John Marshall (Royal Navy) was born in Ramsgate, Kent, Great Britain back in 1748.  When he was ten-years-old he became an apprentice sailor and spent his life at sea.  During the American Revolutionary Way from 1778 to 1783 he saw action serving in the Royal Navy.  By 1788, he was captain of the Scarborough, a ship of the First Fleet taking convicts from England to Botany Bay in New South Wales.  Afterwards to sailed from Australia to China charting previously unknow island including the Gilbert Islands while in route to Canton.  During his second voyage transporting convicts to Australia in 1790, many of them were in poor health and did not survive the voyage.  During the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-1815 as captain of the ship Diana he was severely wounded by an attack of a French private... 10/31/2021

Marcellus Neal was born in Lebanon, Tennessee back in 1868.  Shortly after his birth the family moved to Greenfield, Indiana.  He excelled academically in high school graduating with distinction.  His high school academic record earned him a scholarship to Indiana University enrolling in the fall of 1891.During his time at college he was a member of the Married Folks’ Club.  After graduation, he did graduate work, held short-term teaching jobs and traveled, spending time in Europe and Canada.  He served as head of the science department at Washington High School in Dallas, Texas for nearly twenty-five years.  he left Dallas and moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked at a Civil Service job.  On October 20, 1939, he was struck by a car in a hit and run, he later died of his injuries, ... 10/24/2021

Francis Marion was born in Berkeley County, South Carolina back in 1732.  When he was 15, he was hired on a ship bound for the West Indies, the ship never made it as it sank, but the crew escaped on a lifeboat.  He began his military career shortly before his 25th birthday to serve in the French and Indian War.In 1776, the Continental Congress commissioned Francis a captain in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.  by 1776, he was a lieutenant colonel taking part in the siege of Savannah.  In 1780, he joined Major General Horatio Gates.  Gates sent Francis towards the interior to gather intelligence on the British Army.  The British Army hated Francis (more on that later).  They sent Colonel Banastre Tarleton out to either capture or kill Francis because of his fighting techniques.  It was T... 10/17/2021

Thomas Mapother IV was born in Syracuse, New York back in 1962 to Thomas and Mary.  He spent his childhood in Canada before moving to Beacon Hill, Ottawa where he attended the Robert Hopkins Public School.  He returned to the United States when he was in the sixth grade.  He attended the St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. The family moved again and he graduated from Glen Ridge High School in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.When he was 18, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.  That didn’t work out so he moved to Los Angeles to try out for a television role.  He first landed some minor roles but his first lead was in 1985.  If I named the films you would know who I’m writing about immediately, so I’m avoiding that.  He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He has three... 09/24/2021

Belle Aurelia Babb was born in Benton Township, Iowa back in 1846 to Miles and Mary.  Her father left for California in 1850, where he was superintendent of the Bay State Mining Company, where he was killed in the collapse of a mining tunnel in 1852.  After her father’s death the family moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa where the children attended the local schools.In 1862, she attended the Iowa Wesleyan College.  As the men were leaving to fight in the Civil War, universities were admitting women students, then hiring them as teachers.  She graduated as valedictorian in just three years.After graduation, she taught school at Des Moines Conference Seminary in Indianola, Iowa for a year.  She returned to Mount Pleasant to marry her college sweetheart John.  She taught college at Wesleyan fol... 09/23/2021

Effa Louise Manley was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 1897 to John and Bertha.  She graduated from Penn Central High School.  After graduation is worked in the hat making business.  She married Abe in 1935 after meeting him at a New York Yankees game.  Abe owned and operated the Newark Eagles in Newark, New Jersey.She took over the day-to-day operation of the team, arranged playing schedules, planned the team’s travel, managed and me the payroll, bought equipment, negotiated contracts and handled publicity and promotions.  By the spring of 1981 her health had deteriorated to the point that she could no longer live in her apartment. She had colon cancer which progressed into the peritonitis after surgery.  She never recovered and died in 1981. Don Tate wrote a children’s book... 09/21/2021

Joy Mangno was born in Brooklyn, New York back in 1956.  As a teenager she began working at an animal hospital in Huntington, New York.  She dreamed up a fluorescent flea collar to keep pets safe.  She graduated from Pace University with a degree in business administration in 1978.  After graduation she had a variety of jobs, including a waitress, an airline reservations manager while raising her three children.  She is alive and well from what I’ve read.  What you may not know about Joy is that she is also an inventor.  She holds 71 patents and 126 patent publications.  Maybe you’ve heard about a few of them, I’ll save the best one for last, so let’s go.  Huggable Hangers, Forever Fragrant, Clothes It All Luggage System, Performance Platforms, Comfort & Joy Textiles, Shades readers and... 09/19/2021

