A rambunctious Kansas girl took to the sky and soared above the rest. Her story has become legend due to its sad, mysterious ending. Amelia Earhart should be remembered as a true pioneer - showing the world that flying would become a common way to travel. Along the way she challenged gender roles, encouraged women to challenge themselves, and became a style icon. Amelia Earhart will never be forgotten. Born July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, Amelia Mary Earhart was raised to never be a girly girl. Her mother, also Amelia, encouraged Earhart and her sister Grace to wear bloomers instead of dresses. The sisters loved the outdoors and trouped around Atchison with a gang of kids getting dirty climbing trees. Amelia's father, an alcoholic, had trouble holding down a job. He moved the family to Des Moines, Iowa. It was there in 1907 Amelia saw an airplane for the first time. She was, however, too afraid to fly. Amelia graduated high school in 1916. She trained as a nurse's aide for...
"People may say I can't sing, but no one can say I didn't sing." Florence Foster Jenkins never so much sang as performed opera loudly and off key. A wealthy patron of the arts, she lived amongst New York City society, participated in social clubs, and created Tableaux Vivants. And of course, Florence sang. No one could pry her from the stage, to the detriment of audiences' ears. Born Narcissa Florence Foster, July 19th 1886 in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania, she was the elder daughter of wealthy attorney Charles Dorrance Foster, and society matron / painter Mary Jane Hoagland. "Little Miss Foster" loved playing piano and performed in recitals, even performing for President Rutherford B. Hayes. After Florence graduated high school she planned study music in Europe. Her father refused to fund her music education. In 1883 Florence lost a younger sister to diphtheria. Eight days before her 15th birthday she fled to Philadelphia with a doctor 16 years her seni...
We all remember our kindergarten teacher telling us about the first Thanksgiving as we traced our hands to turn them into turkeys. Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate abundance, to be thankful for what we have. In 1621 the Pilgrims held first Thanksgiving to thank God for shelter and that they didn't die of starvation and disease because the Pilgrims did not know crap about survival and Indigenous People saved their white asses. Thanksgiving was made a national holiday in 1863, but whomever was President fixed the day of celebration, usually anytime between October and January. In the 1940s Thanksgiving became about family and tradition to keep up support for World War II. In 1941 FDR made the fourth Friday in November the official Thanksgiving holiday. Gilded Age Thanksgiving was a day to say thanks for the millions of dollars in your bank account by showing off your fancy clothes at restaurants and hotel dining rooms. And Gilded Age diners didn't partake of jelly beans, popcor...
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