West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America. President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy in 1802. West Point graduates dominated the highest ranks on both sides during the Civil War.
Thomas Jefferson played the cello as well as the violin, and had a deep regard for the music of Haydn.
The Bonjour Stradivarius Cello made in 1696 is one of the most expensive cellos ever. It was recently sold for an estimated $6.25 million. It is currently valued at US$8 million.
In “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box” (1892), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote of Sherlock Holmes having lunch with his friend and companion Dr. John H. Watson. Holmes would “talk of nothing but violins, narrating with great exultation how he had purchased his own Stradivarius,” which he acquired from a broker in Tottenham Court Road, London, for just 55 shillings.
The shilling is still the basic monetary unit in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, equaling 100 cents.
And in 2001, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson were co-MVPs of the World Series.
John Wettland won the World Series MVP in 1996. He only pitched 4 and a third innings.
Wetteland’s primary set-up man for the 1996 Yankees was Mariano Rivera, a Panamanian who succeeded him as the team’s closer and went on to become almost inarguably the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) at the position - despite using one pitch, the cut fastball, almost exclusively over his 19 seasons.
Panamanian baseball players include (besides Mariano Rivera), Rod Carew, Juan Berenguer, Roberto Kelly, Carlos Lee, José Macías, Rubén Rivera, Dave Roberts, and Manny Sanguillén. Roberto Kelly is currently the 3rd Base Coach of the World Champion San Francisco Giants.
Despite the rumors, Rod Carew did not convert to Judaism, though he did marry a Jewish woman and raised his children as Jewish. He considered it, and nearly made it official, but finally decided not to.
Rod Carew led the American League in batting in 1972 with a .318 batting average. That same year, he hit no home runs for the only time ever in his career.
Rod Serling was a smart, talkative, outgoing kid. His older brother Robert recalled that, at the age of six or seven, Serling entertained himself for hours by acting out dialogue from pulp magazines or movies he had seen. Rod often talked to people around him without waiting for their answers. On a two-hour-long trip from Binghamton to Syracuse, the rest of the family remained silent to see if Rod would notice their lack of participation. He did not, talking nonstop through the entire car ride.
MiLB’s Eastern League, an AA minor league of MLB affiliates, currently has 12 teams in two divisions.
The Eastern Division has, for the National League:
- Binghamton Mets, for the New York Mets, in Binghamton NY
- New Britain Rock Cats, for the Colorado Rockies, in New Britain CT
- Reading Fightin Phils, for the Philadelphia Phillies, in Reading PA
The Eastern Division has, for the American League:
- New Hampshire Fisher Cats, for the Toronto Blue Jays, in Manchester NH
- Portland Sea Dogs, for the Boston Red Sox, in Portland ME
- Trenton Thunder, for the New York Yankees, in Trenton NJ
The Western Division has, for the National League:
- Altoona Curve, for the Pittsburgh Pirates, in Altoona PA
- Harrisburg Senators, for the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg PA
- Richmond Flying Squirrels, for the San Francisco Giants, in Richmond VA
The Western Division has, for the American League:
- Akron RubberDucks, for the Cleveland Indians, in Akron OH
- Bowie Baysox, for the Baltimore Orioles, in Bowie MD
- Erie SeaWolves, for the Detroit Tigers, in Erie PA
The New Britain Rock Cats are moving to a new stadium, Dunkin’ Donuts Park, in Hartford next year, where they will be named the Yard Goats (after a kind of railroad employee).
The Maine Coon is among the largest domesticated breeds of cat. It has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine, where it is the official state cat.
Although no records exist regarding the Maine Coon’s exact origins and date of introduction to the United States, there are multiple competing theories. The breed was popular in cat shows in the late 19th century, but its existence became threatened when long-haired breeds from overseas were introduced in the early 20th century. The Maine Coon has since made a comeback and is now one of the most popular cat breeds in the world.
The Maine Coon is a large and sociable cat, hence its nickname - “the gentle giant”, and is characterised by a robust bone structure, rectangular body shape, a silky flowing coat and a long, bushy tail. The breed’s colors vary widely, with only lilac and chocolate disallowed for pedigree. Reputed for its intelligence and playful, gentle personality, the Maine Coon is often cited as having “dog-like” characteristics.
Wow, those are big domesticated cats!
In play:
Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable.
Maine is the only state that shares its border with only one other state.
Maine is the easternmost state of the lower 48 states, but the easternmost point in the lower 48 states is West Quoddy Head, Maine.
The closest US state to Africa is not Florida, but Maine.
Key West, Florida has the highest average temperature in the United States.
President Harry Truman vacationed several times in Key West, Fla., and his “Little White House” there has been restored to the condition it was in when he left office in 1953. Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton later visited there, as well.
Dwight Eisenhower had a strange nickname, “duckpin,” because he liked duckpin bowling.
Five-pin bowling is played only in Canada.