Theodore Harold Maiman was born in Los Angeles, California back in 1927 to Abraham and Rose.  Still a youngster the family moved to Denver, Colorado.  In his teens he earned money by repairing electric appliances and radios.  At 17 he was employed as a junior engineer with the National Union Radio Company.During World War II he served in the United States Navy.  After being discharged, he earned a B.S. in engineering physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder.  He continued his education at Stanford University earning a M.S. in electrical engineering in 1951 and a Ph.D. in physics in 1955.  In 1956, he started working for the Atomic Physics Department of Hughes Aircraft Company.  he died in 2007, he was 79.What you may not know about Theodore is that he was also an inventor.  In 1... 09/18/2021

Mary Eliza Mahoney was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts back in 1845.  At a young age she was a devout Baptist and churchgoer.  When she was 10 she was admitted to the Philips School in Boston.  She never completed school and left in the fourth grade.  When she was 18 she started a 16-month training program at the newly opened New England Hospital for Women and Children.Out of all the students there was only three women to pass and Mary was one of them.  After graduation, she worked for many years as a private care nurse, earning her a distinguished reputation.  From 1911-12 she served as director of the Howard Orphan Asylum in Kings Park, New York.  In 1896, she became one of the original members of the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada.  She was also a strong ... 09/17/2021

Thomas Buchanan McGuire Jr. was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey back in 1920.  He graduated from Sebring High School in Sebring, Florida.  After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  He left after his third year to enter the U.S. Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet in 1941.He reported to the flying school in Corsicana, Texas for further training.  He was commissioned a second lieutenant receiving his pilot winds in 1942.  His first combat assignment was later that year in the Aleutian Island.  In 1943, he was sent to the Southwest Pacific with the 9th Fighter Squadron based in New Guinea.  During august 18-19 he shot down 5 aircraft of the enemy making him as ace in two days.  By December of 1943 he was promoted to captain and in 1944 became the comma... 09/16/2021

Adolph Gysbert Malan was born in Wellington, Cape Colony in South Africa back in 1910.  At the age of 14 he joined the South African Training Ship General Botha as a naval cadet in 1924.  In 1932 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve as an acting sub-lieutenant, by 1935 he was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant.Later on, that year he volunteered for the Royal Air Force in its rapid expansion of the pilot corps.  He received his wings in March of 1936.  By 1939, he was promoted to flight lieutenant just six months before the outbreak of war.  Just 15 hours after war was declared he saw his first action during the Battle of Barking Creek.  He was involved in the evacuation of the British Army from Dunkirk.  For his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.   In August of 1940 he w... 09/15/2021

Rowland Hussey was born in Nantucket Island, Massachusetts back in 1822 to a Quaker family.   By the age of fifteen he was working on a whaling ship.  He had a red star tattooed on either his hand or forearm, the exact location has not been verified.  He had a brother Charles and together they opened a dry goods store in Marysville, California in 1850.The store failed, Charles stay in California but Rowland moved east.  By 1858, you could find him in New York City, New York where he established another store.  On the first day of business the store’s total sales were $11.08.  That dismal sum did not deter him and he opened several more stores.  The stores produced their own made-to-measure clothing for both men and women, assembled in an on-site factory.  He died in 1877 in Paris of Bri... 09/14/2021

Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon was born in Savannah, Georgia back in 1860 to William and Elanor.  When she was six months old her father joined the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War.  When she was four the family moved to thunderbolt, Georgia.  In 1865, the family moved again to Chicago.  As a young child she was accident-prone suffering numerous injuries and illnesses.   She suffered from frequents earaches and recurring bouts of malaria.  She spent her time pursuing art and poetry, she also performed plays and started a newspaper called The Malbone Bouquet.  At the tender age of 12 she started a boarding school.  She met William in 1880, they married in 1886.  William was unable to father children which caused a strain on the marriage.  In 1901, the couple while still m... 09/13/2021

