Indy 500 = The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

May 27, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A WORD, IDIOM OR PHRASE ORIGINATED IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE?

It is fairly easy to start researching the origin of this famous car racing event with facts such as, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built on 328 acres of farmland five miles northwest of the capital in the spring of 1909.

The facility was financed by four local businessmen, Carl Fisher, James Allison, Frank Wheeler and Arthur Newby, who planned to use it as a year-round testing facility for the fast-growing automobile industry.

After finding the normal information, I started to come across more interesting facts, such as:

• The original race course in 1909 caused accidents and was quickly closed so that the surface could be replaced 
• The race cars in those days already were going faster than 70 mph 
• The typical race had a standing start 
• The driver was not alone in the car – there was also always a mechanic 
• The first several races were named the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race   

For more detail, please read the attached pdf posting. As always, I hope this stimulates your own research, and I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Did you find the posting informative?

2) How would you improve this posting?

3) Can you provide a better Moment of Zen?

Jim C Quiz – Indy 500.pdf

Memorial Day = A Day of Recognition

May 26, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A WORD, IDIOM OR PHRASE ORIGINATED IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE?

It is well known that Southern women decorated the graves of soldiers even before the Civil War’s end.  Records show that by 1865, Mississippi, Virginia, and South Carolina all had precedents for Memorial Day.

Although President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966 declared the birthplace of Memorial Day to be Waterloo N.Y., it is more likely that this event had many separate, spontaneous beginnings.  What is clearly known is that on May 5, 1868, General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Order No. 11:

“The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

This was known as “Decoration Day,” which through time developed into our national Memorial Day holiday. 

For more detail, please read the attached pdf posting.  As always, I hope this stimulates your own research, and I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Did you find the posting informative?

2) How would you improve this posting?

Jim C Quiz – Memorial Day.pdf