Cruise & Random History Facts

As 2021 closes (with positives and negatives), I look forward to 2022! I intend to start the new year as a more knowledgable, generous, and helpful teacher at Coppell High School, as well as expand my already-wide networking circle of scholars and academic supporters. I plan to draft many more engaging, student-driven lesson plans for my AP US history classes, in addition to traveling the state, either visiting archives or presenting my research to community groups. I am currently contemplating the subject my next book (either about the Titanic or a president). I am excited to see what the future has in store for me!

My wife and I recently disembarked from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. This was our first cruise and we both thoroughly enjoyed the brilliant experience. The ship's staff was very courteous and kind, the dining room food was fantastic (top-nosh food - small portions yet rich, delicious bites), and the entertainment was amazing (which included dance-parties, Bingo, trivia, and late-night music shows). Our ship docked at Cozumel, Mexico for several hours, and we were able to walk around and immerse ourselves in another vibrant culture. The weather on the cruise was gorgeous, sunny with a little breeze (yet I did not get a tan). Photographs from this terrific voyage are below. I have also put some random history facts (since we all occasionally enjoy learning about our nation's story). Bye-Bye 2021, and Hello 2022!

* Registered letters were first accepted by the US Post Office in 1855

* Colored motion pictures were shown for the first time in 1922 (the first full-length animated movie was Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was released in 1937)

* The nation's first "drive-in" gasoline filling station opened in St. Louis, MO, in 1905

* Meat was shipped in a refrigerated car for the first time in 1862 (during the Civil War)

* The first traffic light in New York City was installed in 1920 at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue

* The first Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) was awarded by Yale University in 1861. Yale permitted women to enroll in their PhD program starting in 1892

* The United States' first population census was taken in 1790 (shortly after Washington became president) - the nation's population at that time was 3,929,214

* The first non-stop flight from New York to San Francisco was in 1923 by a single-engine plane. The time of this flight: 26 hours and 50 minutes...

* Andrew Jackson was the first president to travel by railway (he was known as the "people's president")

* The first execution in an electric chair occurred in New York in 1890 (its use has recently declined)

* The first bricks made in the US were created in Baltimore in 1827. Prior to this date, bricks for construction of furnaces and houses had to be imported, mostly from England

* The nation's first transcontinental telephone was installed in 1915 (the Pony Express and later telegraph would be the principle means of rapid communication before this invention)

* The subway in New York City was constructed in the early 1860s (at the outbreak of the Civil War) and ran about one city block. The fare was only 25 cents!!

* The first presidential inauguration to be broadcasted on the radio was Calvin Coolidge's in 1924. There was a network of 24 radio stations back then

* Connecticut claims to be the first state to issue drivers automobile licenses, beginning in 1907

* Herbert Hoover, the unfortunate man who occupied the Oval Office at the start of the Great Depression, was the first engineer and Quaker to be elected president (also, Woodrow Wilson has been our only president who received a doctorate)

My wife and I wish you a very Happy New Year! Welcome, 2022!!

The cruise ship was beautiful, especially at night. It was a wonderful experience looking over the main swimming pools under the dark sky when everyone was in bed - peace and quiet!

The cruise food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) was fantastic! I ordered Eggs Benedict for every breakfast.

There were a group of specialty restaurants on the cruise ship, including Johnny Rockets (a diner where you can enjoy an 'ole-fashioned American cheeseburger and milkshake).

Our Royal Caribbean cruise ship was the Adventure of the Seas - it was a marvelous ship!