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Why Carved Pumpkins are a Symbol of Halloween-
Johnny Appleseed Debunked
The Johnny Appleseed story we usually hear is a folk legend. However, his story is based on the life of John Chapman, a man who traveled through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana planting apple seeds. -
Marcelino Serna: Highly Honored Soldier in World War I
Marcelino Serna was still a Mexican citizen when he fought for the United States in World War I. He was smart at battlefield tactics, felt loyal to his fellow soldiers, and his efforts for the U.S. saved countless American... -
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... -
Jim the Wonder Dog: Was He Psychic?
Jim the Wonder Dog caused quite a sensation in Missouri in the 1930s. He was a Llewellyn setter and was a very impressive bird dog, known for the number of birds he could spot and retrieve. But that wasn’t... -
Phineas Banning, Father of the L.A. Harbor
Phineas Banning is known as the “Father of the Los Angeles Harbor.” He deserves that title and more. He arrived in the San Pedro/Los Angeles area with nothing in 1851. He found that his calling in addressing the transportation... -
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... -
Miniature Golf: Its Beginning
Miniature golf was first patented by Garnet Carter (1883-1954) in 1931. Carter owned a hotel called the Fairyland Inn on Lookout Mountain (Georgia) near Chattanooga, Tennessee. -
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... -
Sled Dog Team Travels from Nome to D.C., 1907
A sled dog team making its way from Nome, Alaska, to Washington, D.C. in 1907 grabbed headlines across the nation. The trip was 8000 miles through snow drifts and grasslands and was a wager undertaken by Eli Smith, musher... -
A Dalmatian in the Civil War
A handsome dalmatian followed Quartermaster General Rufus Ingalls wherever he went at Army headquarters at City Point, Virginia. General Ingalls (1818-1893) returned from a short trip to Washington, D.C. accompanied by what was referred to at the time as... -
Detroit’s History, Told in Vignettes
Detroit’s story is a truly American story, and it’s unique because of its prime location in the Midwest. By understanding what happened in Michigan through the years, we can more fully comprehend the story of our country, from 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...
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Topics At America Comes Alive
American Presidents & Their Families
Inspirational Women
Sports, Cars & Other Pastimes
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 October 23, 1777, the Patriots beat back the British Navy on the Delaware River. General Howe had ordered the British fleet to come up the river to supply the Redcoats who had just taken over Philadelphia. The Patriots were at Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Using cannons and artillery, the Americans halted the six British ships. By November 16, the Americans had to abandon Fort Mifflin. This gave the British near complete control of the Delaware River.
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Who Thought of That?
Wheelchairs did not come into common use until the last 150 years, but various forms of them existed before the 1860s. Here's how they were invented:
Heroes & Trailblazers
Rose Knox: Foremost Woman Industrialist of Her Day
Rose Knox (1857-1950) was active in the Knox Gelatin Company from the start of the business in 1891, and she became president and CEO in... continue »
Campbell Kids Creator Grace Drayton
The creator of the iconic Campbell Kids was illustrator Grace Drayton (1877-1936), a highly successful artist, illustrator, and cartoonist. The Kids first appeared in 1904... 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
