the co-inventor of the Cooke-Wheatston Electrical telegraph, patented in 1837 ... 01/23/2020

Eleanora Norah Lillian Fleury was born in Manchester, England back in1867 to Robert, (sorry I don’t have her mother’s name). For the first few years she was homeschooled. This one is going to be short so let’s get to it. He studied medicine at the London School of Medicine for Women and the Royal Free Hospital. She was the first female graduate of the Royal University of Ireland graduating with first-class honor and a first-class exhibition in 1890. She was the first woman member of the Dedico-Psychological Association. She also was the first female psychiatrist in Ireland. She worked at the Richmond Asylum for 27 years. She died in 1960. That’s it I hope you enjoy.Your day is worthwhile when you make someone smile, so give the free gift of a smile today 01/07/2020

Philo Taylor Farnsworth was born in Beaver, Utah back in 1906 to Lewis and Serena. He grew up in a log cabin built by his father until 1918, when the family moved to a 240-acre ranch near Rigby, Idaho. His education was at the Rigby High School. The family moved again to Provo, Utah in 1923 where he attended Brigham Young High School. After graduation, he applied to the United States Naval Academy scoring the nation’s second-highest score on academy recruiting results.  Within a few months of being accepted he obtained an honorable discharge. He returned to Utah enrolling at Brigham Young University. He moved again to Berkeley, California where he set up a lab at 202 Green Street, while there he received his first patent. His patent was first seen by the press in 1928. As they say the r... 12/04/2019

Kamal al-Din al-Farisi was born in Persia back in circa 1267. There is not much written about him so this one is going to be short. He is noted for a number of important contribution to the number theory concerning factorization and combinatorial methods. However, that is something that is way beyond me, what I did find interesting is that he was the first person to mathematically explanation of the colors of the rainbow. He died in 1319.Your day is worthwhile when you make someone smile, so give the free gift of a smile today 11/29/2019

William Barton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 1804 to Patrick and Hannah. He was educated by his father, attended public schools in Baltimore, Maryland before graduating from William and Mary College. After graduation, he gave a series of lectures on science at the Maryland Institute.In 1827, he was a professor of natural philosophy and chemistry at William and Mary until 1835. His brother Henry had returned from England filled with enthusiasm for geology, this of course prompted William to begin studies in that field. Together they unfolded the historical geology of the Appalachian Mountains. That same year (1835) he was a professor at the University of Virginia until 1853. In 1861, he opened his charter of a college where he served as its first president until 1870 whe... 06/17/2018

Helen Richey was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania back in 1909. She graduated from McKeesport in 1927. By the time she was 20 she had learned to fly. As a side note she was one of the few girls to wear pants back then. In 1933, she partnered with Frances Marsalis setting a record by staying airborne for nearly 10 days with midair refueling. In 1936, she set an international altitude record for aircraft weighing under 440 pounds reaching 18,448 feet. She died in her apartment in New York City in 1947 for an overdose. What you may not know about Helen is she was the first female commercial airline pilot in the United States. She also was the first woman sworn in to pilot air mail and one of the first female flight instructors. A true pioneer for women don’t you think? Until tomorrow keep ... 02/17/2018

Charles Brewster was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 1870. When he was four he and his brother Walter were playing in the front yard when a horse-drawn carriage pulled up. The boys were approached by two men who offered them candy and fireworks if they would take a ride with them.Of course, the boys agreed and off to Philadelphia they went. Walter was told to go inside a store, was given 25 cents to buy candy and fireworks. When Walter returned the carriage along with Charles had vanished. Five months after the boy disappeared two men were killed during a home invasion. Bill Mosher was killed outright, Joe Douglas died two hours later. Walter identified them as the same men who had given them a ride into town. Charles never was found. What you may not know about Charles Brews... 02/04/2018

Jean-Louis was born in Peyre, Huates-Alpes, France back in 1761 to a poor family.  He worked for the Marseille observatory as a caretaker.  After a while, he gained enough experience that he assisted the astronomers with observations.  While he had very little formal education he had the canny knack of remembering star fields noting changes in them.He was often the target of jokes by the more experienced astronomers.  Staying the course, he gradually in 1819, became the director of the new observatory at Marlia, near Lucca.  He left in 1825 to teach astronomy at La Specola in Florence.  Around that same time, he was picked to become the Director of the Florence Observatory at the request of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.  By 1827, his eyesight began to fail and he retired from observing alt... 01/12/2018

Louis Aime Augustin was born in Metz, France back in 1841. He studied painting and a post graduate chemistry at Leipzig University. This set forth something he will forever be written in the history books for.In 1866, he moved to Leeds, UK working for Whitley Partners a firm specializing in brass valves and components.  In 1881, he was sent to the United States as an agent for that firm becoming the manager for a small group of French artists.  He returned to Leeds in 1887 to continue his work on an invention, more on that in a moment.In 1888, he did something that had never been done before. Preparing to return to the United States in September 1890 he decided to go back to France for a visit with friends and family. He was to arrive in Dijon however, when the train arrived he was not ... 01/05/2018