August 2, 1923 - Death of a President

For 90 years now, there has been speculation over the death of President Warren G. Harding. But why? Where did it come from? And how did he really die? Most likely, the simplest answer for most of these is to know that Harding was his own worst enemy.

Florence and Warren G. Harding

In 1920, Harding was elected president mostly for his photogenic looks (unlike his competitor) and his help as a senator in giving women the right to vote. That election year was the first that allowed women to vote in a presidential election, and the women didn't forget it. His plans for the presidency were high, but after he was elected, his views expanded beyond the traditional view of his party at the time. Following the previous president Wilson's traits, Harding attempted to be progressive and move the US in new directions.

What most people didn't know about Harding was that he was a partier. He was most known in the political arena for having numerous affairs, for drinking and smoking way too much, and having marathon poker matches. It's been reported that one time he gambled away some White House china. Other than these activities, the only real kind of exercise he had was playing some golf.

Domestically, Harding actually did some good things like signing legislation on child welfare and ending railroad strikes. He tried to pass anti-lynching bills and the unemployment rate dropped in half under his tenure. He was also surrounded by controversy because of events like the Teapot Dome Scandal. Some of his cabinet members would be sent to prison. Nonetheless, Harding was a complex man who did a lot of good for the US, but has been overshadowed by his scandals, affairs, and the mysterious way he died.

Leading up to August 2, 1923, Harding was in poor health. He was traveling across the US giving speeches, but as the trip went on, he was becoming more and more exhausted and ill. He developed an illness that was thought to be pneumonia. He was given some herbs and caffeine, and he showed signs of improvement. Those around him thought he was on the way to being better, but on the evening of August 2, 1923, he collapsed while talking with his wife in their room in a San Francisco hotel.

Cause of death were guessed by many, some saying stroke and others saying heart attack. We won't know for sure because his wife refused to allow an autopsy. It was around the time of her refusal that another theory came up: maybe she had something to do with his death. Her actions immediately following the death didn't help with her case: she found as many of his papers as she could find (public and personal) and burned them.

The real reason the theory that Florence Harding has been blamed by many is because of a book that came out called 'The Strange Death of President Harding'. The book alleges that Mrs. Harding poisoned him because of his affairs and crooked dealings. This book, however, was 'written' by Gaston Means, who was a well-known private detective, bootlegger, con man, forger, swindler, blackmailer, and murder suspect. (Fans of the show 'Boardwalk Empire' will know the name since he was portrayed in the third season.) It came out later that Means only took credit for writing the book, and the ghostwriter had been cut out of her share of the books profits which is why she came forward. Means didn't care because he'd already made his money and moved on to his next scheme.

Scholars have looked at the reports of Harding's health around the time, and most agree that he had been suffering from 'cardiac insufficiency with congestive heart failure' in the time before his death. However, it is true that we will probably never really know what killed the president. However, one thing is true: he was not murdered, and instead died of natural reasons.

Rise and Fall of the LaserDisc

Certain technologies that have found their way into the past still resonate with younger generations. Things like cassette tapes, VHS tapes, rotary dial phones, and others are things that are pretty much gone but not forgotten. There is one technology that many younger people aren't familiar with, and that's the LaserDisc.

Pioneer VP-1000 LaserDisc Player

 The LaserDisc can trace is origins to the late 1950's. David Paul Gregg and James Russell invented "laser disc technology" which used a transparent disc. They patented their invention in 1961, which was bought by MCA in 1968. The following year, Phillips (a competitor) successfully developed a videodisc that played in reflective mode, which has more advantages than the transparent disc. MCA and Phillips then again agreed to collaborate on the technology, and first publicly demonstrated the technology in 1972.

On December 15, 1978, the LaserDisc was first put on the market in Atlanta, but it wasn't known as LaserDisc yet because it was first marketed as 'MCA DiscoVision'. The MCA-Phillips cooperation wasn't as successful as they'd hoped, even though Phillips made the players and MCA made the discs. By 1980, Pioneer purchased a majority stake in the technology and began releasing what they called "LaserDisc", or formally "Laser Videodisc".

The first North American release on LaserDisc was the MCA DiscoVision release of 'Jaws' in 1978.

