Another week, another digest! We hope that you are enjoying the beginning of spring here in the Pacific Northwest. And if it turns out that we’re not quite done with rain yet, perhaps a bit of geeky trivia – perhaps enjoyed with a cup of coffee – but tide you over while we await warmer weather! 🤞
April 14 – Almost 200 years ago today, the first edition of Noah Webster’s dictionary was published (1828). Webster was a proponent of literacy and had already published three books (a speller, a grammar, and a reader called A Grammatical Institute of the English Language or the Blue-Back Speller) to help students progress from having no formal language to being able to read easily. His dictionary came later and was an effort to help bring the country together with a common language that was uniquely American. Read about it and his enduring legacy at Merriam-Webster’s website.
April 15 – Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball and today is the annual celebration of Jackie Robinson Day. Observed every April 15th by every team in the majors, it is a celebration of when he made his debut in 1947 as the Brooklyn Dodger’s first baseman. In 1997, the MLB further commemorated him by retiring his number (#42) for all teams. Read about him and his career at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
April 16 – At the age of 62, Annie Oakley shot 100 clay targets in a row just over 100 years ago today (1922). Though popularly known for her spectacular aim as a sharpshooter, she championed the rights of women during her lifetime and donated her profits to those most in need around her. Read more about her at the Wide Open Country website.
April 17 – Never let it be said that boredom can’t be productive! Today is the 149th anniversary of the day a bored English officer invented Snooker (1875). While stations in the Indian town of Jabalpur (then called Jubbulpore), Lieutenant Neville Chamberlain experimented at creating his own game at a pool table. Introducing it to those around him, Chamberlain remarked that they were snookers at his game and the name took off. Read Snookers and Neville Chamberlain at the World Snooker Limited website.
April 18 – Today is the 100th anniversary of the first crossword puzzle book published by Simon & Schuster (1924). Simply titled “The Cross Word Puzzle Book”, it was their first release and the first collection of crossword puzzles ever printed. Check out their 100-year anniversary video at YouTube!
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