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Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
In the spirit of the holiday season, we are highlighting another Everyday Mystery relevant to this time of the year: Who invented electric Christmas lights? The short answer is Thomas Alva Edison and Edward H. Johnson. After all, Edison created the first practical light bulb and successfully strung together the first strand of electric lights …
Posted in: Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
The earliest cultivation records of the sweet potato date to 750 BCE in Peru, although archeological evidence shows cultivation of the sweet potato might have begun around 2500-1850 BCE.
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
K-rations, better night vision binoculars, and synthetic rubber are just a few examples of innovations resulted from scientific research during World War II. The story of science during World War II is one of partnerships and prolific research. On June 28, 1941, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8807which established the Office of Scientific Research and …
Posted in: Favorites From the Fifth Floor, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions, Military science, Technical Reports and Standards
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Everyone around here is talking about Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity and Halloween celebrations, but there is another bit of exciting news that warrants some attention this weekend. Drum roll, please…. The ‘Inside Adams’ blog celebrates its first birthday. We launched this blog on October 30 to coincide with the birthday of our founding father and namesake …
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Photocopiers have come long way. Most businesses, law firms, and libraries have one or more! There are even stores dedicated to making of copies and copiers in our homes. I wonder what Chester Carlson would think about that?
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Guest blogger today is business reference librarian Ellen Terrell Many Americans may think Labor Day as the end of summer or a day of rest, parades, picnics, or store sales. Labor Day is so much more. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 at the behest of the Central Labor …
Posted in: Business, Census and Statistics, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Labor
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Most would agree that summer is the peak season for ice cream consumption. Therefore it makes perfect sense that, in the United States, July was proclaimed National Ice Cream Month. It was President Ronald Reagan’s Proclamation 5219 promoted this national observance, designating July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month. Today ice cream manufacturers carry on this tradition …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Being a vegetarian, it may seem strange that I am writing about cooking meat. To be honest, I love the smell of barbecue. There must be a part of my ancestral brain that gets triggered, because my stomach starts to growl every time I smell the sweet smoke of a barbecue. Since prehistoric time humans from …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Our guest author today is Constance Carter, head of the science reference section, mentor, and cookie goddess. Today is the birthday of Ruth Graves Wakefield, “mother of the chocolate chip cookie.” She was born on June 17, 1903, and Inside Adams is celebrating by unveiling the division’s latest acquisition, the 1938 edition of Ruth Wakefield’s …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Women's History