
Pass GO, Collect $200
Posted by: Ellen Terrell
This blog post looks at the history of the board game Monopoly and the game it was borrowed from.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
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Posted by: Ellen Terrell
This blog post looks at the history of the board game Monopoly and the game it was borrowed from.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
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: Ellen Terrell
In the 1987 movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Steve Martin’s character is desperately trying to get home for Thanksgiving. While working at the Library of Congress, I have answered many questions which might have interested Steve Martin’s character, from how people traveled, to how much a trip cost, to how long a certain trip was …
Posted in: Favorites From the Fifth Floor, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Travel
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: Ellen Terrell
James Jacob Ritty was a saloon keeper in Ohio who was trying to insure employees didn’t pocket the money from customer purchases.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
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: Ellen Terrell
The Columbus Day holiday is a good opportunity to post on the topic of trade. After all, wasn’t finding another trade route to the Orient one of the main purposes of the expedition in 1492? Since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the land route had become difficult and dangerous. The Portuguese were working on …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
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