– Gioachino (pronounced Joe-uh-keeno) Rossini (1792-1868) was a talented composer, most noted for his operatic works. He wrote The Barber of Seville when he was twenty-four. The gifted Italian retired from composing at age thirty-three, having written thirty-nine operas. Most of my readers will know of Rossini’s William Tell Overture or Lone Ranger theme music made famous on radio, television and in the Lone Ranger movies released in 1956, 1981 and 2013.
– Do you own any khaki pants? I do – mine have an expandable waist so the pants will still fit me after they shrink or I happen to gain weight. Again. Anyhow, “khaki” (Hindustani origin) means “earth” or “dust.” The material was originally so-named because the cloth “looked like dirt.” Since 1848, that characteristic has made khaki cloth a common choice for military uniforms.
– Carolyn Farrell made history when she was elected mayor of Dubuque, Iowa in 1980. This is because Carolyn was a nun. She passed away in 2015.
– Have you ever dealt with construction crews and thought that they took quite a while to finish a project. I wish to inform that some projects take even longer than yours. For instance, the great Gothic Cathedral of Milan was started in 1386 and was completed in 1805.
– Moving our focus from Spain to Italy; the oldest known paper document is a deed certifying ownership of property belonging to King Roger of Sicily dated 1102. I had no idea there were ever any King Rogers. I wonder if Leonard Slye should be considered. You would have to be of advanced age to understand that last inference.
– Records indicate that Da Vinci labored intermittently for ten years in completing his rather famous Mona Lisa.
– It was the ex-confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest that founded the KKK in Pulaski, Tennessee (1865).
– Interpreting “flower language” can be problematic for the many of us (men). I have been told that if one sends sunflowers, the message is “thank you” while daisies say “cheer up.”
– In 1802, there lived an eleven year thespian prodigy named William H.W. Betty. He became quite the rage of London. One day 1802 Parliament was adjourned so that its members would be able to attend the eleven year old’s performance as the title character in Hamlet. My parents came to see me portray Joseph in a first grade Christmas play. I had no lines. Well, send flowers occasionally and have a great day.
James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].
