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Buster Brown Shoes and Mary Janes-
Eugene Bullard, First Black Military Pilot
Eugene Bullard was the world’s first black military pilot, but he didn’t fly for his own country. He was born in the United States–Columbus, Georgia–in 1895 and fought for France during World War I. He was living in Paris... -
Cherry Trees Brought to D.C. By Helen Taft
The cherry blossom trees that bloom so beautifully along the Potomac in Washington, D.C. are a huge and very deserving tourist attraction each spring. The story of these trees is that they were given to the U.S. by the... -
Alice Dunnigan: First Black Woman Reporter to Cover White House
Alice Dunnigan broke new ground by becoming one of the first black White House correspondents; she was the first to travel with a U.S. president (but she had to pay her own way); and she was also first to... -
Garrett A. Morgan: Successful Inventor of Safety Hood/Traffic Signal
Garrett A. Morgan was a prolific inventor who should be remembered for the safety devices he created. Both the safety hood (forerunner of a gas mask) he patented and the three-way traffic signal provided the basis for designs we... -
President Taft’s Cow
When President Taft took office, Mrs. Taft insisted they buy a cow to be kept at the White House. She knew that Washington, D.C. did not have dairies nearby. Her husband was well-known for his appetite, and their youngest... -
Bill Mauldin: WWII Cartoonist Won 2 Pulitzer Prizes
Bill Mauldin was a young artist in World War II who created a cartoon featuring two mud-covered, combat-weary infantrymen, Willie and Joe. Mauldin’s work appeared in U.S. military newspapers where his foxhole-level view of the military brightened the spirits... -
Gideon Sundback’s Invention of the Zipper
Gideon Sundback is credited with inventing the first zipper, but he was not the first to patent the device. Sundback, however, created the first zipper to work well, and he also invented the machine that could make these fasteners... -
Ida Rosenthal: Pioneered Bra Industry with Maidenform
Ida Rosenthal emigrated from Russia in the early 1900s and supported her family as a dressmaker. As she responded to the marketplace, she and a partner soon crafted dresses with built-in bras—freeing women from corsets. Because the dress designs... -
Yukon King, Dog Star of “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon”
A dog named King, an Alaskan malamute, played the heroic companion to Royal Canadian Mountie Sergeant Preston on the 1955 television show, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. The TV show was based on a long-running radio program called Challenge... -
Helen Keller’s Dogs
Helen Keller’s life was filled with dogs. Though she was born before dogs were being trained as guide dogs for the blind, Keller knew what dog lovers around the world know—dogs are great companions. “A dog never let me... -
Collie Travels 2500 Miles to Return to Oregon Home
In the 1920s, a collie mix was separated from his family in Wolcott, Indiana, where the family vacationed the summer of 1923. Frank and Elizabeth Brazier and their two daughters, Nova and Leona, lived in Silverton, Oregon, along the... -
WWII WASP Mascot Created by Roald Dahl and Disney Studios
Roald Dahl and Walt Disney Studios collaborated to create what became the mascot for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). She was a fairy-like female gremlin known as Fifinella. -
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Inspiration for a Doghouse
Frank Lloyd Wright is among the best-known architects in the world, but few know that among his commissions was a doghouse. How It Came About After Frank Lloyd Wright designed a home for the Berger family of San Anselmo,... -
Deaf Lifeguard Saved Almost 1000 From Drowning
Leroy Colombo became deaf when he suffered spinal meningitis when he was seven years old (1912). He grew up to be a remarkably good lifeguard. Being deaf might have disqualified him for lifeguarding under certain circumstances, but Leroy’s deafness... -
Cracker Jack: Ever-Popular Baseball Snack
Cracker Jack holds the spot as “most famous of baseball snacks.” Remarkably, it has held that honor for over 100 years. The snack itself began as a simple, inexpensive confection sold by street vendors in Chicago. The story of...
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Topics At America Comes Alive
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Native American HeritagePart of the inspiration for this site comes from a remark made by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams (1860-1935)
"People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things - simply told."
"People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things - simply told."
On
This
Day
On April 7, 1776, Navy Captain John Barry (1745-1803), commander of the American warship Lexington, made the first American naval capture of a British vessel when he took command of the British warship HMS Edward off the coast of Virginia. The capture of the Edward and its cargo turned Captain Barry into a national hero and boosted the morale of the Continental forces. Today he is recognized as one of the first Patriots to understand the need for strength at sea.
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Who Thought of That?
The magic lantern, and early form of slide projector, is thought to have been invented by a Dutch scientist in the 1600s.
Heroes & Trailblazers
The Delacorte Clock in Central Park Zoo
The Delacorte Clock in Central Park has been delighting families with its carousel of animals dancing to musical chimes since it was first created in... continue »
Apple Varieties Identified by Apple Detectives
At grocery stores this fall, shoppers are happy to see that it’s apple season, and they select the apple type they prefer and go home... continue ».
What can one person do? Read some of the stories on this site; you'll see that they revolve around single individuals who worked toward change.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead
