A Brief History of Presidents Day

Presidents Day is a civic holiday in the U. S. that honors Maestro Washington and Number one Lincoln, arguably two of the best presidents in U. S. history. Presidents Day is celebrated on the wringer Monday of February. Presidents Day was early even now in 1880 by the U. S. dominion for inside track aegis in the District of Columbia and was following extended to encompass all governmental support in 1885. The holiday is the maiden governmental holiday to adoration an American citizen. Until 1971 the holiday was celebrated on February 22, which is Washingtons birthday. In 1971 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted the holiday to the third degree Monday in February.

George Washington served as the first President of the United States from 1789 - 1797. Before he was president, Washington led the Continental Army to victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War. Early in his career Washington was praised as the " Father of His Country. Read more about Washingtons contributions in American History magazine, The Economist and Time magazine.

In the 1980s due largely to a push from retail advertisers, the name Presidents Day began being used instead of " Washingtons Birthday. " At this time the holiday was expanded to honor President Abraham Lincoln who was also born in February. Read more about retail advertisers in BusinessWeek, Money and Forbes magazine.

Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States. He successfully led the country through one of its greatest crisis, the American Civil War. Lincoln, the first Republican to be elected, was assassinated near the end of war in 1885. His death solidified him as a martyr to many Americans. Over the years, including in modern times, repeated polls of Americans has ranked Lincoln as the greatest president in American history. Lincolns legacy is one of upholding honesty, integrity and equality for all Americans. Read more about Lincolns contributions in Politics magazine, BusinessWeek and American History magazine.

Though many states now observe Presidents Day, it is not all - inclusive. In Massachusetts the state celebrates " Washingtons Birthday " and the state law requires the governor to issue an annual " Presidents Day " honoring presidents from Massachusetts, which includes John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy.

The state of Alabama also observes the day as " Washington and Jefferson Day " though Thomas Jeffersons birthday is in April. Still, states New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Illinois celebrate Lincolns birthday on February 12, his actual birthday.

Presidents Day has become a day that retail stores, most notably car dealers, celebrate with sales. Up until the late 1980s most businesses closed on this holiday; many schools and non - retail businesses still remain closed in observance of Presidents Day.

Celebrations of Presidents Day vary from community to community. Alexandria, VA is host of the longest Presidents Day celebration with its month - long tribute that includes the longest George Washington Birthday parade.

A Brief History Of The Automobile

Slick are many definitions of the car. Some uttered beef - powered coaches are cars and others, compatible Daimler - Benz ( makers of Mercedes Benz ) rumor that cars are polished carriages for personal transport with three or four wheels, powered by a sap - fueled interior devouring machine. Depending on your definition of a car, the automobile could have been invented by item number of inventors at organ number of dates.

The earliest testimony of a self - propelled vehicle came from Leonardo da Vinciwho toyed with the notion in the 15th century. He planned and drew zillion models in his plans, but he didnt utterly assemble material. The beef appliance was considered to be invented by James Watt in 1765 and was perfected by both English and French scientists over the close century.

Nicolas - Joseph Cugnot, William Murdoch and Richard Trevithick all have invented steam - powered behemoths that are so enormous and heavy that they required a completely flat surface to move on. In fact, iron rails were installed on roads in Paris and London for the next 120 years just to accommodate the automobiles, which were mainly smaller versions of trains.

Cars designed during the Steam Era were unusual and fantastically bizarre. In the United States, Oliver Evans invented an amphibious vehicle that can move on wheels and on water with the help of a paddle wheel. Ivan Kulibin of Russia planned a car with modern day features such as flywheels, brakes and a gear box. Oddly enough, it was it was human - pedalled. Etience Lenoir came up with something he called a hippo mobile that proved to the masses that automobiles can operate on long trips. He drove all the way from Paris to Jonville Le - Pont.

Karl Benz was one of the first to mass - produce cars. His cars appealed to many due to being able to move at 45 km / h ( 28. 2 mph ). In France, Panhard et Levassan was the first ever company to be established exclusively for the sole purpose of making cars. The Duryea brothers ( Frank and Charles ) were the first automobile manufacturers in the United States, and they were rapidly followed by Ford and Winton.

A special mention should be said about Henry Ford. Contrary to standard belief, he didnt actually built cars. He perfected the logic of manufacturing cars, by making improvements to the production line. He used one hand for one chore and had an ingenious method of dropping the cars body on its wheels. He also added modern features such as the car radio after getting the idea from private jets.

