| Saturday, October 24, 2009 |
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| Early Microscope |
Answer of the DayWho was the first to see bacteria? The first person to observe and describe bacteria, protozoans (which he called "animalcules") and spermatozoa was the Dutch naturalist Anton van Leeuwenhoek. Van Leeuwenhoek, born on this date in 1632, made lenses, grinding and shaping hundreds of different types, some magnifying objects up to 270 times. Able to see minute particles, he observed muscle fibers, microbes, and blood flow in capillaries, with his work leading to the establishment of cell biology. Not a trained scientist, he just reported on his observations, without expressing opinions or theories about them. He sent his discoveries to the Royal Society of London in over 160 letters. In his most famous missive, dated October 9, 1676, Leeuwenhoek described his observation of water in which he had sprinkled peppercorns. After three weeks, he noted a large number of tiny "animals." This is believed to be the first description of bacteria.
Quote"A man has always to be busy with his thoughts if anything is to be accomplished."
Word of the dayfrugivorous
Feeding on fruit; fruit-eating.
And now, for your descriptive needs, two weeks of useful adjectives.
Today's History
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| The George Washington Bridge |
- Peace of Westphalia: marked the end of the Thirty Years' War, a series of European conflicts (1648)
- Annie Edson Taylor: seeking fame and fortune, the former schoolteacher became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel; she used a pickle barrel (1901)
- George Washington Bridge: upper level of the NY-NJ span opened; the lower level opened 31 years later (1931)
- United Nations: international organization now comprising 192 member states was formally established (1945)
- Toronto Blue Jays: became the first non-US team to win the World Series, downing the Atlanta Braves in 6 (1992)
Today's Birthdays
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| Wayne Rooney |
- Moss Hart (1904-1961): playwright, You Can't Take it With You; plus, poet Denise Levertov (1923-1997)
- Bob Kane (1915-1998): cartoonist creator of Batman
- Bill Wyman (73): bassist of the Rolling Stones
- Kevin Kline (62): award-winning actor; other actors born on this date include F. Murray Abraham (70) and B.D. Wong (49)
- Kweisi Mfume (61): former president of the NAACP
- Monica (29): R&B singer
- Wayne Rooney (24): Man United's famous young forward; NFL hall-of-famer Y.A. Tittle (83) shares this birthday
