MAY 10 - Today in Food History• National Shrimp Day (Shrimp Trivia • Shrimp Recipes) • St. Solangia's Day, patron of shepherds • [Herb Week] (May 7-13, 2023) On this day in:1566 Leonhard Fuchs died. He was a German botanist who compiled the first modern, organized listing of plants and botanical terms, 'Historia Stirpium' in 1542. The plant and the color fuchsia were named for him. 1818 Paul Revere died. A silversmith and American Revolutionary folk hero, he also made surgical instruments and false teeth. 1850 Sir Thomas Johnston Lipton, grocer and tea merchant, was born. 1869 A golden spike was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, joining the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, officially completing the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad. (Railroad Trivia) 1876 The Centennial Exhibition opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was the first official World's Fair in the United States. The fair closed on November 10, 1876. (Pennsylvania Food Trivia & Facts) 1876 Charles Elmer Hires introduces his new drink, Root Beer, at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1898 The first vending machine law was passed in Omaha, Nebraska. (Nebraska Food Trivia) 1903 The King Edward Hotel opened in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With 400 rooms and 300 baths it was advertised as completely fireproof. The hotel has had numerous additions and renovations and is currently owned by Omni Hotels. 1908 The first Mother's Day observance took place during church services in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1920 John Wesley Hyatt died. He developed the process for making celluloid, the first synthetic plastic. He also invented a water purifying system and a sugar cane mill. 1924 The Legislature of Alberta, Canada votes to end prohibition. 2010 A 10 year-old 3rd grade student in Texas was given 1 week's detention for being in possession of a candy bar at lunch time. The candy bar was also confiscated.
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