-
Christmas Past and Present
This Christmas of 2013 has already brought snow to many peoples’ homes. And there is this Christmas a shorter time to do our shopping by six fewer days. As we settle into our present day Christmas season, I can’t help but think of Christmas past. The first recorded celebration of Christmas appears to have been A.D. 336: “25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.” December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336. Around the 13th century Christmas carols were introduced into the holiday celebration. And Christmas trees were common in Germany by the 16th century. It was rumored that Luther may have cut the first tree and…
-
Remembering Rosa Parks
It was 58 years ago today Dec. 1, 1955 on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama that Rosa Parks, an NAACP member, bravely refused to move to the back of the bus. She refused to allow a white man to have her seat on the bus. We often imagine that one individual citizen of the United States, cannot make a difference. We give up before even trying believing that without large sums of money and powerful political backing it is an impossibility for our simple effort to succeed. Thankfully we have the remarkable example of Rosa Parks. She reminds us of the power one person has to make a stand against social injustice. Her single act of…
-
Lizzie Borden Lives On
Though the infamous ax murderer, Lizzie Andrew Borden, died years ago on June 1, 1927, her biology lives on. Scientist James Fallon found out that not only was Lizzie Borden a distant relative, but that he also shared her psychopathic brain. It was during a family research project on Alzheimer’s disease that he saw his own PET scan, not knowing it was his, and recognized the hallmark neurological deficits of the psychopathic population he was studying. As a neuroscientist Fallon worked with experts on brain abnormalities of the criminal kind and so was familiar with the brain scans that psychopaths present with. He was shocked to find out that the image he recognized…
-
Question on Flag at Half Staff
From: Amber Subject: The American Flag Message Body: Why do most people put the American flag at half-position. Sorry if I sound stupid.. Dear Amber, No question is wrong. We learn by asking questions. * Flags are flown at half-staff to show grief for lives lost. When the flag is flown at half-staff, it should be pulled to the top for a moment, and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should then be raised to the top before it is lowered for the day. https://www.researchhistory.org/2011/05/24/the-american-flag/ Thanks for contacting Research History with your question!
-
Boston Red Sox Fans
Red Sox fans are everywhere, but how many attended the 1918 World Series? Not many. But there does exist a least one fan left at the age of 107 years old by the name of Obeline Biron. She became a Boston Red Sox fan in 1918 when the Boston Red Sox became the 1918 World Series champions. Biron remembers the win, “I was 12 years old and of course all the kids in the neighborhood went crazy.” Biron has her own superstition, “The first club that gets a home run will be the team that will win.” Today, October 30, 2013, more people will become fans as: Boston Red Sox Win World…