The planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 as the ninth planet from the Sun. Eris, a dwarf planet discovered in January 2005, is the ninth-most massive object directly orbiting the Sun, and including moons is the sixteenth-most massive overall. Pluto is slightly larger than Eris by volume, but Eris has about 27% more mass than Pluto. Eris is the most massive of the dwarf planets.
Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930. 4 years earlier, when his family couldn’t afford to send him to college, he built his own telescopes with lenses and mirrors. To better test his telescope mirrors, Tombaugh, with just a pick and shovel, dug a pit 24 feet long, 8 feet deep, and 7 feet wide. This provided a constant air temperature, free of air currents, and was also used by the family as a root cellar and emergency shelter.
The ceremonies of the ancient Roman gladiatorial games included attendants costumed as gods. One of them was a “Pluto”, god of the underworld, whose job was to escort out the corpses.
Pluto has an unusual status among Disney dogs – he is not anthromorphic. Background “human” characters in Disney cartooon, if they are male (such as policemen or shopkeepers) are also dogs – at least with long floppy ears and black button noses. Incidental females are more often cats.
Nitpick: anthropomorphic
Like Pluto, Goofy is also an anthropomorphic dog. Goofy was created in 1932. He debuted that year as Dippy Dawg, and then later in that same year he was reintroduced as Goofy. Two Goofy short films have been nominated for an Oscar: How to Play Football (1944) and Aquamania (1961).
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Unlike Pluto, Goofy is an anthropomorphic dog. Goofy was created in 1932. He debuted that year as Dippy Dawg, and then later in that same year he was reintroduced as Goofy. Two Goofy short films have been nominated for an Oscar: How to Play Football (1944) and Aquamania (1961).
The first dog to star in a movie was Rover. It was a 6½ minute British silent film called “Rescued by Rover” in 1905. Blair was the name of a male Collie who was the first canine star. He was so revered that the uncommon name “Rover” became hugely popular for dogs.
“The Wild Rover” is a traditional English-language folk song. Its origins are unclear, and a number of countries claim credit for it, though the song is particularly popular in Ireland, where it may be the most commonly performed traditional folk song.
The song is about a man, decribing his ribald adventures to his landlady, though he claims that his “roving” days are over, and he’s now ready to settle down. Though the lyrics are, thus, ostensibly about temperance, “The Wild Rover” is the stereotypical Irish drinking song, and it’s often played in pubs and at Renaissance festivals.
The Irish Brigade of the U.S. Army of the Potomac celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in 1863 during the Civil War, in part, with a steeplechase race.
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On March 3, 1863, the US Congress passed a conscription act that produced the first wartime draft of U.S. citizens in American history. The act stated that men aged between 20 and 45 were required to register for service. However, for 300 bucks, one could buy an exemption to the draft.
The Confederate Congress had passed a similar act in October of 1862. An exemption was granted to any man who owned 20 or more slaves.
During WWII, British men who were employed by the government or crown corporations were exempt from the draft. Hence the acronym BOAC came to stand for Bastards Overseas Avoiding Conscription.
From the late 1940s until the early 1970s, there were two separate state-owned British airlines: British European Airways (BEA) handled domestic and European routes, while British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) handled overseas and other international flights.
The two airlines were merged through an Act of Parliament, and, in 1974, became British Airways.
On August 25, 1919, the first regular international passenger air service took place between London and Paris. On board was one passenger, a reporter for the London Evening Standard. Also on board was a consignment of leather, two grouse and a few jars of Devonshire cream.
The St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line (SPT Airboat Line) was the first scheduled airline using a fixed wing aircraft. The airline provided service between St. Petersburg, Florida and neighboring Tampa across Tampa Bay a distance of about 23 miles. It was in service from January to May 1914.
Chalk’s International Airlines (formerly known as Chalk’s Ocean Airways) was a Florida-based airline which operated seaplanes out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, servicing destinations such as the Bahamas and Key West.
The airline was founded in 1917, and claimed to be the oldest continuously-operating airline in the world. During Prohibition, Chalk’s was a major source of alcohol smuggled to the U.S. from the Bahamas.
After a 2005 crash of a Chalk’s plane off Miami, the FAA revoked the airline’s certification, and Chalk’s ceased operations in 2007.
Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahama, Key Largo, Montego, Kokomo, Martinique, Montserrat, and Port au Prince, are all mentioned in the Beach Boys song, Kokomo.
Virtually all of the possible dice rolls in the game of Craps have nicknames of some sort. For instance, a roll of four is sometimes called ‘Little Joe from Kokomo’. A ‘hard four’, which is a two on each die, is sometimes called a ‘ballerina’, because it’s a two-two (tutu).
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa delivered the commencement address at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio on May 25, 1987.
And I know because I was there, and got to meet him!
Pretty cool, Elendil’s Heir.
In play: The formal Hawaiian term for grandmother is kuku wahine, but tutu is used most commonly for grandparents of both genders.