There were positives and negatives to the technology. Negatives being that the players were expensive and so were the movies themselves. Although the video and audio quality were much better than VHS or Betamax, the price just couldn't come down enough. Some abilities of the DVD and BluRay come straight from the LaserDisc's huge advantage over the VHS: bonus features. The 1984 release of the Criterion Collection's release of 'Citizen Kane' was the first Special Edition movie released. By allowing for more than one audio channel on the disc, viewers could now listen to the audio of the movie or a commentary of the movie or even other languages of the movie. However, LaserDisc's were like vinyl records in that you have to turn them over since they held (at most) one hour of video per side. Those who had LaserDiscs in the US were deeply devoted to them and even claimed superiority of the technology when the DVD was released in the 90's. Even though for some early DVDs this might have been true, the way the technology is setup is different, and allows for better quality and ease of use for the DVD.

Comparison of disc sizes

By 1998, it was estimated that only about 2% of US households had a LaserDisc player, whereas in Japan, it was around 10%. The LaserDisc just never really caught on in the US, but was very popular in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Eastern Asian areas. The technology never blossomed in Europe or Australia and remains nearly an unknown there. Within a couple years, discs and players were no longer sold in American stores, and the importing of players from Japan ceased in 2001. The last movie distributed in the US on LaserDisc was 'Bringing Out the Dead' in 2000. Pioneer continued to make the players until 2009, when they ceased production.

Even though this technology has fallen into the sands of the past, it certainly isn't forgotten. Those that still have their LaserDisc players are extremely devoted, usually still refusing to accept DVD or BluRay. The LaserDisc is a very important technology in that without it, who knows what DVDs or BluRays would be like today.

Is It a Dolphin or Porpoise?

Can you believe that in our advanced society of science that not all scientists agree on what is a dolphin or a porpoise? There are some holdouts and which is which. So what is the difference you ask? There are some traits that are generally agreed to be specific to dolphins and some specific to porpoises.

Porpoise on top, Dolphin on bottom

Firstly, if you look at their mouths, the snout of each animal is referred to as the beak (kind of like a bird). The dolphin's beak is longer and sleeker than the porpoise's. Secondly, look at their dorsal fin (the fin on their backs). The dolphin's tends to be curved or hooked, whereas the porpoise fin tends to be more of a triangle. Thirdly, look at the actual body shape. The dolphin tends to be leaner and sleeker overall, whereas the porpoise seems to be more plump and not as sleek. Fourthly, their teeth. The dolphin has cone-shaped teeth, but the porpoise has shorter spade-shaped teeth. Fifthly, listen to them. The dolphins are very talkative and make all sorts of sounds. The porpoise doesn't seem to do this, and it's believed it's because of the way their heads are shaped. The dolphin's sounds come from the blowhole on the top of their head, but the porpoise head is shaped differently, which is why that theory is believed by most.

On the other hand, there are two big similarities of dolphins and porpoises. Firstly, they are both highly intelligent creatures. They learn and adapt well, they are very social and curious, they form close bonds, and they are able to generate and effectively use sonar. Secondly, they are similar in size and shape. They both belong to the order Cetacea which includes whales also. All three are marine mammals that share the same general habitat.

Generally, it is agreed that there are 32 species of dolphin (plus 5 species of river dolphins), which includes the largest dolphin: the killer whale (which is actually a dolphin). On the other hand, it is generally agreed that there are only 6 species of porpoise.

All the order of Cetacea (whales, dolphins, porpoises)

What Was the First Automobile?

Believe it or not, this is a hard question to answer. The reason is because it depends on what your feelings are that would qualify a device as an automobile. Is it something that has an internal combustion engine? Does it run on steam, gasoline, or electricity? Was it mass produced? Could it hold more than one person? There are a lot of vehicles that could qualify as the first automobile. But first let's look at where this invention came from.

The first recorded designs for a machine that could transport without the aid of horses was actually drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in the late 1400's, but he chose to focus on his art rather than his inventions, so this 'carriage without horses' would have to wait. The first actual attempts at making a moving vehicle without the aid of horses used steam. Around the year 1672, a Jesuit missionary to China named Ferdinand Verbiest created a steam powered carriage as a gift to the emperor. This vehicle was too small to carry anyone, but it's perhaps the first instance of a vehicle that could run under its own power. In the 1770's and 1780's in England, steam powered vehicles were created that were large enough to carry people and cargo. They began to be used often and to growing success, but the Locomotive Act of 1865 effectively killed off the use of steam powered vehicles on public roads. For the rest of the 1800's, England focused more on the railroads than on automobiles.

