Cool Fact of the Day
Heaviest Bell
What is the heaviest bell in the world?
The "Tsar-Kolokol" (Czar of Bells) was cast in Moscow in 1735. The heaviest bell in the world,
it is more than 19 feet high and 19 feet across (5.8 meters) and weighs 220 tons.
Unfortunately, Tsar Kolokol has never been rung, because a piece weighing more than 12 tons
was broken off during a fire in the shed where it was stored. According to one story, the fire
heated the bell so much that when the firemen threw cold water on it the metal broke. Another
story says the bell fell to the ground from its mounting, breaking on impact.
The heaviest bell that can be rung is the Mingun Bell of Sagaing in the southeast Asian country
of Myanmar. The Mingun Bell is 26 feet high (7.9 meters) and weighs 90.5 tons. There is also a
story of the 300-ton "Great Bell of Dhammazedi," also from Myanmar, but it supposedly sank
into a river and has not been seen since.
Picture of Tsar-Kolokol (text is in Russian):
tzar-kolokol.ru
Another picture with a person for scale:
btinternet.com
Great Bells of Myanmar:
myanmars.net
Thoughtful essay about bells, cannons, and sounds:
art.sdsu.edu
Cool Word of the Day
doppelganger [n. DOP-ul-gang-ur]
In German folklore it was believed that every human and animal had a spirit double. This
doppelganger, or ghostly twin, was identical to the living being but was invisible.
The modern meaning of this word signifies a living person who is identical to another. Near
synonyms include spitting image, alter ego, double, and twin. Example: "Geoff could have been
Tom Cruise's doppelganger if he hadn't been so much taller than the movie star."
This word, also sometimes spelled doppleganger, is a German word from the 19th century. It
literally translates to double-walker or double-goer.
Person of the Day
Liberty H. Bailey, 1858-1954
American horticulturist, botanist
Liberty H. Bailey is best remembered for his work with cultivated plants, which significantly
affected genetics, plant pathology, and agriculture. It is perhaps fitting that he was born in South
Haven on the shores of Lake Michigan. That part of the state is known as the "fruit belt"
because, thanks to the moderating influence of the nearby Great Lake, orchards prosper there.
Bailey grew up on his family's farm, which his father had cleared by hand. His interest in
farming and plants may have stemmed directly from his father, who had walked to Michigan
from Vermont carrying apple seeds with him, much like the famed "Johnny Appleseed."
Leaving South Haven as a young man, Bailey attended Michigan Agricultural College (now
Michigan State University). He later served as a member of their faculty, and created the first
American laboratory dedicated to horticulture.
In 1888, he began working for Cornell University as Professor of Botany and Horticulture,
where he established the Bailey Hortorium. In later years, he traveled the world collecting
hundreds of thousands of new varieties of plants, some 200,000 of which he donated to the
Bailey Hortorium.
Author of more than 60 books and 700 research papers, Bailey was honored six years before
his death for his contribution to botany by the Men's Garden Clubs of America with their
first-ever Johnny Appleseed Memorial Medal.
More about Liberty Bailey:
plantbio.cornell.edu
The Bailey Hortorium:
plantbio.cornell.edu
Quotes of the Day
Curiosity; On the nature and value of curiosity:
"Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates
the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality."
-- Edmund Burke, English statesman and orator
"Joy in the universe, and keen curiosity about it all -- that has been my religion."
-- John Burroughs, American author and naturalist
"Curiosity is free-wheeling intelligence."
-- Alistair Cooke, U.S.-based British journalist and broadcaster
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious
and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
-- Walt Disney, American movie producer and animator
Today in History
May 16th
1866: U.S. Treasury Began Minting 5-Cent Coin
The U.S. Treasury Department began minting a 5-cent coin made from nickel. Soon afterwards,
a copper-nickel alloy replaced the pure nickel used originally. Today's "nickel" still uses this
alloy.
More about nickel and U.S. coins that contain it:
money.org
1888: Emile Berliner Demonstrated Flat Disc Recording
German-born American inventor Emile Berliner gave the first demonstration of flat disc
recording and reproduction at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Unlike Edison's phonograph,
which used cylindrical records, Berliner's little hand-cranked technology played flat discs. The
idea of a flat disc soon became popular in the U.S., Europe, India, China, and Japan.
A picture of a Berliner disc:
proaxis.com
1920: Joan of Arc Canonized
Pope Benedict XV canonized Joan of Arc, the French national heroine. A 14th-century peasant
girl who grew up to lead a victorious French army against English troops at Orleans, she was
later captured and burned as a heretic. Her martyrdom has had a major influence on French
national consciousness.
More about Joan of Arc:
archive.joan-of-arc.org
1929: Academy Awards Ceremony Held for the First Time
The Academy Awards ceremony was held for the first time in Los Angeles. The awards, not
yet known as Oscars, were given for films that had been shown between 1927 and 1928. The
Academy's first "Best Picture" honor was presented to the anti-war silent film "Wings."
The director of "Wings" was William Wellman:
afionline.org
1975: Junko Tabei Climbed Mount Everest
Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei became the first woman to climb Mount Everest. After
returning from the summit, she said, "Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is
the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given
by others. It rises from your heart."
More about Junko Tabei:
engl.virginia.edu
Holidays & Events
May 16
Music Festival, Balmoral Show
CZECH REPUBLIC: MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Prague Spring International Music Festival showcases performing artists, orchestras, and
ensembles from around the world. The festival has opened since 1952 with a performance of
Czech composer Bedrich Smetana's symphonic poems Ma Vlast. The 53-year-old festival
continues through June 3. Events are held in the city's three main opera houses as well as in
palaces and churches.
A history of the Prague Spring festival:
festival.cz
The Prague Spring Festival's schedule of events:
festival.cz
NORTHERN IRELAND: BALMORAL SHOW
Today marks the start of Northern Ireland's largest agricultural show of the year. It features
show jumping, dog agility competitions, floral displays, and exhibitions of rare breeds of livestock
and new agricultural technology and machinery. This the 134th year of the show at the Balmoral
Showgrounds in Belfast. The festival attracts some 70,000 visitors.
More about Belfast:
tourism.belfastcity.gov.uk
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