There were different eras to the automobiles history. And each brought different improvements to the car. In the Vintage Era, internal combustion engines and the overhead cam engines were adapted. A main example of this is the Austin 7. During the Pre - War Era, fully - closed models were manufactured for the first time and trunks were added. The post War Era gave birth to cars which have more resemblance to modern automobiles. Inventive and shiny cars, like the Mini Cooper, have left a memorable print on automobile history.

Whether youre driving a luxury car, a sedan or a piece of junk that can hardly be called a car, its a good feeling to know how far the car has evolved from being steam - powered coaches to advanced practical vehicles.

A Brief History Of The Air Freight Industry

Consistent before, flying has been an innovation. Humans before couldn ' t think of a time wayward expedition. All they wanted was to fly. That ' s why airplanes were born. Eventually, technology made it a reality for people to ride on the airplane near the flyer. People became restless that they extant thinking of some beneficial ways where they can mileage the plane.

It was on the tour 1910 when the thought that a plane can be used to transact shipments began. History spread out that a latch of silk was the virgin to be shipped in a plane. The shipment was carried from Dayton to Columbus in Ohio. This was uttered to be the maiden pomp of the air freight.

In 1919, and shipment took place. A converted bomber was shipped by the American Railway Voluntary. The goods was 1100 pounds, and was delighted from Washington D. C to Chicago. Unluckily, the plane and the radiator froze had to land in Ohio. However, that didn ' t hinder the people from using the plane as freight carrier.

During the late 1920s, more airlines operated as freight carrier. The creation of the freight carrier was used for American business only. The air freight had helped them not only in making the transportation of merchandise rapidly but also the fast pace of the process.

Undeniably, the primitive stages of the air freight business made a remarkable growth.

By the year 1927 to 1931 the number and size of the shipments had increased from 45, 000 pounds to almost a million pounds. Though there were some effort at planning and organizing the air freight business, the commercial air freight did not operate until World War II ended.

The top 4 known airlines namely: American, United, TWA and Eastern formed the Air Cargo Inc. The primary mission of the company was to pick up and deliver cargo.

The Air Cargo was active until the end of the world. But in 1944, United and TWA began to be independent and had their own air freight business.

There were lots of small plane owners who wanted to part of the air cargo industry but were not accepted. The big airlines didn ' t like smaller airlines to operate in the business. One reason for that was the possibility that the small airlines might screw up the constant status of the industry. Another reason was the former didn ' t want to be involved in a competition.

Unluckily, those small plane operators who tried fell by the pavement. There ' s only one that survived - it ' s called the " Flying Tigers ". The Flying Tigers made it because it carried both military and civilian freight. And it was also known before as the largest in air freight liner industry.

In spite of the good start, the air freight business wasn ' t developing that much. It didn ' t work well in the business. Until someone in the name of Fred Smith opened up his new air freight known today as the Federal Express.

The Air Freight Industry Today

Federal express has been known today as one of the successful air freight carrier. With the aid of modern technology, it now uses air freight software to be able to provide the needs of the customers. The air freight software is the latest innovation for freight forwarders. It will resolve any problems in the system plus give you excellent and cost effective services.

Today the FedEx or the Federal Express is linked with the ( UPS ) United Parcel. The two freight carrier is now known to be the most reliable and trusted air delivery services in the country.

A Brief History Of Postal Uniforms

Mailmen and mailwomen are icons of American culture. For over two hundred and thirty years, the postal service of the United States has been reliably delivering packages and enlightenment to residents. It ' s a service most of us couldn ' t do wayward. The look of a postal emancipator has changed throughout the elderliness, but the reliable service has always stayed the same.

Flat though the postal service was running caducity before, it wasn ' t until 1868 that the postal tandem of the United States began enervating uniforms succeeding Congress passed legislation authorizing it. The primogenial uniform included a single - breasted coat of a disconsolate - gray essence which extended two - thirds of the way from the hip - bone to the knee. The coat had a pocket on each side and one on the uncherished breast and a row of five brass buttons featuring the department conclude running from the glance down the front of the coat. Panties were of the duplicate material with a black broadcloth stripe down the leg. The uniform also included a cap made of the same material, a cape, and a vast with seven of the same brass buttons.

At the dawn of the 20th century the uniform of the postal worker went through several changes. In 1901 it became permissible to wear a neat shirt - waist in warm weather, instead of a coat or a vest. In the 1920s the postal badge was redesigned and the color of the postal worker ' s shirt was changed from a nickel - gray to a blue shade. In the 1930s through the 1950s postal workers were allowed to wear a sweater in lieu of a coat, which later evolved into a zippered jacket. Elbow length sleeve shirts were optional in hot weather. In 1947 an Eisenhower - style jacket was made available was well as safari - style pith helmet for the first time.

In 1955, a uniform for female postal workers was first discussed. The uniform was the same as the men ' s style except for the addition of a skirt. The 1970s brought a new blue uniform shirt fitted with a logo incorporating the eagle in its design. This decade also brought knee length shorts and black knee - length hose for men and women.

The 1990s was one of the most transformative decades for the postal service uniform and many of those changes are still in place today. All outerwear garments were changed to navy blue. Visors and baseball caps with the new sonic eagle logo became available. Clothing with the alternating pinstripes of postal red and blue were developed. Today most postal workers wear blue - gray pants or shorts with a black stripe and several options for outerwear. Whatever the style, the postal service workers are always easily identifiable as an iconic part of American culture.

A History of the Jade Gemstone

The study of gemstones, especially those that have enjoyed long, commensurate canonization, can be as much a look into the history of human culture as a study of hard science. Of all the historical gemstones, this is purely the event with jade. It wasn ' t until the 19th century that mineralogists discovered that what was known as jade was really two different and separate materials, now avowed as nephrite and jadeite, each having homogeneous properties. Apparently, this specialized detail was of little concern to the cultures that had developed such a deep appreciation for jade over thousands of years. Despite the differences between the two, both are considered to be true jade.

Not many gemstones can boast a 7000 year history. Amazingly, the history of jade unfolded around the globe as cultures that had no contact with each other discovered the beneficial, ornamental, and sometimes violent uses of jade. The toughness of jade allows it to be ground extremely thin and still hold up to hard use. The earliest jade items were tools, such as hammers and axes formed from jade cobbles, but it was also used for weapons. The Maori of New Zealand favoured local nephrite to fashion a short club called a mere that they used for close quarters fighting. As it became more practical to use metal for tools and weapons, jade came into its own as an ornamental material. With a history as the royal gemstone of China since roughly 3000BC, jade is closely associated with Asian jewellery and art objects. Over thousands of years Chinese artists developed carving it into an art form and pushed the limits of what was possible. The toughness and durability of jade, which is considered to be greater than any other gemstone, might seem to be a hindrance to detailed carving. However, both types of the stone proved to be perfect for lapidary work. Other cultures also discovered the amazing properties of jade. In pre - Columbian Mesoamerica it was highly valued for ceremonial objects. Olmec warrior masks are fine examples of the precision workmanship and capabilities of the stone. Researchers were puzzled about the source of Mesoamerican jade until it was rediscovered in the late 20th century in present day Guatemala.

The properties of jade that were so admired throughout history are no less applicable today. As a gemstone it can be used for handmade jewellery in more ways than just about any stone.

A History Of Trampolines

The earliest trampolines have been reportedly utilised by the Inuit people who used to toss each other into the air on a walrus skin. This could have also occurred in Europe with men and women using a cover; this is special homogeneous to the practice utilized by firemen to clutch people from falling buildings. The appropriate rudimentary trampolines were manufactured by Nissen and Griswold in 1934. They had experimented by way of stretching a bit of canvas out and used coil springs, it was used as a training device for tumblers but plainly hastily became popular in its own right. The actual denomination originated from the Spanish chat trampolin which means diving board.

Benefits Of Trampolines

Being obese is certainly path occasion levels throughout present day society, and in these current conditions measure type of legitimate action or common exercise should be considered beneficial. It is generally hard to stir your young to exercise as a consequence of all of the computer games as together as new technology of which keeps them inside. The actual trampoline stands the check of time and is also a highly fun and enjoyable way to get your child out there on to it and have them jumping all - around. After some minutes your son or daughter will begin getting rid of some vital energy. Trampolines are generally certainly not the most effective form of physical exercise for weight reduction, nonetheless what we making the effort to encourage is for children to get in the garden and play and enjoy themselves. With kids entertainment currently being dominated by video games and computer games, any more active way of recreation is a plus. Trampolines are fantastic because they ' re fun, and fun really should translate into children wishing to do it. And in the long term this should have an effect upon body composition not to mention health and wellness.

As far as moms and dads are concerned, trampolines are fantastic way to take the kids off their hands for a couple of hours. Spending some time on a trampoline is not only a fantastic form of physical exercise, it can help build coordination, body control as well as movement skills which may set a good foundation for participation in various other sports.

A number of gymnasts, aerial skiers and acrobats started on trampolines, and this gives them an excellent foundation to master the body control and skills necessary for their other sports. Trampolines are used for cross training to practice particular flips and twists.

