Sound recordings before Edison's

A sound recording has been discovered that predates Thomas Edison's "Mary Had a Little Lamb" recording by 17 years. The clip is from 1860 and it is now the oldest known recorded human voice. It lasts 10 seconds and it is of a woman singing "Au Clair de la Lune."

Audo historian David Giovannoni found the clip and others in the patent office of France. It was made using a phonautograph created by inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville of Paris. "Using a needle that moved in resoponse to sound, the phonautograph etched sound waves into paper coated with soot from an oil lamp"

Giovannoni said of the findings, "It was magical, so ethereal. The fact is it's recorded in smoke. The voice is coming out from behind this screen of aural smoke."

See the article and learn more about this amazing discovery.

Urban Legends & Myths

Since Kristen brought up the vertical egg legend, I thought it would be a good time to recommend some sites that explore the truth behind various tales and emails that you may encounter.

Snopes.com
About.com:Urban Legends
Discovery Channel's MythBusters
Hoaxes, Scams, and Urban Legends - a list of links to hoax and urban legend/myth sites (including internet/email hoaxes) prepared by the Dillon School District Two in South Carolina

Check out Wikipedia's definition of urban legends, for information on how many of these stories begin.

Verticle Eggs

Yesterday was the first day of Spring!!! It is an urban legend that on the Spring and Fall Equinoxes, one can perfectly balance an egg vertically on an even, flat surface due to the specifics of the Earth's gravitational pull. I remember when I was in the 6th grade, we put this legend to the test. Did it work? Yes!!!
Sadly, years later, I discovered that one can balance an egg vertically any other day of the year too!
So, celebrate the fact that it is officially Spring (even though we just got 5.5 inches of snow and more is expected!), but don't worry about the eggs.

Links to Historical Documents

I thought this site was pretty cool, regardless of the name: Links to Documents

Happy St Patricks Day

March 17, 1762
First St. Patrick's Day parade

In New York City, the first parade honoring the Catholic feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is held by Irish soldiers serving in the British army.

Saint Patrick, who was born in the late 4th century, was one of the most successful Christian missionaries in history. Born in Britain to a Christian family of Roman citizenship, he was taken prisoner at the age of 16 by a group of Irish raiders who attacked his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland, and he spent six years in captivity before escaping back to Britain. Believing he had been called by God to Christianize Ireland, he joined the Catholic Church and studied for 15 years before being consecrated as the church's second missionary to Ireland. Patrick began his mission to Ireland in 432, and by his death in 461, the island was almost entirely Christian.

Early Irish settlers to the American colonies, many of whom were indentured servants, brought the Irish tradition of celebrating St. Patrick's feast day to America. The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade was held not in Ireland but in New York City in 1762, and with the dramatic increase of Irish immigrants to the United States in the mid-19th century, the March 17th celebration became widespread. Today, across the United States, millions of Americans of Irish ancestry celebrate their cultural identity and history by enjoying St. Patrick's Day parades and engaging in general revelry.
TO Learn more about St Patrick's Day check out History.com

Celebrate Pi Day 2008!

Pi, Greek letter (π), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535... Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th, along with
Albert Einstein's birthday Learn more about Pi

K-9 Corps

According to the History.com website, on March 13th, 1942, the U.S. Army began the program to train dogs for the K-9 Corps to serve in World War II. On the website, there is even a story about the German Shepherd, Chips, who "attacked an enemy machine gune nest in Italy, forcing the entire crew to surrender." Chips was wounded in the process. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart! They were eventually revoked, however, because of the Army policy which prevents commendation of animals.

Before the progam was created, dogs also served in World War I. The famous Rin Tin Tin was actually a war dog abandoned by Germans! He was found in France in 1918 and taken to the United States where he starred in many films.

www.history.com

MSCTC Moorhead Campus Library Hours

Hi Everyone,

We've had quite a few questions about our hours over Spring Break. I have made a webpage that contains the calendar Kristen made up. If you have any question, just call us at 218/299-6530.

Have a great Break!

Looking for something new to make (and eat) for St. Patrick's Day?

Try one of these sites. They showcase a mix of traditional and modified recipes to make for this holiday.

Cooking Light
Food & Wine (they made this one into a slide show, so you have to select "Next" to get through them)
Food Network-St. Patrick's Day page
History Channel
Kraft Foods
Martha Stewart

John Adams

This weekend, HBO will be kicking off its seven-part miniseries about John Adams. Even before becoming the second president of the United States of America, he was a highly influential force in helping to establish our new nation. In his personal life, he was devoted to learning and built an immense personal library during his lifetime. He also was a prolific letter writer and the letters between him and his wife Abigail have become famous as they provide readers with details about the work of the 1st and 2nd Continental Congresses (told from his perspective) and the trials and tribulation present in everyday life (told from her perspective). In addition, these letters also show a marriage between two people who considered themselves intellectual equals as John asks for advice on politics and legal matters. As a first lady, Abigail took an active role in her husband's presidency. The Adams legacy continued down through their descendants, with their eldest son, John Quincy, becoming the 6th president. Many personal artifacts can still be found at the Adams National Historical Park.

Too much mud to go birdwatching, yet?

Check out Audubon's Birds of America at the University of Pittsburgh. This digital collection has been created from the University of Pittsburgh University Library System's copies of Ornithological Biography and Birds of America. Both of these publications were created by John James Audubon and are a great example of biological art.