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Amphibious landing craft were used in many operations of World War II but these were not new inventions. As a matter of fact a steam powered craft was invented in 1802 by Oliver Evans. Actually the vehicle was called a steam powered amphibious dredging scow. Evans had invented a high pressure steam engine that put out much more power than the ones that were currently in use. This paved the way for using steam engines to power boats. Did you ever wonder who designed the Capitol? I am talking about the Capitol in Washington D.C. His name was Dr. William Thornton He was born in 1759, in the West Indies. As befits his status, he died in Washington D.C. in 1828. The design for the Capitol was selected by George Washington. Thornton was the first to work on it.
Capitol At Lincoln's second inaugural, John Wilkes Booth was not far from the president and can be seen in a photo of the times glaring at Lincoln as he is being sworn in. With Booth are some fellow conspirators. Perhaps they were deciding if they should try and kill Lincoln then and there? The Smithsonian includes over 2 dozen museums and research institutions. It was founded in 1846. An English scientist, James Smithson, bequeathed his estate to the U.S. to create an establishment "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men".
Smithsonian The Library of Congress was founded in 1800. A resolution had been introduced by James Madison in 1783 to create a library that would give the Congress access to works about the laws of nations and American history and affairs. Today the library is a repository of a hugh amount of works, not only written but multimedia also. It is also a place where not only Congress can get information but also the common man or woman.. The first recorded use of a firearm took place in 1364 and it was down hill from there. This date is not firm however, some say the first recorded use of a firearm was at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Gun powder goes back a little further in Europe. A recorded statement was created in 1280 when Bishop Albertus Magnus said it was used in the Siege of Seville. Even though archery has been around for thousands of years, the first recorded archery competitions began in 1583 in England. You can bet that there were competitions way before that but there are no records. Buoys were first used to mark channels as early as the 11th century. The very first library was started by the Greeks in 530 BC. The very first bomber to be developed using a radar evading technology was the B-2 bomber. The B-2 is a flying wing, but not the first flying wing. A flying wing glider had been patented by Hugo Junkers in 1910. In 1931 the G-38 held 34 people. The Germans had developed several flying wings late in the war, including a jet engine fighter. The B-39 was developed in this country by Northrop. The first organized police force was created by Gaius Octavius about 27 BC. He was the grand nephew of Julius Caesar and he formed the organization after the assassination of his uncle.
Ancient Rome The first organized fire department in New York City was in 1648. But this is nothing compared to ancient Rome. Rome had a fire department of about 7,000 paid fire fighters. If you violated a fire prevention code and a Roman fire fighter caught you, he had the right to impose corporal punishment. Fire fighters in Rome also patrolled the streets making sure that there were no fires. The fire pump was invented in 200 BC by Ctesibius of Alexandria but somehow the plans were lost for almost 2,000 years. It wasn't until 1500 AD that the pump was reinvented. The invention of the tin can to preserve food outpaced the can opener. On the first cans were the instructions to cut around the top of the can with a chisel and hammer. |
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