April 23, 2006

Today in history

1564 - William Shakespeare, the great English dramatist and poet is born in Stratford-on-Avon.

1829 - William Burt patents the first typewriter, which he called the typographer.

1903 - Dr. Ernst Pfenning of Chicago, Illinois becomes the first owner of a Ford Model A.

1904 - In St. Louis, Missouri, Charles E. Menches invents the ice cream cone during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

1981 - Artificial skin was first transplanted in the U.S. on patients at Massachussetts General Hospital, Boston. The combination of cowhide, shark cartilage and plastic was developed by Ioannis V. Yannas and a research team at MIT. This material makes possible the treatment of burn patients whose injuries might otherwise be fatal.


Today's Quotes

"O, how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away."
- Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (I, iii, 84-87)

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."
- Shakespeare, As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
- Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice (IV, I, (184-186)

1 comment:

Missouri Mule said...

Thank you for the poems by Shakespeare. They reminded me of something that Spike Milligan (comedian and also an Arian) said:
"I thought I'd begin by reading a poem by Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine."