Tar Heel

Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the state and inhabitants of North Carolina, as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's athletic teams. The origin of the name is unknown and disputed, but most experts believe its roots come from the fact that tar, pitch and turpentine created from the pine forests were one of North Carolina's most important exports early in the state's history. North Carolina was nicknamed the "Tar and Turpentine State" because of this industry.

The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

On December 15, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed.  It repealed the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition.  Now everyone (21 and over) can drink!

UNIVAC and the Census

The thing I learned today is that UNIVAC (UNIVersal Automatic Computer), the computer developed by the  Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation in 1951, was first used by the U.S. Census Bureau to tabulate and sample survey information.

Delaware's nickname

The thing I learned today is that Delaware's motto is "Liberty and Independence," but its nickname is "The First State," which is printed on their license plates. (It was the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution.)

Delaware
is well aware
it was the first state

Edward Brooke

The thing I learned today is that Edward Brooke was a Republican politician who served as Senator of Massachusetts from 1967-79.  He was the first African-American senator elected popularly, and the only to serve multiple terms.  Barbara Walters claimed in her memoir Audition that she had an affair with Brooke in the 1970s.

Bedloe's Island

The thing I learned today was that Bedloe's Island is the former name of Liberty Island, New York, where the Statue of Liberty stands. The name was changed in 1956.

The Boston Tea Party ships

The thing I learned today was that the names of the three ships boarded by colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians in December, 1773, to destroy their cargo of tea were the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver.

Naval Support Facility Thurmont

The thing I learned today is that Camp David, the Presidential country retreat, is a military installation and is officially known as Naval Support Facility Thurmont (it is located near Thurmont, Maryland).

The Spanish American War

The thing I learned today is that the Spanish-American War lasted less than a year, from April to August of 1898. Independence of Cuba was the question; the explosion of the USS Maine, American corporate imperialism, and yellow journalism ruled the day.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The thing I learned today is that The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo granted, via the Mexican Cession, the US the region that is now California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as part of Wyoming. It came at the end of the Mexican-American war (1846-48). The Treaty provided for property rights of Mexicans in the area, which largely went unhonored.

The people who have walked on the moon

The thing I learned today is that twelve men have walked on the moon.  Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, followed immediately by Buzz Aldrin; this was on July 21, 1969.  The next two moon walkers were Pete Conrad and Alan Bean, who trod the dusty surface of Luna November 19 and 20, 1969, as part of the Apollo 12 mission.  And the fifth and sixth on the moon were Alan Shepherd and Edgar Mitchell, who walked the moon in February of 1971.  The last person to have walked on the moon (for now!) is Eugene Cernan, in 1972.  Here is a mnemonic: Arm All Conquering Bears; Sheep Might Scamper.

Highway Gothic

The thing I learned today is that Highway Gothic is a popular name for the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) series of fonts.  This series is a collection of fonts used on road signs in over a dozen countries.  Originally developed during WWII by the Public Roads Administration, the sans-serif fonts have been modified over the years, such as the implementation of a lower-case set of letters.

The $100,000 US note, the largest denomination ever issued, bore Woodrow Wilson's portrait.

St. Joseph, Missouri was the gateway to the wild west and was the beginning point for the Pony Express, which ran to Sacramento, CA from 1860 to 1861.

The Bathtub Hoax was the result of a humor piece written in 1917 by H.L. Mencken. Titled "A Neglected Anniversary," it insinuated that Millard Fillmore popularized the bathtub by installing one in the White House.

Speedwell

The ironically-named Speedwell was the second of two ships meant to take the Pilgrims from Plymouth to Virginia. After it was found to be taking water twice, the passengers were all transferred to the Mayflower and the voyage proceeded without the Speedwell.

St. Louis, Missouri, is located on the eastern border of the state, on the western bank of the Mississippi River (which forms the border with Illinois). The Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers converge north of the city (thus the flag design); however, the River des Peres is within the city and flows into the Mississippi.

Copperheads was a name given to Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and sympathized with the South, so named by their opponents because they were dangerous. Also called Butternuts and Peace Democrats.

United States' oldest national park

Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the U.S., established by Ulysses S. Grant in 1872.  It is located in Wyoming and encompasses 3,400 square miles.

Mary Pinchot Meyer

Mary Pinchot Meyer was a D.C. artist and socialite who became John Kennedy's mistress.  She was shot execution-style in broad daylight on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal towpath in Washington, D.C., on October 12, 1964. A suspect, Ray Crump, Jr., was arrested and charged with her murder, but he was ultimately acquitted.