One of the downsides of trampolines is they have an injury risk associated with them. Nevertheless nearly all trampolines have padding readily available for the actual frame which can reduce the damage to some extent. There ' s also safety nets readily available, which in turn nearly totally cuts out any kind of dangers associated with the trampoline. It ' s a fun exercise that ' s endured the test of time, and should be in each and every kids backyard garden!

Olympic Sports Activity

The actual trampoline is in fact an Olympic sport. It was initially recognized as an Olympic sport in the Sydney 2000 games. There are a few disciplines and also the athleticism exhibited is quite outstanding. A highly skilled trampoline artist will be able to bounce up to ten metres high while undertaking numerous somersaults and twists. They could also be used for cross training for other sports especially to assist hone in acrobatic skills. They are made use of in sports activities which includes, gymnastics, diving, water skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and also wrestling.

Mini Trampolines

These are the small round trampolines which you see about. These can be great for smaller children but are also utilized a great deal in a rehabilitation setting. The unstable surface that the trampoline creates may be perfect for working on balance. It is a beneficial proprioception exercise, which is certainly especially useful for individuals coming back from ankle injuries.

Trampolines are an interesting item of equipment that have been around for a long time and will continue to be.

A History Of The Bicycle

We are all close with the most famous bicycle makers of all time, the Wright Brothers. They invented and sympathetic their own brand, the peerless Van Cleve ( an starting Van Cleve advert is shown at estranged ).

On the other hand, the Wright Brothers used their bicycle business to kernel major, one that involved several appointments at Finances Tout.

It is an interesting historical footnote, one of the pensive challenges to the Wright ' s claim that their Flyer 1 was the antecedent improving manned aircraft was the absence of wheels, one feature that bicycle makers scarcely intensely eliminate. ( Photo below - Flyer 1 historical landmark ). Other challenges included the Flyer 1 ' s weakness for a headwind and mortar in aligning to booty to the air.

No matter, wheels were eventually also, and the Wrights were credited with inventing the first manned aircraft.

Orville and Wilbur won out primarily because of their backbiting of the three fulcrum restraint, which allowed for the primary time the commander to regimentation the craft era in the air, an important facet if one wishes to fly, judge, from New York to Paris aboard a Boeing 767.

However, airplanes and three pivot controls will be for greater time.

In this article, we wish to speak of the Wrights ' " fan " business, bicycles, all of which had wheels from the very infancy.

Bicycles have come a long way.

The first bicycle on record was invented by Baron Karl von Drais in 1818. The vehicle did not include pedals. The Baron called his invention Laufmaschine, or running machine ( an illustration of the Laufmaschine can be seen at left ). It was the first double wheeled, human powered, steerable form of transportation.

The Baron ' s brainchild became a fad throughout Europe and the United States, with the Laufmaschine encouraging many people to take up engineering and mechanics, inventing their own prototypes.

Laufmaschine being a bit of a mouthful, most of the machines that followed the Laufmaschine ' s introduction were called velocipedes ( picture below ) - linguistically not terribly much better - meaning simply " fast feet. "

Thus was born the first bicycle ( technically velocipede ) related civic problem.

Most riders of velocipedes, wishing to avoid the horse litter on the roads ( for obvious reasons ), preferred to ride their machines on the sidewalks, thus creating many unfortunate run - ins with pedestrians, pedestrians inevitably being visited in hospital rooms.

As a result, several cities banned the vehicles. Not a great start.

The history between 1820 and 1850 or so is a bit muddled, but what is clear is, by 1850, the two - wheeled velocipede had been eclipsed by the three - and four - wheeled versions of the Laufmaschine.

These were called the tricycle ( photo at left ) and quadricycle ( right ) respectively.

Lots of experimentation with methods of powering the vehicles ensued, including pedals and hand cranks.

Eventually though, because of the weight added by the extra wheels and heavier frames of the three - and four - wheeled models, people once again began preferring the two - wheeled vehicles.

History tells us that it wasn ' t until just before the American Civil War that the first pedal - powered two - wheeled bicycles we are familiar with arrived on the scene in a big way.

One of the first of them was nicknamed " the bone shaker " ( picture at left ). This particular vehicle featured a wooden frame and wooden wheels. The wheels had iron frames as tires. Now imagine taking such a vehicle out for a nice ride on cobblestones. You get the idea. ( Advice: Make an appointment with a chiropractor before your first ride. Also, make certain you have someone standing by to carry you to the adjustment. )

Now we are ready for the real business of bicycle inventing.

A few years after the American Civil War, one James Starley, a British inventor, introduced the vehicle that eventually earned him the title " father of the bicycle industry. "

Starley ' s bicycle was called the Penny - Farthing ( see photo, right ) because it looked like a British penny and farthing ( the coins ) in diagram. The front wheel was larger than the back wheel. Rubber tires were introduced for a smoother ride. With this design, much greater speeds were also possible.

