The chemical lead was used by the Romans as lead rods to write on papyrus. These rods left a grey mark just like graphite. Hence, graphite was believed to be a type of lead. In 1564 a graphite deposit was discovered in England, which led to its widespread use for writing. The lead used in …
Would you believe that English kings did not speak English for 300 years?
In January 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy, France, conquered England. For the next 300 years, the rulers and nobility of England spoke French, not English.
Landing on the moon – ‘… one giant leap for mankind’
Apollo 11 was the mission of NASA, which placed a human on a celestial body, the moon. The journey to the moon took three and a half days and carried three astronauts: Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin stepped on the moon and Armstrong uttered the famous words ‘That’s one small step for …
An ace programmer and the first US navy officer
Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was the first US navy officer and a computer scientist. She realized that with an easy programming language it would be easy for users who were neither mathematicians nor computer experts. This conviction led her to invent a popular programming language COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language), which is used in business and finance.
When was the fax machine invented?
The fax machine was invented by a Scottish inventor Alexander Bain in 1843. He devised an apparatus comprising two pins that were connected to two pendulums through five wires. When an electric signal was sent from the transmitting end, the receiving end was able to reproduce the signal on an electrochemically sensitive paper impregnated with chemicals. …
What was Thomas Alva Edison afraid of?
Thomas Alva Edison is one of the greatest innovators who is credited with inventing the phonograph, the motion picture camera, film projectors, practical use of electricity, and an improved and effective electric light bulb that was superior to gas lighting. When asked once if he were afraid of anything he replied, ‘I am afraid of the …