Peter Fintan was born in Laois, Ireland back in 1827 to Patrick and Ann. He attended Carlow College training as a civil engineer later at Trinity College, Dublin.He moved to Australia arriving in Victoria in 1852. You could find him mining in the Ovens Valley for a little while before moving to Eureka Lead. In 1854, a miner was murdered, a committee was formed to investigate the murder. Peter was a member of that committee.In that same year he led the miners’ opposition against the often-brutal administration of the authorities. A warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of sedition however, the warrant was withdrawn in 1855 after a jury found thirteen others not guilty of sedition.What you may not know about Peter Fintan Lalor is that his claim to fame was for his leading role in ... 11/04/2017

Simon Lake was born in Pleasantville, New Jersey back in 1866. After attending public schools, he worked at his father’s foundry business.Foundry work was not his interest, so he set about fulfilling his lifelong ambition. I’m sure you’ll scratch your head in wonderment as I did when you read the rest of the story.His longing for adventure and the se carried him to heights only a few of us will experience. He built his first boat for the US Navy in 1893, followed up in 1898 with another one which he sailed from Norfolk, Virginia to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, a journey of over a thousand miles.Finally, in 1901 he built another boat which was accepted by the Navy. He died in 1945 at 78. What you may not know about Simon Lake is that he was an American Quaker and naval architect who obtained ... 11/03/2017

Paul Leland was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado back in 1902.  He received his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ohio State University, his Master’s from the University of Pittsburgh and his Ph.D. in biochemistry for UC Berkeley.In 1929, you could find him teaching biochemistry at UC Berkeley.  A student of his asked him one question that forever changed his life and that of so many other people.  That question “how could it be determined if a dog and died of poisoning”?  as so began his legacy.  In 1942 he was asked to join the Manhattan Project; his job was to isolate fissionable plutonium.  He returned to Berkeley where in 1945 the school of criminology was established with Paul being appointed the chair of the criminalistics department.He died in Alameda, California in 1970 at ... 10/28/2017

Albert Kingsbury was born in Morris, Illinois back in 1863. He graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School in 1880. He continued his education at the University of Akron majoring in Scientific-Latin courses. He dropped out shortly afterwards and worked in a machine shop as an apprentice.He received his mechanical engineering degree from Cornell University in 1887. He pursued a teaching career at the University of New Hampshire, within two years he was a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the university. With his new position it gave him time to work on his other passion. He worked at two other positions before being issued a U.S. paten around 1907. All in all, he was awarded over fifty patents between the years of 1902 to 1930.What you may not know about Albert Kingsbury is that he is... 10/26/2017

James Verlin was born in Washington, D.C. back in 1939. After graduating from St. John’s College High School, he enrolled in Georgetown University for one term. He was accepted in the United State Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1962.He was commissioned as a lieutenant seeing action in Vietnam serving three combat tours as an Airborne Ranger. He received several awards for his service and valor, in 2005 he was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame for his Outstanding Service to the Nation.After eight years in the military he left and opened a bar in Washington, D.C. he also had a side job which of course is the rest of the story. he served as Chairman Emeritus of Refugees International. He as a member of the board for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fun a Senior Fellow to th... 10/25/2017

Kitty Lanahan was born in Buffalo, New York back in 1903. I have no clue as to who her parents were, her schooling or much of anything else that is except for the rest of the story.She was a small-time actress. She played in a short film “The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner in 1921. Some of the other films were “Where’s My Wandering Boy Tonight, Vamoos, Smilin’ Through, The Phantom of the North, Klondike Annie and for playing Tirzah in the 1925 film Ben-Hur.” just to name a few.Her stage name was Kathleen Key sometimes credited as Kathleen Keys. Her claim to fame was two-fold number one she had a well-known love affair with actor Buster Keaton. However, her real claim to fame was her role in the film “The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner.” For you see Kitty Lanahan was in true life t... 10/23/2017

Jack St. Clair was born in Jefferson City, Missouri back in 1923 to Hubert and Vina. He attended school in Great Bend, Kansas. He received his bachelor of science from the University of Illinois and a master of science in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1950.In 1958, he was working at Texas Instruments. He had not accumulated any vacation time so he spent his summer working on problems in circuit design. What he came up with revolutionized his work. He was issued U.S. Patent 3,138,743 for his work (more on that later).In 1970 he took a leave of absence from Texas Instruments to work as an independent inventor. Jack St. Clair Kilby was the co-inventor of the handheld calculator and the thermal printer. But his breakthrough design was that of the first... 10/22/2017