Unfortunately, because of the large front wheel, the seat of the bicycle was of necessity higher. That in turn made for spectacular forward aerial displays above and beyond the handlebars, if and when the rider struck anything. In that event, the rider was immediately airborne headed for parts ( and in parts ) unknown.

Despite this, Starley hung in there with the Penny - Farthing.

Starley ' s nephew, John Kemp, though, decided he had been invited to too many sad ceremonies. In response, Kemp invented the safety bike ( see picture at right ).

The safety bike remained the standard design for bicycles throughout the world until 1980.

Since 1980, new materials have opened the door to new designs with extremely lightweight frames, much stronger pedals and more effective braking systems.

Engineers have today designed bicycles that travel much faster and farther in all terrains than was possible just a few years ago. ( Photo - Modern Racing Bicycle ) Modern Racing Bike

The industry is also seeing some retro activity, with a resurgence of the unicycle and quadricycle in some quarters. ( The tricycle has never gone out of style, especially for the very young, fragile and sane. )

It can be said with some degree of assurance, whether we are speaking of the unicycle, bicycle, tricycle or quadricycle, the folks passing our collective porches aboard these vehicles, hair flowing freely, laughter echoing throughout our neighborhoods, seem to be sharing in unison a spirit - refreshing moment in the sun. A hearty cheer to them all!

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A History of E - Books

The last few years have practical exponential sprouting in the worship of e - Books. The characteristics of this product have attractive punch line both to the purchaser and seller. The purchaser is able to access sizeable numbers of titles worldwide which can be momentarily downloaded at slice time from a change of devices which have internet access. The seller is able on - line to marketplace his product worldwide and benefits from a universal assemblage which can purchase merchandise 24 / 7, and which compared to acknowledged methods of retailing books has inadequate overhead costs.

Beginnings

In 1971 Michael Hart at the University of Illinois created what was effectively the original e - Book. Alongside typing the United States Determination of Independence into a computer, he was told it was unacceptable to restrict it to profuse people via email as this would crash the system. Thence he made it available for people to download and the first e - Book was created. In the same year he launched a volunteer scheme called Project Gutenberg to create electronic copies of cultural texts which were to be placed in an archive.

In 1985 the Voyager Company was established which published books on CD - ROM ' s and progressed to " expanded books ". Digital Book Inc. in 1993 started selling floppy disks with 50 e - Books in a Digital Book Format (. dbf ). Generally speaking earlier e - Books were produced for limited audiences in technical or niche subjects.

E - Books go Mainstream

Towards the end of the 1990 ' s there was an increase in the speed of developments. In 1998 the first dedicated e - Book readers were released, including SoftBook, Rocket e - Book and Cybook. The year also saw the first libraries in the US start providing free e - Books to the public via their websites, although at that time they could not be downloaded and usually related to professional, scholarly or technical subjects. These services expanded in 2003 when libraries started offering free downloadable fiction and non - fiction e - Books to the public.

Microsoft in 2000 released the e - Book reading software, Microsoft Reader. It utilised ClearType technology to enable the type to be viewed on smaller devices and was suitable for Windows computers and PocketPCs. In the same year Stephen King released his book ' Riding the Bullet ' in digital format only, and which could only be read on a computer. During the initial 24 hours in excess of 400, 000 copies were downloaded. The beginning of the decade saw the major publishing houses begin to take an interest, and in 2002 Harper Collins and Random House began offering some of their titles as digital products.

In 2005 Bookboon. com was started, enabling the download of free textbooks and travel guide e - Books. The same year Amazon expanded its interest with the purchase of software company Mobipocket, which provided e - Book reading software for portable devices. Amazon in 2007 launched a dedicated e - Book reader called Kindle, which could download e - Books and other digital media over Wi - Fi or the mobile network from the Amazon website. Over 90, 000 e - Books were available, including over 100 New York Times bestsellers. BooksOnBoard. com in 2008 became the first to sell e - Books for iPhones.

April 2010 saw Apple launch the iPad, which included e - Book reading software iBooks. It also launchediBookstore, a virtual bookstore selling e - Book downloads. During the second quarter of 2010 Amazon announced that its e - Book sales surpassed those of hardcover titles, and also in 2010 Google eBookstore opened with 3 million titles. In May 2011 Amazon announced its e - Book sales now exceed all of its printed book sales.

e - Books have arrived.

Steven Bolton is the founder and owner of ebookroadshow. com, a site that provides ebooks related to improving knowledge and skills. To review the site please visit:

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