Peter Stretch was born in Leek, Staffordshire, England back in 1670. He emigrated to America in 1703. Shortly after arriving in the states he began to practice his trade (more on that in a moment). In 1715, he purchased some property at the corner of Front and Chestnut Street in Philadelphia where he opened up his shop. In 1719, he purchased another property at Second and Chestnut where he built his home. He lived in that home until his death in 1746.He purchased other properties including 300 acres in Gloucester County as an investment for the growing population. Being a part of the Quaker Community, he was influential and served as a member of the Common Council from 1708 until his death.   What you may not know about Peter Stretch is that he was a clockmaker by trade. One of his cloc... 08/18/2018

Squire Maugridge Jr. was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania back in 1744 to Squire Sr. and Sarah. In 1749, the family moved to Rowan County, North Carolina. When he was 15 he was sent back to Pennsylvania to learn how to be a gunsmith. He returned to North Carolina 5 years later.In 1779, he moved to the settlement at Falls of the Ohio later to become Louisville. He served two terms in the Virginia legislature. He acquired a large track of land where he remained until his death in 1815. What you may not know about Squire Maugridge Boone is that he was the brother of another famous Boone, Daniel Boone that is. He also founded the first settlement in Shelby County, Kentucky in 1780. Until tomorrow my wish for you is to have a great day filled with a lot of smiles and a laugh or two thrown ... 08/11/2018

Russell Games was born in Argos, Indiana back in 1896, graduating from Argos High School in 1914. He continued his education at the Western Military Academy graduating in 1915. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in 1921.After graduating he joined Owens-Illinois Glass Company in Toledo, Ohio. He invented something in 1933 that we still use to this day and I’m sure into the future. He retired in 1963 and died a year later, exactly why I will never retire.Anyway, he also served on the Materials Advisory Board of the United States National Research Council, consulted on industrial application for NASA. He served as Director of Park National Bank and was a trustee of Denison University from 1959 until his death.Now many of you may be wonderi... 08/02/2018

Joseph Clois was born in Marlton, New Jersey back in 1920. Sorry I do not have any information as to who his parents were, but of course that is not the rest of the story. He received his B.A., M.A. and Ph. D in organic chemistry from Duke University in the 1940’s. During WWII, he worked for the government to develop a drug to counter malaria for the troops overseas. In 1946, he worked for DuPont as a researcher.He was assigned with a group for a project to synthesize a synthetic elastomer to replace rubber. The project was shelved for a few years before Joseph made a breakthrough, and as they say the rest is history. He worked on the project over the next several years before it hit the market in 1959. That product is still in use to this day. He retired from DuPont in 1980. In 1998, h... 07/23/2018

Dana Shires was born in Coral Gables, Florida back in 1932. Sorry but I don’t have any information about his father or mother. He graduated from Lee High School in Jacksonville. After graduation, he spent three years in the Marine Corps. In 1954, he enrolled at the University of Florida graduating in 1957, continuing his education in Gainesville, graduating with a MD in 1961. While at lunch one day he had a discussion with the Gators assistance coach Dewayne Douglas. Their discussion centered on the players’ suffering from dehydration.In 1982, he founded a company for the production he co-invented after that discussion with Dewayne, as they say the rest is history. The company he founded was LifeLink.What you may not know about Dana Shires is the company he founded produces something I ... 07/19/2018

Louise Hilma Ballerstedt was born in Austin, Texas to a German Immigrant family back in 1919. After high school, she attended the University of Texas earning her Bachelor’s degree in 1939. She married Grier in 1941. The family produced three sons. While raising them she attended Southern Methodist University at night earing her law degree in 1952.After graduation, she worked as an assistant district attorney in Dallas County. In 1954, she was put in charge of child support and juvenile court. While in that capacity she learned married women had fewer right in Texas than single women. One of her quotes was “When a man and woman married, they were one, and he was the one. She practiced law for more than 50 years. She died in 2011.What you may not know about Louis Hilma Ballerstedt Raggio ... 07/13/2018

Dorothy Shaver was born in Center Point, Arkansas back in 1893 to James and Sallie. The family moved to Mena when she was 5. She graduated from high school in 1910. She went on to the University of Arkansas graduating in 1914, after graduation she began her teaching career which ended in 1914.In 1916, she moved to Chicago with her sister Elsie, a year later the sisters moved to New York City. Her sister Elsie began making dolls out of bandage cotton painted in pastel colors, which Dorothy began to sell to Lord and Taylor. The company ran by Samuel Reyburn set the sisters up with a workshop producing the dolls for the next 4 years.Samuel hired Dorothy in 1921, she established an interior decorating service later to be elected to the store’s board of directors in 1927. By 1931 she founded... 07/11/2018