Steam powered vehicle from 1769

In the 1800's, experiments were created with vehicles that were electric, but most of these weren't practical and weren't beyond models. These tended to be more related to railroads and most electrical powered vehicles inventing was abandoned by the early 20th century. The most popular form of engine for these horseless carriages was an internal combustion engine. By the latter part of the 19th century, this type of engine was the preferred method of power. In 1870 Austria, an inventor named Siegfriend Marcus put one of these engines on a handcart was the first to successfully use a gasoline-powered engine propel a vehicle. Marcus's only patent was an ignition system in 1883. His second vehicle came out in 1888 and featured a carburetor, both of which were important advances in the development of the automobile.

Karl Benz's 1885 automobile design

To answer what was the first automobile is difficult because historians pretty much agree that there were several German inventors who came out with working automobiles with internal combustion gasoline engines around the same time. The most accepted and known of these was the vehicle that Karl Benz created in 1885, even though it was literally a horse carriage with an engine attached. The first completely new design came in 1889 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach who built a new concept from the ground up.

Daimler/Maybach 1889 automobile design

So it's really hard to explain what the first automobile was. There are other firsts that are easy to explain, such as the first automobile manufacturing company in the United States was the Duryea Motor Wagon Company in 1893. The first automobile company to dominate the US market was Ransom E. Olds's company: the Olds Motor Vehicle Company (you'd know it by its later name Oldsmobile).

Rick Monday Saves the American Flag

What is the greatest play in MLB history? Was it the Willie Mays catch in 1954? Was it the shot heard 'round the world in 1951? Was it Carlton Fisk waving the ball fair in 1975? Was it Hank Aaron passing Ruth in 1974? Was it Kirk Gibson's 1988 home run? Was it Lou Gehrig's speech in 1939? Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956? Was it Bill Mazeroski's walk-off in 1960? Jackie Robinson in 1947? These are some of the greatest moments in MLB history, but since today is July 4, and we are celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence and therefore America's independence, I submit to you an act of patriotism to be considered one of the greatest moments in MLB history. 

Famous photo taken after Rick Monday saved the flag

On April 25, 1976, the Cubs were playing the Dodgers in Dodger Stadium. It was a game like any other. But one must remember the era: post Nixon, post Vietnam, and America's Bicentennial. There was a mixture of high patriotism and lack of patriotism. In this hot and cold environment, protests were happening. And on that day, there was one in the outfield of Dodger Stadium.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, William Thomas and his 11 year old son ran onto the field with an American flag. Thomas knelt down in front of it and poured lighter fluid on it. His came over shortly afterward. They tried to light a match, but it was blown out. While this was going on, a Cub outfielder named Rick Monday watched but wasn't sure what was going on. As soon as he saw the lighter fluid, he knew what was happening. He ran from his outfield position to the two protesters. He's been quoted as saying "I wanted to bowl them over, but I just wanted to get that flag out of there." Rick Monday ran in and before the lit match could ignite the flag, he grabbed it off the ground and ran through the field with it. By this point, other players, umpires, and even Tommy Lasorda (at the time 3rd base coach for the Dodgers) ran to stop the protesters. Thomas and his son were both arrested. As soon as Monday saved the flag, the crowd erupted in cheers. When it was Monday's turn to hit the next inning, a message on the screen said "Rick Monday...You made a great play!" In the seats, the crowd began to sing "God Bless America", and he received a standing ovation.

For many people, it was just another day, but for Rick Monday, it was a career day. You won't find his name in hardly any lists of greatest players ever, but if you look for the greatest plays in the MLB's history, you will find this moment, which really isn't a baseball moment. There's no amazing double or triple play, no home runs, no diving play, no blown calls, nothing that is typical of a great play. But what you will find is a great American moment of one man who didn't want to see the American flag destroyed in one of the most American of events. Monday displayed a patriotism that day that every American can look up to.

Rick Monday's 1976 baseball card

As for Rick Monday, he had a career year in 1976, but was traded (oddly enough) to the Dodgers after the season was over. After he retired a few years later, he became a broadcaster for the Dodgers, switching to the Padres for a time, then switching back. In 2008, he was awarded the Peace One Earth medallion by Patricia Kennedy, founder of Stand Up 4 Vets, for his actions that day in April 1976. He still has the flag he saved that day and has been offered millions for it, but he refuses to give it up - he still saves it to this day.

If you want to see the play from that game, click here.