The Mysteries of History (January 6 Edition)
The Tele & Binary Code, 47th, FDR's 4, and a Violent Ransacking
1838 — Telegraph and Its Code First Demonstrated
On the 61st anniversary of George Washington setting up his winter quarters there, on January 6, 1838, Samuel F.B. Morse demonstrated his invention, the Telegraph, and the code he invented to make it of practical value (Morse Code), in Morristown, New Jersey.
The Telegraph allowed for the quick relaying of information, bringing an end to the Pony Express, which was no longer necessary once Telegraph poles had been strung across the country. Although Pony Express jobs were eliminated due to Morse’s invention, it opened up many more jobs as telegraph operators and couriers around the country (couriers would deliver messages to the homes of individuals after they had been received at the telegraph office).
Morse code consists of combinations of two audible characters, a dash and a dot which, when combined, represent numbers or letters of the alphabet. This is not unlike the binary system of zeros and ones used by computers (which likewise, when combined, designate more specific information).
These audible (click, clack) characters can also be used as visual characters, such as when ships would signal to each other by turning a light on and off for shorter (dash) or longer (dot) periods of time.
Questions: Although unveiled in 1838, during which decades was the Telegraph most popular? Who were Gale and Vail? When was the first telegram sent, and what distance did it cover? When was the first transcontinental telegraph line in America completed? Why was the word “stop” rather than a simple period (.) used in telegraphic messages? Why were telegraph couriers an unwelcome sight during World War 1? What gradually replaced the telegraph as a means of long-distance communication? In what year was the final telegraph delivered? What did Samuel Morse's two middle initials (F.B.) stand for?1912 — New Mexico Becomes the 47th State
New Mexico became the 47th State of the U.S. on January 6, 1912.
Questions: European explorers from which country passed through the area in which century (two-part question)? In what year did New Mexico become a province of Mexico, and what happened 27 and 32 years after that (three-part question)? What connection was there between the opening of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1879 and a surge in New Mexico’s population? What year did "Geronimo" (Goyahkla) surrender, and to whom?1941 — FDR Names Four Freedoms
Eleven months prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, and the immediate declaration of war on Japan as a reaction to and result of that attack, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a speech to congress, on January 6, 1941, in which he enumerated four freedoms which he believed all humans should have: freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to worship God in their own way, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Questions: What was the motive behind FDR’s speech? What was happening in Europe at the time that concerned FDR? Following FDR’s death after being re-elected to an unprecedented fourth term as President, what did his widow Eleanor do regarding the four freedoms of which her husband spoke in connection with the U.N.?2021 — Capitol Riot
Note: Bing Image Creator refused to create images for the prompts "2021 riot at U.S. capitol" and "political riot at the U.S. capitol," nor even for "political unrest in washington d.c." I had to settle for this image above, which was created with the prompt "cowardice and censorship." The one below was generated using the prompt "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil photorealistic"
Four years prior to this post (on January 6, 2021), a mob of rioters wreaked mayhem at the U.S. Capitol, assaulting well over 100 police officers and terrorizing members of Congress and their staff.
Questions: Why did the mob violently assault the police and ransack the grounds of the U.S. Capitol? What was their motivation and aim/goal? What happened to the police who were attacked? How many of the police officers were killed? How many of the police officers were maimed? Who besides the police were targeted by the mob? What can be done to prevent such an attack from ever occurring again?
