When was the last time you used a pay phone? For younger folks, the answer may be never. In many places, these analog throwbacks no longer exist. Or, they’ve been creatively repurposed into fish-filled aquariums, as in Japan. But one rural Vermonter decided to bring them back as a public service project. “I realized, wow, there’s no cell service for 10 miles in either … [Read more...]
Auto, a six-year-old boy from Thailand who was dying of cancer, was granted his last wish not long ago — to see Moo Deng, the young pygmy hippo who’s become an Internet darling. When the Khao Kheow Open Zoo just south of Bangkok heard about Auto’s wish, they invited him for a visit. As if sensing the boy’s need, Moo Deng, who usually sleeps in the water, remained on land that … [Read more...]
In 1904, stenographer Elizabeth Magie was granted a patent for her creation, The Landlord’s Game. A big hit with her friends in Maryland, Magie’s circular board game featured properties for sale and a ‘Go to Jail’ space, much like its later, more famous iteration – Monopoly. But Magie’s version had a much different purpose. She created it as a teaching tool to show the dangers … [Read more...]
You’ve probably never heard of him, but James Lafayette is a man worth remembering. Born into slavery in 1748 (records are sketchy, but he was likely a Sagittarian), James served bravely in the Revolutionary War under the Marquis de Lafayette, whose name he later took. His efforts as a spy were crucial to the American victory at the 1781 Battle of Yorktown – which became the … [Read more...]
In September 1954, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, 63-year-old Annie Wilkins decided that a big change was in order. After living on the family farm in Maine her entire life, and with all her relatives gone, she decided to hit the road. When a coin toss came up heads, she took it as a sign. Wilkins sold homemade pickles and mortgaged her rundown farm to buy supplies and a … [Read more...]
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Sign of Pisces
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