Monday, September 10, 2012

1936 JIM HENSON AND THE MUPPET SHOW

24 September 2012
- IT'S THE MUPPET SHOW -


1936 -
Jim Henson, creator of the 'Muppets', is born.

1869 TYPHOID MARY

23 September 2012
- MARY MARY, QUITE CONTAGIOUS -


Thursday, September 23, 1869. : 'Typhoid Mary', the woman responsible for major outbreaks of typhoid in the New York City area, is born.

'Typhoid Mary' is the nickname of Mary Mallon, the woman who became responsible for a number of outbreaks of typhoid in New York in the early twentieth century. Mary Mallon was born on 23 September 1869, in Cookstown, Ireland. As a teenager she emigrated to America, where she found work as a cook. Mallon was hired by New York banker Charles Henry Warren to be the family's cook during a summer holiday on Long Island. Shortly afterwards, one of Warren's daughters contracted typhoid fever. Next, Mrs Warren and two maids became ill, followed by the gardener and another of Warren's daughters. The owners of the holiday property hired investigators to find the cause.

Investigator George Soper, a civil engineer with experience in typhoid fever outbreaks, found that from 1900 to 1907, Mallon had worked at seven jobs in which 22 people had become ill with typhoid fever. The case that Mallon was a carrier was difficult to prove, as Mallon herself was perfectly healthy, showing no signs whatsoever of the disease. However, after being forcibly taken to the Willard Parker Hospital in New York, Mallon was shown to be harbouring Typhoid bacilli. She was then quarantined for several years, only being released on the condition that she no longer work as a cook.

Unable to find work that paid as well as a cook's wages, Typhoid Mary returned to cooking five years later at the Sloane Maternity Hospital in Manhattan, under the name of Mrs Brown. 25 people became ill with typhoid fever, and two of them died. Mallon was tracked down, and quarantined for another 23 years. Mallon eventually died on 11 November 1938.

1499 SWITZERLAND INDEPENDENT

22 September 2012


- INDEPENDENCE -


1499 -
Switzerland gains its independence.

1897 YES VIRGINIA THERE IS A SANTA CLAUSE

21 September 2012
- I'VE BEEN A GOOD GIRL SANTA. PLEASE STOP!! -


1897 -
The famous "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter is published.

1519 MAGELLAN VOYAGES AROUND THE WORLD

20 September 2012
- MAG MAN -


1519 -
Ferdinand Magellan leaves Spain on his voyage around the world

1783 HOT AIR BALLOON WITH A COCK, SHEEP AND DUCK

19 September 2012


- A DUCK, A SHEEP AND A COCK WALK INTO A BALLOON -


1783 -
The first hot-air balloon is tested - with a duck, a sheep and a rooster as its passengers.