The Music Corner:::George Gershwin

         One of the most important composers in American music is George Gershwin. His music is still used today in commercial advertising, such as United Airlines theme music. His works are played regularly by the symphonies and orchestras in the United States, and chances are if you play a musical instrument that you already have or soon will play his music. Probably his most famous work was his “Rhapsody in Blue”, although he wrote much, much more.

Where Do Passports Come From?

How old are passports? Who invented them? As some of us prepare to travel abroad this summer and are searching for our passports or applying for our first ones, it is worth considering where these all-important pieces of paper originated. They are both much older than we might think, and much younger in their present form.

First, what is a passport? A passport is a paper document that allows its holder to pass through a border controlled by a political entity.

Garrett Augustus Morgan Biography

Garrett Augustus Morgan was an African American traffic engineer who invented the traffic signal. By the early 1920s there were enough cars to create chaos on the roads and put both drivers and pedestrians at risk. In 1923 Morgan received a patent for his new concept, a traffic signal to regulate the movement of cars in cities. He created GO and STOP signs that were attached to a pole (familiar idea?) and systematically raised and lowered at intersections.

His signals spread from America to England and Canada. Morgan’s invention brought order to traffic flow and safety to the traveling public. Eventually Morgan’s signal was replaced with the light signal we use today.

Garrett Augustus Morgan also invented the safety helmet and gas mask. His gold medals won for his contributions to public safety are not the only thanks he received. Miners, fire fighters, soldiers and many others who benefited from his inventions have praised him for his contributions to their safety and well being

Bao Xishun

Who is Bao Xishun, you ask? You might know him as thetallest living man in the world. Bao Xishun, a mongolian herdsman was recognized in 2005 by the Guiness World Records as “The world’s tallest man alive”. He was born in Mongolia, China in 1951 and stands a reported7′9″ tall. His family is said to be descended from the offspring of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368).

Bao Xishun claims to have been the same height as many kids while growing up. It wasn’t until the age of 16 when he experienced a sudden spurt of growth that shot him to his current height. Because of his abnormal height he developed rheumatism (painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones) at a young age and is still undergoing daily medical treatments.

Bao Xishun is very shy and leads a simple life even though he is the face of several medical products, and makes a living appearing in commercials and at special media events. If you ask anyone, especially in China, he is considered a hero. Recently, a fascinating story reveals how he saved the lives of 2 dolphins by using his long arms to retrieve the plastic from their bellies at the Royal Jidi Ocean World in China. Way to go Bao!

Helen Keller Biography

Are you familiar with the amazing life of Helen Keller? At only 19 months old, Helen Keller was struck with a sudden illness that left her deaf and blind. For years, she lived in a world of darkness and silence without any way to express herself. With hopes of one day being able to communicate with their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Keller enrolled Helen in the Perkins Institute for the Blind where she met her teacher Annie Sullivan.

Helen was very eager to learn how to communicate with people and Annie Sullivan, who was also blind, helped her accomplish this. Helen’s big breakthrough in communication came one day when she made a connection between the word water and water itself. This was accomplished when Annie poured water into the palm of Helen’s hand while spelling out ‘w-a-t-e-r’ in her other hand. It wasn’t too long after this initial breakthrough that Helen began reading raised letters and eventually Braille (raised dots). Eventually Helen was able to read Braille in 5 different languages (English, French, German, Greek and Latin). She even learned to speak using the Tadoma method (a way to interpret speech by touching the lips and throat of others as they speak).