The saying “American as Apple Pie” is a classic one that harkens back to American culture, to the days of home-baked pies and gingham picnic blankets. But apples, of course, are much older than the United States, and the humble pie has a history much longer than the nation.
In 1906, a famed explorer saw something on the horizon that would lead an expedition of men to search for a magnificent land they hoped would be full of new and undiscovered treasures for science.
One famous dolphin lived near the shores of New Zealand in the late 1800s, and swam alongside hundreds of ships, becoming a beloved figure to locals and foreigners alike, and described as ”the best known fish in the world.”
It was relatively common in the middle ages for Kings, royals, and various other titled men to die in combat, and they were at least usually expected to fight personally. Despite the dangers of medieval combat and the expectations of nobility, however, many at the highest levels of aristocracy died in less than noble mundane accidents, and even in embarrassing circumstances.
The human love of salt cured slices of heaven is nothing new. In fact, it is one of the world’s oldest cuts of meat, with a long and savory history.
As airplanes go, the North American F-86 Sabre is as iconic as it gets. The fighter aircraft that dominated in the Korean war became an enduring symbol of the Jet Age and the Cold War. So you could hardly blame a young Air Force mechanic for getting a little carried-away.
2024 is, the UN has proclaimed, the international year of the camelid. That may seem odd to Americans, whose, if having encountered them at all, most common close encounter with a camel was likely paying a few dollars to ride on one at a country fair. Still, camels have a fascinating history, even some here in the United States, and are still vitally important in many parts of the world.