Simon Kenton was born in Fauquier County, Virginia to Mark and Mary. When he was 16 he fled the area into the wilderness of West Virginia. He had shot a man in a fit of rage over a girl, thinking he had killed the man he changed his name to Simon Butler.He did something in 1777, which we will get into later. Anyway in 1778, he was captured by the Shawnee where they tortured him for many days. He was saved by Pierre Droullard. Having survived the torture, the Shawnee adopted him naming him Cut-ta-ho-tha (the condemned man).In 1778 he served as scout for George Rogers Clark during the American Revolution. In 1793-94, he served with “Mad” Anthony Wayne during the Northwest Indian War. In 1810 he moved to Urbana, Ohio where he served in the state militia achieving the rank of brigadier gene... 10/21/2017

Elizabeth Kenny was born in Warialda, New South Wales back in 1880 to Michael and Mary. She was mainly home-schooled but did attend schools in South Wales.When she was seventeen she broke her wrist, her father took her to Toowoomba for treatment where she said while recuperating. With nothing much to do she began reading his medical books, thus is the subject of the rest of the story.From 18 to her mid-twenties she worked as an unaccredited bush nurse. In 1909 she paid a tailor to make her a nurse’s uniform complete with cap and cape. In 1915 she volunteered to serve as a nurse in the war. Not officially qualified the service took her anyway. She was so good at the job she earned the title of “Sister” in the Australian Army Nurse Corps. With the information I have it would take 3-4 blog... 10/18/2017

Eglantine Jebb was born in Ellesmere, Shropshire back in 1876. She was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. After graduation she taught school for one year. Having made the decision being a school teacher was not for her she went on to do something else. This of course is the rest of the story.She moved to Cambridge to care for her mother when she became involved with the Charity Organization Society. She carried out some research and wrote a book “Cambridge, a Study in Social Questions” in 1906.In 1907, she was appointed to the Education Committee of Cambridge Borough Council. In 1913, she went to Macedonia where she wrote in the Cambridge Magazine about her experiences.With all her experiences she set into motion something that is still going to this day. She started a fund for tho... 10/12/2017

Eleanor Jarman was born in Sioux City, Iowa back in 1904 to Julius and Amelia. Sorry I do not and cannot find any information about her childhood, education and so on however, what I can tell you is the rest of the story, well sort of….Records show she married Leroy and moved to Chicago. In 1933 she along with two others a George Dale and Leo Minneci tried to rob a clothing store in Chicago. As a result, the store owner was shot and died, witnesses noted the license plate and the trio was arrested. Although she was never charged for the robbery she was charged as an accomplish in the store owners death.For seven years she was a model prisoner but in 1940 she escaped. For the next 35 years she made contact with her family through classified ads in the newspaper. She is on the FBI’s ten m... 10/11/2017

Chaim Godalia was born in Makow Mazowiecki, Congress Poland back in 1900 to Abraham and Rachel. They later changed his name to Hyman George.In 1906 the family moved to New York City, they later moved to Chicago where he worked when he was 9 for three cents an hour. He graduated from John Marshall High School and was admitted into the United States Naval Academy.At the age of 18 he began his naval career. In 1923, he became the youngest officer to make officer to make engineering office. He continued his studies and graduated with a Master of Science at the United States Naval Academy.He served during WWI and WWII. By the time WWII started he rose through the ranks to commander. in 1945 he was appointed Inspector General of the 19th Fleet. Those who served under him said he was hyperacti... 10/07/2017

Sally Ward was born in Scott County, Kentucky back in 1827 to Robert and Emily. She attended a French finishing school graduating in 1844. She was fluent in French and played several musical instruments.She married Timothy in 1849, divorcing in 1850 due to cultural differences. She then married Robert in 1852, living in New Orleans, Louisiana. The marriage produced two sons Robert and John and one daughter Emily, with only John surviving to adulthood.When the Civil War started Robert was killed in action for the Confederacy however, they had already separated because she supported Abraham Lincoln. She then married Vene, after his death she married her fourth husband George. She died of a ruptured stomach ulcer in 1896 in Louisville, Kentucky.What you may not know about Sally Ward Lawren... 10/03/2017

