In A.D. 1000, long before Columbus, Eriksson led a Viking voyage westward from Greenland and reached the coast of North America, in what is now Newfoundland. He named his discovery Vinland. Although Eriksson is not officially credited with the European discovery of America, ever since 1964 U.S. presidents have had the option of proclaiming October 9 as Leif Eriksson Day.
Question of the Day
How much is a rick of firewood? Is it half a cord?
No, rick is actually a description of the way wood is stacked. A cord of wood measures 4x4x8 feet, or 128 cubic feet. A rick is piled in a 4x8-foot stack. Rick also refers to a stack of any other material, such as hay, left out in the open air.
Advice of the Day
Start adding horseradish and raw onion to your sandwiches to help prevent winter colds.
Home Hint of the Day
To correct the dents that furniture leaves in carpets, place an ice cube in each dent and allow it to melt overnight. While the carpet is still damp, fluff up the fibers with your fingers.
Word of the Day
Moon’s place
Astronomical: The actual position of the Moon within the constellations on the celestial sphere. Astrological: The astrological position of the Moon within the zodiac according to calculations made more than 2,000 years ago. Because of precession of the equinoxes and other factors, this is not the Moon’s actual position in the sky.
Puzzle of the Day
What did the pig use on its rash?
Oinkment!
Born
Lewis Cass(politician)–
Camille Saint-Saens(composer)–
Myron Herrick(politician)–
Alfred Dreyfus(French army officer)–
Leonard Wood(physician)–
Charles Rudolph Walgreen(merchant)–
Jacques Tati(director)–
E. Howard Hunt(author)–
John Lennon(musician)–
Jackson Browne(musician)–
Tony Shalhoub(actor)–
Scott Bakula(actor)–
Steve Ovett(runner)–
Brandon Routh(actor)–
Zachery Ty Bryan(actor)–
Tyler James Williams(actor)–
Died
Oskar Schindler(businessman)–
David Dukes(actor)–
Charles Guggenheim(filmmaker)–
Jan Hooks(actress)–
Events
The Collegiate School, later renamed Yale University, is founded in Connecticut.–
Joshua Stoddard received a patent for a calliope–
The nation’s first working underground oil pipeline was completed between Oil Creek and Pithole, Pennsylvania–
American Humane Association organized–
The Washington Monument opened to the public–
7.7 earthquake struck Kodiak Island, Alaska–
Deadly fire leveled Baudette and Spooner, Minnesota–
First electronic blanket manufactured, Petersburg, Virginia–
In Bolivia, Che Guevara is killed while leading a Cuban-sponsored guerrilla force–
Cape Kennedy restored to original name of Cape Canaveral” in Florida”–
A meteorite struck a car in Peekskill, New York–
Starting on September 28, Lloyd Scott, a 41-year old former firefighter and professional football player from Rainham, London, dived through the depths of Loch Ness for 12 days to complete on this day the world’s first ever underwater marathon. Lloyd wore an 80-kilogram diving suit throughout the 26-mile adventure–
The new U.S. $20 bill, with its faint tinge of peach color in the background, made its way into bank vaults and consumers’ pockets–
Weather
Damaging hailstorms hit Montana, causing $7.5 million in crop damage–
