William Maxwell was born in Baltimore, Maryland back in 1809. He graduated from the University of Maryland Medical School in 1829. He joined the Navy from 1829-1871 advancing through the ranks serving as Fleet Surgeon in 1844 onward. He served during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.He retired in 1871, returning to Owings Mill, Maryland to manage his farm. He became president of the Garrison Woods Farmers Association. He died in 1880, at a young70.What you may not know about William Maxwell Wood is that he was the First Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy. Four Navy ships have been named in his honor, all four were destroyers.   Until tomorrow give someone the free gift of a smile   11/17/2018

Joseph Whitworth was born in Cheshire, England back in 1803 to Charles, sorry I don’t have his mother’s name. Educated at Idle, near Bradford, Yorkshire he showed an aptitude for mechanics. After graduating he became an indentured apprentice to his uncle Joseph. He worked in the cotton spinning industry.Watching the poor standards of the cotton industry inspired him to use his education to improve the process. He developed great skill as a mechanic. Returning to Openshaw, Manchester to open his own business manufacturing lathes. He founded the Manchester School of Design in 1868. He died in 1887 at 83.What you may not know about Joseph Whitworth is that he was also an inventor. He devised the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for screw threads, it is ... 11/09/2018

Thomas Augustus was born in Salem, Massachusetts back in 1854. Sorry I don’t have any more information about his childhood. I can tell you he worked as a bookkeeper and a carpenter before working with Charles Williams at a machine shop in Boston.Subsequently he was hired by a professor at Boston University where he helped him with some of his inventions. He resigned in 1881, when he became a fairly successful traveling Shakespearean actor. In 1883, he began building naval destroyers and by 1901was one of the largest shipyards in America. His company was sold to Bethlehem Steel Corporation after WWII. He died in 1934 as Pass-Grille Key, Florida. What you may not know about Thomas Augustus is that for what he will be written in the history books for. The professor he worked for was Alexan... 10/25/2018

James Alexander was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania back in 1856. I could not find anything about him until 1879. He attended Harvard college where he was on the baseball team. After graduating he was picked up by the Boston Red Caps as an emergency pitcher.He pitched against the Providence Grays, sadly it was the only victory in his major league career. He continued to pitch as an amateur for the Staten Island Athletic Club. He repeatedly turned down offers to play in the majors again except in 1888 he pitched on one game for the Philadelphia Phillies.In 1897, he played in the U.S. Open in Wheaton, Illinois shooting rounds of 86-91 finished near the middle of the field. He died in New York City in 1931 at 75.What you may not know about James Alexander Tyng is that he was the first b... 09/24/2018

Are you ready for this one? Regardless let’s get to it.Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was born in Ryazan Governorate, Russian Empire back in 1857. His mother died when he was 13. He was not admitted to elementary schools because he had a hearing problem, so he was self-taught.Because of his hearing problem he was a reclusive child which stayed with him his whole life. He was so consumed by reading he spent three years at a Moscow library. He became interested in mathematics and physics, his father was concerned about how he was to provide for himself when he reached adulthood. He went back home when he was 19 where he passed the teachers program. That didn’t stop him from his dream. He wrote over 400 works on the subject which included 90 published pieces on the subject. He died in Kaluga, Sovi... 09/21/2018

Melchisedech Thevenot was born in France circa 1620 to a family of royal office holders. He was well educated as he spoke English, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic and Turkish. He was interested in astronomy, physics, medicine and magnetism. One of his suggestions was the use of lemon juice as a cure for several maladies which of course the British used as a remedy for dysentery. Serving as ambassador to Genoa in 1647 then to Rome in the 1650’s. When Pope Innocent X, died he participated in the subsequent conclave to decide on the next Pope. In 1684, he became the Royal Librarian to King Louis XIV of France. He died in 1692.What you may not know about Melchisedech is around 1661, he filled a viewing lens with alcohol and mounted it on a stone ruler. He called it of course the spirit level, ... 09/09/2018

William Rosenberg was born in Mashpee, Massachusetts back in 1916 to Nathan and Phoebe. Growing up in Boston he attended public schools but had to drop out in the eighth-grade due to financial problems. When he was 14 you could find him working at Western Union as a full-time telegram delivery boy.At 17, he worked for an ice cream delivery boy, at 21 he was in charge of distribution managing 40 to 100 trucks. After WWII, he borrowed $1,000.00 along with the $1,500.00 he had saved and started his own “Industrial Luncheon Services”, delivering meals and coffee break snacks to factory worker in the Boston, Massachusetts area.In 1948, he opened up his first stationary business called the “Open Kettle”. By 1955, he had six places, in 1959 he started the franchise which is still in operation ... 06/25/2018