Mary Katherine was born in Baltimore, Maryland back in 1738 to Giles and Sarah. Her father was postmaster in New London, Connecticut. In 1775, she became postmaster of the Baltimore post office. She held that office for 14 years until 1789. From 1809 until 1816, she sold books, stationery and dry goods. Sadly, she died in 1816 at a young 78. What you may not know about Mary Katherine Goddard is that she was the second printer of the Declaration of Independence, her publication of the Goddard Broadside was the first to print that document which contained the names of the signatories. So, tell me did you know that one?   Until tomorrow keep a smile on your face and a penny in your pocket. You’ll be richer than most people in the world. Who knows you may be given a smile back, trust me it’... 07/04/2018

Edwin Beard was born in Eastington, Stroud England back in 1796 to Charles and Mary. Although I can’t find any records of his education, when you read the rest of the story, he was well educated man. In 1830, he designed a pistol which was more technically advanced than Colt’s patent of 1836. He worked in the cotton mills when he first got the idea for a new invention. He patented his invention in 1830, while it has been consistently being improved upon the basic concept remains. It took another 10 years to create a machine that would be worked by animals and another 60 years before one was built by using a steam-engine. Now you may be asking yourself what in the world did he invent. Well I’m so glad you did. For Edwin Beard Budding invented the first lawn mower. It even included a try ... 07/02/2018

Robert Shirtiff was born in Plympton, Massachusetts back in 1760 to Jonathan and Deborah. His father was reported as lost at sea however, some historians believe he abandoned his family. Not having funds to keep her family together Robert was sent to live with relatives.His formal education was little to none, so he learned to read and write from the other siblings he was sent to live with. In 1782, he joined the Army in Middleborough, Massachusetts using the name of Timothy Thayer. He could not make the meet up with his company and had to repay the bonus he collected. In 1782, he reenlisted again in Uxbridge, Massachusetts joining the 4th Massachusetts Regiment.In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed and the soldier were mustered out. He received an honorable discharge, however he was ... 06/30/2018

Sylvester Howard was born in Francestown, New Hampshire back in 1823 to Merrick and Susan. When he was 12 he made a stationary steam engine, even though he had never seen one in person. At 14 he built a locomotive engine, only to see one later in Nashua.He left Francestown to work as a machinist in several locations winding up in Worcester. In 1854, he moved to Boston. He was a truly driven individual as you will soon find out, so let’s get to it. In 1861, he invented a Handstitch Sewing Machine and a hot air engine. During the Civil War, he worked at the Springfield Armory. While there he invented the first shotgun choke, which varies the spread of the shot. In 1882, he was granted a patent for a repeating shotgun.What you may not know about Sylvester Howard Roper, is that he is most n... 06/22/2018

David Edward was born in Lafayette, Indiana back in 1871 to George and Susanna. He attended primary school. His parents took him on a steamboat ride, he made his way to the engine, thus begins the rest of the story. He was fascinated with the machinery. During his senior year of high school his path was set. In 1889, he enrolled at Purdue University focusing on a degree in engineering.Graduating from Purdue as a mechanical engineer in 1893 he set about inventing some things we still use to this day, so let’s get to it. His first invention was the automotive steering gear. He raised money to build the Purdue Memorial Union, a football stadium, then helped to build the Lambert Fieldhouse. All in all, he held 88 patents involving building materials and automotive mechanisms. He was once qu... 06/18/2018

Ole Christensen was born in Arthus, Denmark back in 1644 to Christen and Anna. Few records exist of him prior to 1662 when he graduated from the Cathedral school of Aahus. He moved to Copenhagen where he attended the University of Copenhagen.After graduation, he was employed by the French government under the rule of Louis XIV. In 1681, he returned to Denmark where you would find him as a professor of astronomy at the University of Copenhagen. In 1683, he introduced the first national system for weights and measures.Are you ready, try to keep up because here we go. Ole Christensen Romer developed the first temperature scales around 1708. He invented the first street lights (oil lamps) he also made the first quantitative measurement of the speed of light. In 1700, he persuaded the king t... 06/12/2018

Elisha King was born in Ludlow, Massachusetts back in 1808. He worked in a cotton mill until he was 15. Moving to Ware, Massachusetts you could find him working in a machine shop. The next time we know of him was when he was 24 he moved again to Canton, Connecticut working for Samuel Collins in his axe factory. It was while working for Mr. Collins that his true talents came to being, so let’s get started, shall we? In those days axes were made by flattening wrought iron, folding it around a steel pin, and forging the two side together. He arranged a series of dies and rollers that forged the axes through a series of dies that were temperature-regulated on a rotating wheel, thus saving time and a lot of manual labor.In1849, you could find him working for Samuel Colt where he perfected th... 06/11/2018

Barbara Annette was born in South Dakota back in 1943. Sorry I do only know her father’s name Buford I could not find any more information about her early childhood.   What I can tell you the family moved to Colorado where she attended Colorado State University from 1961-1963.After graduation, she joined the CIA volunteering for an assignment in Saigon. Until then she had never traveled outside of the United States. In March 1965, she was at the U.S. embassy when there was a confrontation between a driver and a policeman. She went to the second-story window where the car blew up. She was killed instantly along with 19 Vietnamese. What you may not know about Barbara Annette Robbins is that she was the first female employee to be killed in action in the CIA’s history. She has a star on th... 06/09/2018

Robert Recorde was born in Tenby, Wales circa 1512 to Thomas and Rose. Around 1525, he entered the University of Oxford, later he went to the University of Cambridge graduating with a M.D. in 1545. He taught mathematics for a short time at Oxford. Later he acted as the physician to King Edward VI and to Queen Mary.He also served as the Comptroller of Mines and Monies in Ireland. A political enemy sued him for defamation, he was arrested for debt and died in the King’s Bench Prison in Southward in 1558.What you may not know about Robert is that he invented the equals sign (=) and also introduced the pre-existing plus sign (+) to English speaker in 1557. Now you know where those mathematics signs came from. Until tomorrow go forth and smile with your new-found knowledge, it will make peop... 06/03/2018

Charles Emile was born in Montreuil, France back in 1844 to Benoit and Marie. He was home schooled by his mother. At a young age, he was taught to draw and paint. At 13 he built a small steam engine. In 1858, he worked at a company in Paris repairing and assembling optical and physics instruments.In 1862, he went out on his own as a photographer. By 1873, he was giving scientific screening-lectures to students. He developed a prototype for a device out of a cookie box, applying for a patent in 1876. By 1910, his creations were outdated, he lost most of his belongings. Dejected and penniless he threw most of his irreplaceable works into the Seine River, lost forever. What you may not know about Charles Emile Reynaud is that he was the inventor of the praxinoscope (an animation device) th... 06/02/2018

John Randel, Jr. was born in Albany, New York back in 1787 to John, Sr. and Catherine. He only received a primary education, but what he accomplished is nothing short of amazing. Historians speculate his education ended by the time he was 12, some disagree and say it was when he was 16.He was a very religious man not doing anything on Sunday’s. He apprenticed with Simeon De Witt for a few years before going on his own. Now many of you may be wondering what was his profession? Well I’m so glad you asked for that is the rest of the story.John Randel, Jr. was a surveyor he was commissioned to survey, develop a plan for the future layout of streets in what is now Manhattan Island, his commission was started when he was only 20 years old. He started in 1808 and finished in 1820. What you may... 05/30/2018

Cyril Pullin was born in Wandsworth, England back in 1892. Sorry, but I don’t have any information about him until around 1914 when he won the Isle of Man motorcycle race at a blinding speed of around 49.49 MPH. In 1922, he established a new record becoming the first ever British motorcyclist to be times at over 100 MPH with a 3-horsepower engine. Also in the 1920, he developed various helicopter engines. In 1928, he took over the Phoenix factory to produce the Ascot-Pullin Motorcycles. If you can find one in mint condition or even close you could retire. Anyway, in 1932 he joined G&J Weir aircraft department, as the chief designer they developed the W5 helicopter. It was flown by his son Raymond, making it the first successful British helicopter to flyWhat you may not know about Cyril ... 05/27/2018

William Judd was born in New London, Connecticut back in 1833 however, historians are not positive of his birthplace or year. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1861 where he was commissioned a first lieutenant. When the Civil War was over he had advanced to the rank of lieutenant colonel.After the war was over he decided to remain in Army where he was assigned as a captain, assigned to Fort Phil Kearny in the Wyoming Territory. The troops had to gather wood a distance away, so they had a wood train. In 1866 the wood train was attacked by a band of Cheyenne and Sioux. He took command of a reaction force, pursued the band of Indians beyond the Lodge Trail Ridge where he was confronted by approximately 2,00 Indians whipping out his command. What you may not know about William Judd Fetterman... 05/22/2018