Helen Magill was born in Providence, Rhode Island back in 1853 to Edward and Sarah.  She was brought up to believe she deserved the same education as a man.  All five of the Magill daughters were educated to become college teachers.  In 1959, the family moved to Boston, Massachusetts where she was the only female student in the Boston Public Latin School.  My guess would be it was because her father taught French and Latin there for three years, being promoted to submaster.In 1869, her father joined the faculty of Swarthmore College.  she entered as an undergraduate.  In 1871, her father was selected as the second president, a position he held for the next 17 years.  Helen served as principal for a private school in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  In 1883, she was chosen to help organize Holl... 09/12/2021

Andrew Donald Magee was born in Paris, France back in 1962.  His father was a Texas oil man, he grew up in Dallas, Texas.  After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma from 1981-84.  While in college he distinguished himself as a member of the golf team.  We won All-American honors three times.In 1984, he turned pro and joined the PGA Tour in 1985.  During his career he won four PGA Tour events.  The first on in 1988 at the Pensacola Open.  His best finish in a major was tied for fifth at the 1992 British Open.  He is featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. In 1999, he won the Southern Company Citizenship Award for his work with charities.  He now resided in Paradise Valley, Arizona.  His last PGA Tour cut was in the 2006 Southern Farm Bu... 09/11/2021

Johanna Mansfield Sullivan was born in Feeding Hills, Agawarm, Massachusetts back in 1866 to Thomas and Alice.  When she was five years old she contracted a bacterial eye disease known as trachoma which left her nearly blind.  When she was eight her mother died from tuberculosis and her father abandoned her two years later.  She was sent to almshouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.  due to reports of cruelty to inmates, including sexually perverted practices and cannibalism an investigation was launched.  In 1877, she was sent to the Soeurs de la Charite hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts.  She graduated from the Perkins School in 1886, as the valedictorian of her class, she was twenty.  The summer after she graduated she went to work with Arthur to her with his seven-year-old daughter.  Sh... 09/10/2021

Earle Steele was born in Highland Park, Illinois back in 1891.  He graduated from the University of Illinois.   During World War I he served in the Armed Forces attaining the rank of captain.  After the war he worked for the Chalmers Motor Company and the Liberty Motor Car company in the early 1920’s.In 1934, he joined General Motor becoming the chief design engineer of the Chevrolet division in 1935.  He was the chief engineer of the Chevrolet Cadet project, when the project was canceled in 1947 he left General Motors and joined the Ford Motor Company later that year.  His job was to provide a suspension design for the 1949 Ford Vedette.  In 1950, his suspension was on the Fords Zephyr and Consul, the first vehicles in mass production using his suspension system.  In 1952, he became ch... 09/09/2021

Cluny Macpherson was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland back in 1879 to Campbell and Emma.  He attended the Methodist College and the McGill University Faculty of Medicine from 1879 to 1901, earning his Medical Degree.  He volunteered with the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fisherman. In1902, he returned to Newfoundland where he ran the hospital Battle Harbor until 1904.  When World War I broke out he enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment organizing volunteers into an Ambulance Unit, which continued throughout the war.  He was commissioned as a captain serving as the principal medical officer for the St. John Ambulance Brigade. He saw action in Belgium and France at Salonika and Gallipoli.  After suffering a war injury in Egypt, he returned to Newfoundland in 1916.  He served as the D... 09/08/2021

Anna Mackenroth was born in Danzig, Germany back in 1861.  As a young woman she worked as a teacher. In the early 1880’s she moved to Berlin giving private lessons in classical languages, philosophy and mathematics.  She continued to study in her spare time for the career she really wanted.In 1888, she relocated to Zurich, Switzerland where in 1894 she obtained her law doctorate from the University of Zurich.  She became a Swiss citizen so she could practice in that country.  She worked mainly as a public defender representing destitute women.  She campaigned for a universal guaranteed minimum income, rights for single mother and for reform to legislation on family names and women’s property rights.  She died in 1936.What you may not know about Anna is that she was Zurich’s first practi... 09/07/2021

Robert Machemer was born in Münster, Germany back in 1933.  His father died in Ukraine in 1942.  Robert worked for six months in a steel mill to partially finance his medical school education.  He studied medicine at the University of Münster, where he received his MD.  He continued his education at the University of Freiburg where he received is Promotierung in 1959.From 1962-66 he was an assistant in the University Eye Clinic at Göttingen.  In 1966, he received a two-year NATO fellowship and moved to Miami to work at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute until 1978.  In 1978, he became the chair of Duke University Medical School’s Department of Ophthalmology serving in that capacity until 1991 and his retirement as professor emeritus in 1998.  He died in 2009, he was 76.What you may not kno... 09/06/2021