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astronomy
Francis Baily and the Baily Beads

Francis Baily and the Baily Beads

Harald Sack
On May 15, 1836, English astronomer Francis Baily for the first time observed the so-called ‘Baily’s beads‘ during an eclipse of the Sun. For sure you know the effect, although you might not have seen it with your own eyes in nature. But, numerous photographs, pictures, and videos have been published, where the phenomenon can be watched. So what are Beailey’s beads? Solar Eclipse and Baily Beads The Baily’s beads effect is a feature of…
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aviation
The Seaplanes of Claude Dornier

The Seaplanes of Claude Dornier

Tabea Tietz
On May 14, 1884, German airplane builder and entrepreneur Claudius Dornier was born. His legacy remains in the few aircraft named after him, including the Dornier Do 18 and the 12-engine Dornier Do X flying boat, for decades the world’s largest and most powerful airplane. Background Claudius Dornier Dornier studied engineering at the Technical University of Munich and began his career in Karlsruhe in 1907. Unfortunately, his father fell very ill and could not take…
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aviation
Igor Sikorsky and the Perfection of the Helicopter Design

Igor Sikorsky and the Perfection of the Helicopter Design

Harald Sack
On May 13, 1940, Russian American aviation pioneer Igor Ivanovitsch Sikorsky made the maidenflight with his newly developed helicopter VS-300, which led to the R-4, the world’s first mass-produced helicopter in 1942. Sure we all know helicopters today. They have become an everyday object, although not everybody of us already had the chance to fly with a helicopter. Actually, I had the pleasure to fly as helicopter passenger during my time of…
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chemistry
Justus von Liebig and the Agricultural Revolution

Justus von Liebig and the Agricultural Revolution

Harald Sack
On May 12, 1803, German chemist Justus Freiherr von Liebig was born, who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry. He is probably best known as the “father of the fertilizer industry” for his discovery of nitrogen as an essential plant nutrient. The acquisition of a new truth is like the acquisition of a new sense, which renders a man capable and recognizing a large number of phenomena that are hidden…
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art
The Surreal Dreams of Salvador Dalí

The Surreal Dreams of Salvador Dalí

Harald Sack
On May 11, 1904, Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquis of Dalí de Púbol was born. As one of the main representatives of surrealism, he is one of the most famous painters of the 20th century. Around the year 1929 Dalí had found his personal style and genre, the world of the unconscious that appears in dreams. “Someone like myself, who claimed to be a real madman,…
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mathematics
Gaspard Monge and his System of Descriptive Geometry

Gaspard Monge and his System of Descriptive Geometry

Tabea Tietz
On May 10, 1746, French mathematician Gaspard Monge, Comte de Péluse was born. He is best known for being the inventor of descriptive geometry as the mathematical basis of technical drawing, and being the father of differential geometry. During the French Revolution Monge served as the Minister of the Marine, and was involved in the reform of the French educational system, helping to found the École Polytechnique. “Descriptive geometry has two objects: the first is…
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history
Thomas Blood and the Crown Jewels of England

Thomas Blood and the Crown Jewels of England

Tabea Tietz
On May 9, 1671, Anglo-Irish officer and desperado Colonel Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels of England from the Tower of London. Thomas Blood – Background Not much is known about Thomas Blood’s early life. It is assumed that he was born to a successful blacksmith in Ireland. His father owned some land across the country and his grandfather was a member of the Parliament. Historians believe, that he went…
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chemistry
Mary the Jewess and the Origins of Chemistry

Mary the Jewess and the Origins of Chemistry

Harald Sack
Mary the Jewess (also known as Maria Prophetissima or Miriam the Prophetess) is a figure who first appeared in the works of the Gnostic Christian writer Zosimos of Panopolis, whose sources for this are not clear. On the basis of Zosimos’s comments, she lived between the first and third centuries A.D. She is credited with the invention of several kinds of chemical apparatus and is considered to be the first true alchemist of the…
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zoology
Carl Hagenbeck – Pioneer of the Modern Zoo

Carl Hagenbeck – Pioneer of the Modern Zoo

Tabea Tietz
On May 7, 1907, German merchant of wild animals Carl Hagenbeck founded Germany’s most successful privately owned zoo, the Tierpark Hagenbeck. He created the modern zoo with animal enclosures without bars that were closer to their natural habitat. Background Carl Hagenbeck Already his father, Gottfried Hagenbeck, who was originally a fish dealer started displaying and trading animals in the mid-19th century. In 1866, Carl Hagenbeck joined his father’s business and started to expand…
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communication
Adolph von Knigge and the Art of Human Relations

Adolph von Knigge and the Art of Human Relations

Tabea Tietz
On May 6, 1796, Freiherr Adolph Franz Friedrich Ludwig Knigge passed away. In Germany, Knigge is best remembered for his book ‘Über den Umgang mit Menschen‘ (On Human Relations), a treatise on the fundamental principles of human relations that has the reputation of being the authoritative guide to behaviour, politeness, and etiquette. “Without inspiration, which fills the soul with a healthy warmth, nothing great can ever be brought to pass.” — Adolph…
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