Did You Know? Young American physician Crawford W. Long noticed that his friends felt no pain when they injured themselves while staggering around under the influence of ether (for fun). He realized its potential as a painkiller during surgery, and surgical anesthesia was used for the first time March 30, 1842. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? A newly developed 4″ bullet has the uber-cool ability to use its tiny fins to adjust its course during flight, making it easier to hit a moving target. Unfortunately, you still have to “paint the target” with a laser so the bullet knows what to hit. It isn’t yet at the ultra-uber-cool stage of being able to “lock on” to an unpainted target and pursue it. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? The long-promised self-driving cars are now a reality. They’re not quite commercially available yet, but they’re out there on the roads, driving right beside you, without you even knowing it. (Maybe.) Personally, I’m looking forward to these. I’m not anxious to get in one right not, but eventually, when the tech is mature, they will drive more safely than we do, and they will be a big boon for people with poor night vision. They are still controversial, though. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? For the last 800 years the popes have had coats of arms devised for them according to the rules of herarldry. Each coat of arms has symbols that are meaningful to the particular pope who commissioned it. The Vatican web site has a very informative explanation of Pope Benedict’s coat of arms, as well as information about the history of this practice. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? The Book of Mormon was published March 26, 1830, in Palmyra, New York, leading to countless TV commercials. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? Christian Huygens discovered Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, on March 25, 1655. Titan is larger than the planet Mercury (making it a planet itself, frankly). It has liquid oceans, lots of hydrocarbons, and may be a home for life today! In the 31st century it *will* be the home of the telepathic teen superhero Saturn Girl. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? Catholic Emancipation took a big step forward in the British Isles with the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829 (passed March 24 of that year). It ended many of the Penal Laws that had been enacted against Catholics by the British government. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? Elisha Otis’s first elevator was installed at 488 Broadway in New York City on March 23, 1857. LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? A couple in Pennsylvania regularly trap squirrels that get into their birdfeeders and then release the squirrels elsewhere. One day they trapped one that is purple! They and others say they have no idea why the squirrel is purple (dye, genetic anomaly, etc.). LEARN MORE.
Did You Know? After the French pillaged Rome and took all the old papal tiaras, Pope Pius VII was crowned pope on March 21, 1800 using a papal tiara made of paper mache! LEARN MORE.
