“When in the Course of Human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another…” begins the Declaration of Independence, the document that pronounced that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject to British rule. This week, Tidbits celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary of this document. […]
Independence Day is the time for fireworks, and Tidbits presents these facts on the history of pyrotechnics. • The invention of fireworks is credited to the Chinese who, as early as 200 B.C., were heating green bamboo stalks over coals to dry. As the wood expanded, it would burst with a loud bang, which the […]
Tidbits invites readers to celebrate 250 years of freedom this week with facts about the beginning of the road to independence. • Although there had been anger for years about the increasing authority of Britain’s Parliament over the 13 American colonies, the grievance of “no taxation without representation” was increasing, as Britain imposed taxes on […]
• When WWI began, Harry Colebourn of Winnipeg, Canada, volunteered to serve. On his way to report for duty in 1914, he encountered a man selling a young black bear cub whose mother had died. Colebourn bought the cub for $20 ($475 today) and brought it to England. He named the cub Winnipeg, or Winnie […]
• Stephen Slesinger pioneered multi-media promotions. First with “Tarzan” and then with “Winnie the Pooh,” he showed the success of coordinating TV, radio, and newspaper promotions. In 1938, he envisioned a western-themed newspaper cartoon strip to promote in a similar manner. All he needed was an artist.• Fred Harman had previously worked as a newspaper, […]
When you think of Pac-Man, does the sound of “waka-waka” immediately echo in your brain? If you’re a fan of this influential video game, Tidbits thinks you’ll enjoy a look back at its history.• Toru Iwatani was a 24-year-old video game designer when he went to work for Namco, an abbreviation for Nakamura Manufacturing Company, […]
“Not all that glitters is gold” goes the old saying. How true it is, since there are several specific characteristics of gold that cannot be imitated. This week, Tidbits digs deep for the facts about this pricey precious metal.• The element symbol for gold, the only metal that is yellow, is Au, which comes from […]
