Surprising history

[Andy_Ross]

It was a wicker garden chair, the lightest he could find, it was from his father's garden.

Just to make clear, the first picture is the Mercury, the other two are the first attempt, he quickly abandoned the underslung engine.

A good video on the early Blackburn aircraft

 

[SpitfireIX]

John Tyler, 10th President of the United States, was born in 1790. His grandson, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, is still alive.

He passed away on May 25th. I paid more attention to his biography this time; he really had a remarkable life. I also didn't notice before that he was a direct descendant of arch-secessionist Edmund Ruffin^WP. One thing that annoyed me about CBS's obituary, though, is the line, "His grandfather . . . left the Oval Office more than 179 years ago . . ." The Oval Office is in the West Wing, which wasn't built until the turn of the 20th Century. There are three other oval-shaped rooms in the White House, but none was used as an office during the 19th Century.

 

[dann]

I was born on the day Einstein died.

Have you considered that you might be his reincarnation?

 

[SpitfireIX]

He passed away on May 25th. I paid more attention to his biography this time; he really had a remarkable life. I also didn't notice before that he was a direct descendant of arch-secessionist Edmund Ruffin^WP. One thing that annoyed me about CBS's obituary, though, is the line, "His grandfather . . . left the Oval Office more than 179 years ago . . ." The Oval Office is in the West Wing, which wasn't built until the turn of the 20th Century. There are three other oval-shaped rooms in the White House, but none was used as an office during the 19th Century.

I forgot to mention that another thing I missed the first time is that he was related to the Harrisons of Virginia, on his mother's side, as the Wikipedia article states (presumably the source of his first name). So, in addition to being the grandson of President John Tyler, he was also related to President William Henry Harrison, whose death elevated Tyler to the presidency.

 

[Andy_Ross]

wrong thread

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

Have you considered that you might be his reincarnation?

Norman Alexander, the Dalai Lama of physics.