Paul Layendecker

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 1873 The first gaslight streetlights were lit in Baltimore Maryland, the first city to be lit by gaslight at night. 1933 The Blaine Act was passed by

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday. Feb. 16, 2026 1868 The BPOE Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was organized. 1937 Nylon was patented, by Dr. Wallace Carothers of the du Pont Co. Its first commercial

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 1917 Mata Hari was captured in France during World War I. She was sentenced to death as a German spy. During her execution she refused a blindfold

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 1809 Abraham Lincoln was born. He was the 16th President of the United States, known for leading the country through the Civil War and abolishing slavery, was

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 1935 – Discovery of Element 94 (Plutonium): American physicist Glenn T. Seaborg and his team begin work on discovering plutonium. 1971 – Apollo 14 Moon landing: Astronauts

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026 1850 The push-key adding machine was patented, by Du Bois Parmelee. 1943 American businessman Nolan Bushnell was born. He founded the Atari video game company in 1972

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Feb. 4, 202 1789 George Washington was elected president with 100% of the electoral vote. He was the first and only president to do so. 1962 St. Jude Children’s Hospital

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 1870 The 15th amendment was ratified, giving African Americans the right to vote. 1913 The 16th amendment was ratified, giving the U.S. Congress the power to collect

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Friday, Feb. 2, 2024  Groundhog Day! 1876 Baseball’s National League was founded. 1913 Grand Central Station opened in New York City. More than 100,000 people visited on its opening day. 1914

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 1845 The poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe was first published, in the New York Evening Mirror, instantly making him famous, although it did not bring him much financial success.

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” Weds., Jan. 28, 2026 1915 The U.S. Coast Guard was established, when Congress combined the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service. 1978 The TV series Fantasy Island debuted on ABC. “Boss, de plane, de

  Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 1880 Thomas Edison was granted a patent for an electric incandescent light. 1948 The first of John Mullin’s invention, the magnetic tape recorder was sold in

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 1784 Ben Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter expressing his disapproval of the eagle as our nation’s symbol. He thought the bald eagle was of bad

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thurs., Jan. 22, 2026 1946 The Central Intelligence Group (CIG) is established by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. It was later replaced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Truman reportedly gave

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., Jan. 21, 2026 1813 The Pineapple was introduced to Hawaii. In 1992, Dole purchased the Island of Lenai and turned it into the largest pineapple plantation in the world. 1915

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 1954 The lowest recorded temperature in the continental U.S. Rogers Pass, Montana dipped to -69.7°F 1982 The late heavy-metal musician Ozzy Osborne bit the head off a bat

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 1825 The first U.S. patent for preserving food in tin cans was granted. Thomas Kensett set up a small canning plant on the waterfront selling America’s first

WAY BACK WHEN for Friday, January 16, 2026 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified, which banned the manufacturing, sale, or transportation of alcohol in the U.S.  The actual enforcement of Prohibition didn’t start until the following year. 1973, NBC aired the 440th

Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Thurs., Jan. 15, 2026 1927 The case against John Scopes was dismissed by the Tennessee Supreme Court. He had been convicted of teaching evolution. 1929 American Nobel Peace Prize-winning civil rights leader