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As the discussion of swine flu dominates the media, it is worthwhile to look back at some of the other pandemics that have affected the human race throughout history. A pandemic is an illness that spreads from person to person and affects a large, dispersed population. It usually creates an enormous amount of fear among those not affected. The skeleton on the right represents “Doctor Death” from an engraving made in the 1500s, when the Black Death or Bubonic Plague was common in Europe. It was one of the worst pandemics to ever strike on earth, responsible for tens of millions of deaths.

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The First Inauguration

George Washington was the first person inaugurated President of the United States. He was sworn into office on April 30, 1798, following the Revolutionary War. Washington’s ceremony set the standard for Inauguration Ceremonies and began the tradition of the Inaugural Address, a speech given by the new President that often serves to inspire and reassure the American people. This ceremony happens every four years and marks the beginning of each new Presidential term.

Barack Obama’s Inauguration

On January 20, 2009 the United States will witness the 56th Presidential Inauguration. Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, will take his Inaugural Oath and give his Inaugural Speech on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. This year’s Inauguration Theme commemorates the 200th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with the title: “A New Birth of Freedom”.

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Louis Armstrong is a legend in the world of American Jazz music, and one of the most popular musicians of the 20th century. His influence has influenced and inspired several other popular musicians such as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Marvin Gaye.

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Did you know that the very first phone call was made on March 10, 1876 in the United States? By today’s standards it was a short call over a very short distance. Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant, Thomas A. Watson, were literally just down the hall from each other in a Boston, Massachusetts machine shop. The message was a single sentence, “Watson come here, I want you!”

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Since this entire Tribune issue has been dedicated to the ways humans communicate, we couldn’t possibly leave out the Internet! The earliest notions of the Internet began in the early 1960’s, however, the term “Internet” was not used until 1982. The internet was originally conceived to allow researchers to create a network of their computers throughout the United States. Today, anyone has access to the internet.

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When you look at a dollar bill, you are looking at a very particular color green. That color green was invented in 1857 by a Canadian chemist named Thomas Sterry Hunt. Like other chemists of his day, he used natural pigments and laboratory chemicals to invent new colors with special properties. In this case he used chromium trioxide to make the green ink. So why is this such a big deal?

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In a few days time, on July 4th, we will all come together to celebrate Independence Day! It was on July 4th 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was signed and that our nation was born!

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It took a full year from the time the proud Pennsylvania colonists ordered their new bell to the time it arrived from the foundry in London, England, and was hung in the steeple of the State House. How dismayed they all were when on its very first ringing in 1752, a crack appeared in the brim and ruined the melodious tones!

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“Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”

That’s the ad I answered in May 1860. By the way, my name is Charlie Miller, but everyone called me Broncho Charlie back then. I was 11 years old and it turned out I was the youngest of that pack of “wiry fellows!” But don’t let that fool you, I knew horses and with a good pinto under me I could ride like the wind.

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Here are some neat facts about the Pony Express, one of the most fascinating and important institutions in early American history.

As important as the Internet might be to modern citizens around the world, so the Pony Express and its brave riders were critical to communication for early American settlers.

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The beautiful and unique quality of snowflakes fascinated a young farmer in Vermont. He saw each snowflake as “a masterpiece of design” and he mourned its melting because that particular and individual “miracle of beauty” would be lost for all time.

Wilson A. Bentley is the young man in question. He was born in 1865 and by the time he was 20 he made history as the first person to photograph a snowflake!

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From my perspective, it was a lot of hoopla! Looking back on the 1860s though, I realize just how novel and exciting my life and job may have seemed to others at the time. And if it served to inspire a few young women, then perhaps the hoopla was worthwhile.

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