James R. Robinson was born in Scotland back in 1860 to Samuel, sorry I do not have his mother’s name. when he was three the family moved to the United States settling in western Pennsylvania. When he was 12, you could find him working in the coal mines. I don’t have any information about his early education but what I can tell you is he studied mechanical engineering at Cornell. It is unclear if he ever graduated however in 1892 he returned to Pennsylvania. In 1907, he founded a company to help in the coal mines, more on that in a moment. In 1917, he opened his manufacturing plant in Blairsville, Pennsylvania, in 1921 he moved that plant to Zelienople, Pennsylvania where it is still in operation to this day.What you may not know about James is that he founded the Robinson Ventilating Co... 06/08/2018

Ivy Williams was born in Newton Abbot in Devon back in 1877. She was privately educated, until she entered college at the Society of Oxford Home Students, where she graduated in 1903 with a BA, MA and BCL. Due to the career, she had set her sights on she was unable to fulfill her dream until 1920.She enjoyed tennis, traveling, gardening and driving. As she aged she learned to read Braille after her eyesight began to fail. She wrote a Braille primer which was published by the National Institute for the Blind in 1948. She died in Oxford in 1966.What you may not know about Dr. Ivy Williams is that she is the first woman to be called to the English Bar in 1922. Before then women were not allowed to practice law. She never entered into private practice, but taught law at the Society of Oxfor... 04/24/2018

Sarah Elisabeth was born in Toledo, Ohio back in 1855 to Oliver and Harriet. After the Civil War the family moved to Chicago where she met and married Archibald. She died in 1905 at 50 however, the cause of her death to this day remains a mystery. What I can tell you of course is the rest of the story.She was also an inventor because Archibald was a stair builder and an upholsterer. It is not known when but she opened a furniture store in the Chicago area.   She invented a folding cabinet bed the forerunner of the Murphy bed receiving a patent for it in 1885. What you may not know about Sarah Elisabeth (yes that is the correct spelling) Goode is that she was the first African-American woman to receive a United States patent. Until tomorrow keep those pearly whites showing 04/17/2018

Thomas Garrett was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania back in 1789. His father died in 1839 and their farm was split between Thomas and his brothers Issac and Edward. His home which was built in 1800 still stand today as a private residence. He moved to Delaware where he opened an iron and hardware business. In 1835, he became a director of the Wilmington Gas Company. In 1848, he was sued in federal court, found guilty and was fined $4,500.00. A lien was placed on his home until the fine was paid. He died in 1871. What you may not know about Thomas is that he was an American abolitionist and leader in the Underground Railroad movement before the Civil War. The fine imposed by the federal court was because he violated the Fugitive Slave Act. As far as I can tell he never paid the fine... 04/03/2018

Mary Edwards was born in Oswego, New York back in 1832 to Alvah and Vesta. For her day, she was unconventional in that she did not wear woman’s clothing while doing choirs around their farm. Besides her parents encouraged all of their children to question the regulations and restrictions for women in those days.She attended an elementary school that her parents had started, it was the first free schoolhouse in Oswego in the 1830’s. she attended Falley Seminary in Fulton, New York which cemented her determination to defy traditional female roles. She went on to attend State University of New York Upstate Medical University. She opened a practice around 1855, where she wore a short skirt with trousers underneath. When the Civil War outbreak started she volunteered for the Union Army as a ... 03/23/2018

William Crawford was born in Saratoga Springs, New York. After graduating from the New York Military Academy, he went to the United States Naval Academy graduating in 1926. So are you ready to learn more about his service, hand on tight, here we go.He was assigned to many ships one of them was the submarine USS S-35. He developed the badge still in use by the submarine service the “Dolphins” insignia. He developed a miniature electronic unlit pipe to be used by divers, although the sounds were distorted it was in use for a long time.When WWII started he developed a highly classified school. The school was a nine-month course of 15 hour days. 500,000 sailors applied but only 30,000 completed the course. Not bad don’t you think for someone who could not hear. William Crawford Eddy passed ... 03/19/2018

Aloysius Lilius was born in Calabria, Italy circa 1510. He studied medicine and astronomy in Naples. While I have no data to back up it is noted he worked for Earl Carafa as his physician. Now, to his astronomy he noted something about the new moons and therefore he wrote a manuscript about his observations that has not survived.Sadly, he died before his findings and manuscripts was presented to Pope Gregory XIII. Aloysius his brother presented it to the Pope, in 1575 it was printed and circulated within the Roman Catholic world. It has survived to this day. For you see until then people widely used the Julian calendar. His basis became the Gregorian Calendar reform of 1582, the same calendar we use to this day. Until tomorrow keep that smile on your face, apply for a spot-on Jeopardy, ... 03/18/2018

Francois Isaac was born in Paris France back in 1752. History has lost what schools he attended but, he became a master of Latin, mathematics and geometry. Throughout his life he worked as a surveyor and notary for the state of Valais.He also served in the Army, after retiring he moved to Switzerland where he began his work on a project that would place him in the history books. For you see Francois Isaac de Rivaz was also an inventor. He invented a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine with electric ignition which he received a French patent for in 1807. He fitted it into a primitive working vehicle, thus “the world’s first internal combustion powered automobile”. Now you know the rest of the story. Until tomorrow keep a smile on your face and a penny in your pocket. 02/08/2018

Byron Reed was born in Darien, New York back in 1829.  At 20 you could find him working as a telegraph operator in Warren, Ohio until 1855.  He also served as the Register of Deeds for Trumball County.  He moved again to Omaha, Nebraska later that year.By the 1860’s he had accumulated various land holdings.  As the Nebraska territory grew he assumed a prominent position in the business and political affairs of the city and state.  He established a business in 1856, three years later the business was incorporated.  He was instrumental in the formation of the Forest Lawn Cemetery.  The rest of his life he worked as a surveyor, abstractor and land developer around Omaha.What you may not know about Bryon Reed is that the business he founded was the first real estate office in the Nebraska t... 01/25/2018

Benjamin Waterhouse was born in Newport, Colony of Rhode Island back in 1754 to Timothy and Hannah.  At 16 he began his medical career as an apprentice to a doctor in his hometown.  At 21 he left to study medicine in Europe.  Educated at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and then at Leiden University graduating in 1780.He returned to the United States in 1782 where he joined the faculty of the new medical school at Harvard, he stayed there until 1814.  He died at his home in Cambridge in 1846.  What you may not know about Benjamin is he commissioned a controlled experiment at the Boston Board of Health.  He vaccinated 19, of which were included all his children, and 2 unvaccinated.  Out of all of them those who were vaccinated with the smallpox virus survived those who did not ... 12/20/2017

George Foote was born in Willoughby, Ohio back in 1915 to Robert and Louise.  He received his Bachelor and Master of Arts from the University of Florida in 1939.  After graduation he went on to attend McGill University for medicine.  He performed his internship at Memorial Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.He established the Valley Clinic and Hospital in 1948.  In 1953, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Diving and Submarine Medical Officer.  That same year he was sent to Groton, Connecticut serving as Officer-in-Charge until 1964.  He died in 1983, he was 67.What you may not know about George Foote Bond is that in 1957 he developed a diving technique known as “saturation diving”, a technique that allowed divers to work at great depths for long periods of time.  He was the father of ... 12/05/2017

Robert, Robert was born in the Hudson Valley to Robert and Margaret. The family consisted of nine brothers and sisters not counting the parents. Anyway, he graduated from King’s College following the American Revolution in 1764.He married Mary and built a home near a place called Belvedere. He was appointed Recorder of New York City in 1773. From 1777-18001 he was the first Chancellor of New York, he also held the office as the U.S. Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1781-1783.As Chancellor of New York he administered the presidential oath of office to George Washington at the Federal Hall in New York City which was then the Capital of the United States. In 1801 he was the U.S. Minister to France and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase on behalf of the United States.While in France he met ... 11/21/2017

Richard Thompson was born in Delaware back in 1914. In 1935 he graduated from Westtown School in Pennsylvania. In 1939, he graduated from the Pennsylvanian State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.In 1943, while attempting to develop a means for suspending sensitive instrument aboard ships even in rough seas he dropped a tension spring which gave him an idea. So, he started the James Spring & Wire Company. His idea caught on and the company has sold over 300,000,000. Right now, it is still in production with a quarter of a billion are still being sold each year.Now you may be asking yourself what in the world was that invention. Well Richard Thompson James and his wife Betty invented the Slinky. Yep, that is how it came to be. Until tomorrow keep a smile on your face and... 10/10/2017