Benjamin Leroy was born in Concord, New Hampshire back in 1849 to William and Eliza. In 1869, you could find him working at his father’s sawmill getting hardwoods ready for shipping to his brothers in San Francisco.Benjamin left for California in 1883 after the death of his parents. He met up with his brothers where they founded the Stockton Wheel Company. Benjamin was an inventor of sorts. He produced the first horse-drawn “Link-Belt Combined Harvester.”In 1890, he built his first steam traction engine named “Old Betsy”. In, 1892 he produced a steam-driven tractor that was capable of hauling 50 short tons of material at 3 MPH.In 1904, he produced something that is still in use to this day. He designed the first practical continuous tracks for tractors. This gave rise to the first crawl... 09/27/2017

Lucy Hobbs was born in Constable, New York back in 1833. I have no data about her parents, schooling etc., but what I can tell you is the rest of the story. She entered the working world by teaching school for ten years. In 1859, she moved to Cincinnati trying to gain admittance to a school.Back in those days women were denied certain training/schooling due to their sex. So, what did she do? Well she began studying with the help of a professor from the school she had tried to enter. She was allowed entrance into that school of higher education where in 1866 she earned her doctorate.After graduation in 1867, she moved to Chicago where she met James, they married and moved to Lawrence, Kansas where they remained until James died in 1886. Sadly, she died in 1910 but her legacy and what she... 09/21/2017

Thomas Fowler was born in Great Torrington, Devon, England back in 1777. I could not find anything about his childhood including who his parents were, his education and so on. So, what say let’s get to the rest of the story.In 1828, he patented something that I thought was invented not that long ago. He received the British patent number 5711 for his invention, more on that in a moment. In 1840, he invented something else which he single-handily made from woo in his workshop. The device was 6 feet long by 3 feet deep and 1-foot high.Now you may not know Thomas Fowler but you undoubtedly have benefited from his inventions. His first invention was called the “thermosiphon” which formed the basis of the early hot water central heating systems. His second invention which he hand-carved was ... 09/15/2017

Nathan Cooley was born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts back in 1800. By 1821, you could find him working as an apprentice with a local jeweler. That’s when he left, moved to Boston where he graduated from Harvard Medical School with a M.D. in 1827.His true love however, was dentistry which of course is the rest of the story, so let’s get to it shall we. He practiced dentistry for forty years in 1843, he was awarded an honorary D.D.S. by the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. Being a practicing physician, he also helped Fanny Longfellow to give birth to her daughter in 1847.What you may not know about Nathan Cooley Keep is that he was the first physician to use anesthesia for childbirth, one of the first to manufacture porcelain teeth and most importantly being a critical participant in a... 08/20/2017

Kam Tong was born in Kalihi, Territory of Hawaii back in 1918.  He graduated from President William McKinley High School in 1938.  He started working in the shipyard at Pearl Harbor.  He witnessed the attack by the Japanese on December 7, 1941.  In 1944, two B-24 bombers collided over his home killing his wife, his four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.That same year he applied for a job as a police officer for the Honolulu Police Department where he served for sixteen years.  After his retirement, he worked as a disc jockey and sold real estate.What you may not know is that due to a misunderstanding by his first teacher he was taught to spell his name as Kam Fong Chun.  Due to the confusion as he got older he legally changed his name to that spelling.  You may not know Kam Fong C... 08/19/2017

James Merritt was born in New York City, New York back in 1824.  He went to work at the age of twelve however, he continued his education on his own.  In 1846, he married Caroline, the couple had six children two sons and four daughters.Caroline was the sister-in-law of Nathaniel who hired him as a bookkeeper in 1852.  By 1857, James had moved up through the ranks where Nathaniel offered him a full partnership in the firm.  His job was to streamline the company to make it more profitable.  He worked there for over forty years until his death in Rye, New York in 1895.  His sons and those of Nathaniel took it over continuing to manage the firm until it went into liquidation in 1907.  By this time, I hope you are wondering who James is writing about today.  You may not know James Merritt b... 08/15/2017

Thomas Toliver was born in Greenville, South Carolina back in 1910 to Thomas and Charlotte. His father was a real estate broker and his mother a concert pianist.He graduated from Furman University in 1931 with a B.S. in physics and a Ph.D. for Cornell University in 1936. After graduation, he became director of research for DuMont Laboratories in New Jersey. He left DuMont in 1966 to become a professor of physics at Furman University, he retired to become an emeritus professor in 1975. He died in 2009 due to a hip fracture leading to infection, he was 99.What you may not know about Thomas Toliver Goldsmith, Jr. is that in 1947 he filed for a U.S. Patent number 2,455,992 making him the co-inventor of the first arcade game using a cathode ray tube. He was awarded five more U.S. Patents inv... 08/07/2017