Health
Day 2 - Walnuts – Beneficial in Prostate Cancer?
Posted on January 2, 2011St. Berchtold’s Day, Switzerland. Named for Duke Berchtold V of Zähringen, who founded Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Eating nuts is a tradition on this day.
Day 3 - Margarine
Posted on January 3, 2011Henry Bradley patented oleomargarine in 1871. This butter substitute was touted for its health benefits — until more studies clouded the picture.
Day 5 - George Washington Carver: Chemist, Teacher, Symbol
Posted on January 5, 2011Death of food chemist George Washington Carver, who discovered hundreds of new uses for crops such as the peanuts.
Day 6 - Capsaicin
Posted on January 6, 2011This chemical, found in the flesh and seeds of chili peppers, can put a sizzle in a cold January day.
Day 7 - Sir John Ernest Walker
Posted on January 7, 2011Sir John Ernest Walker born 1941, helped unravel the process that creates ATP, the molecule that transports energy throughout the body.
Day 11 - The Discovery of Insulin
Posted on January 11, 2011January 1922, the first successful treatment of diabetes with insulin, co-discovered by chemist Charles Best.
Day 13 - Self-Darkening Eyeglasses
Posted on January 13, 2011National Eye Care Month: These shades aren’t just cool, they help protect eyes from the sun’s high-energy UV light.
Day 20 - Horace Wells
Posted on January 20, 2011Horace Wells, born 1815, gave patients a fit of giggles when he became the first to use nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, as an anesthetic.
Day 22 - Excipients
Posted on January 22, 2011King James I charters the first English organization of pharmacists, 1617, long before these inactive ingredients in medicines could help drug delivery.
Day 30 - Peter Agre
Posted on January 30, 2011Peter Agre, born 1949, discovered “channels” that transport water through cell membranes, garnering him a 2003 Nobel Prize. Studies of the channels have helped in understanding kidney disease.
Day 32 - Dental Anesthetics
Posted on February 1, 2011National Dental Month: Exotic compounds discovered by using high-throughput technology help take the pain out of dental work.
Day 35 - Dr. Joseph Goldberger & the War on Pellagra
Posted on February 4, 2011In 1915, Joseph Goldberger begins the experiment that demonstrates that pellagra is a dietary disease. Pellegra is caused by having too little niacin or Vitamin B3 in the diet.
Day 37 - Diagnostic Test Strips
Posted on February 6, 2011Commemoration of test strips, used by millions to help manage diseases such as diabetes as well as kidney and liver conditions.
Day 39 - Taxol
Posted on February 8, 2011Robert Holton announces total synthesis of taxol, an important cancer drug, 1994. Taxol is used to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma.
Day 41 - Artificial Sweeteners
Posted on February 10, 2011Ira Remsen, born 1846, founder of American Chemical Journal, made life sweet for millions when he discovered saccharin.
Day 43 - Discovery of Organic Free Radicals
Posted on February 12, 2011Death of Moses Gomberg, 1947, who opened the study of free radicals in 1900 when he inadvertently prepared the first one, triphenylmethyl. Free radicals are essential to body functioning and are used in the production of plastics and other synthetic materials.
Day 54 - Vitamins
Posted on February 23, 2011Birthday in 1884 of Polish biochemist Casimir Funk, who realized that certain substances in food were essential to good health, and named tham “vitamines,” with “vita” meaning vitality and “amines” meaning chemical compounds containing nitrogen.
Day 55 - Teeth Whiteners
Posted on February 24, 2011In 1938, DuPont began commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles for the so-called “Miracle Tuft Toothbrush.” Before 1938, the world relied on toothbrush bristles of neck hairs from wildwild boars and hogs. Today, chemists are still developing new materials to keep you smiling.
Day 56 - Reinhold Benesch and Ruth Erica Benesch
Posted on February 25, 2011Reinhold and Ruth Erica Benesch co-discovered how hemoglobin works like an oxygen delivery truck, carrying oxygen molecules to cells that need it. Ruth Erica Benesch was born this day in 1925.
Day 57 - Otto Wallach
Posted on February 26, 20111931 death of Otto Wallach, who analyzed fragrant essential oils to determine the molecular structure of terpene compounds. Terpenes were of importance in medicine and the perfume industry.
Day 59 - Linus Pauling
Posted on February 28, 2011Linus Pauling, born 1901, applied quantum mechanics to the study of molecular structures and chemical bonding. He received the 1954 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and introduced the concept of electronegativity — the ability of an atom to attract electrons to form bonds.
Day 60 - Deep-tank Fermentation
Posted on March 1, 2011Pfizer opened the world’s first large-scale penicillin facility in 1944, making it possible to mass produce germ-killing medicine.
Day 65 - Aspirin
Posted on March 6, 2011In 1899, Felix Hoffman was issued a U.S. patent for Aspirin. He had successfully created a chemically pure and stable form of acetylsalicylic acid in 1897. Aspirin is still used today to fight pain and swelling.
Day 69 - Molecular Gastronomy
Posted on March 10, 2011Aaron Lapin received a patent in 1955 for what may have been the first mainline aerosol food product — whipped cream dessert topping in a spray can — as food technology began its march toward the modern era of molecular gastronomy.
Day 71 - Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Posted on March 12, 2011The molecule that is the basis for heredity, DNA, contains the patterns for constructing proteins in the body, including the various enzymes. A team of scientists, Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins determined its structure.
Day 79 - Contact Lenses
Posted on March 20, 2011Bausch & Lomb, incorporated as Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. in 1908, has used materials from Plexiglas to silicone hydrogels to help people make eye contact.
Day 82 - Neil Bartlett and Reactive Noble Gases
Posted on March 23, 2011Neil Bartlett demonstrates reactive noble gases, 1962. Today, noble gas compounds produce laser beams used in eye surgery and create anti-tumor agents.
Day 87 - Leonor Michaelis and Maud Leonora Menten
Posted on March 28, 2011Wilhelm Friedrich Kühne, born 1837, coined the term enzyme, but it was Leonor Michaelis and Maud Leonora Menten who showed how these complex compounds make possible the chemical reactions of life.
Day 89 - Anesthesia
Posted on March 30, 2011Crawford Long first used ether in 1842 to anesthetize a patient to remove a neck tumor, marking the beginning of the use of anesthesia during surgeries. To celebrate this occurrence, this day is now designated as National Doctor’s Day.
Day 92 - Redefining DNA
Posted on April 2, 2011Francis Crick and James Dewey Watson mailed brief article on the double-helix structure of DNA to Nature in 1953. More recently, scientists have designed of a new type of DNA.
Day 94 - Vitamin B6
Posted on April 4, 2011Synthesis of vitamin B6 was announced by Merck, Sharp & Dohme in 1939. This vitamin has a wide variety of functions in the body.
Day 95 - Morphine
Posted on April 5, 2011Marshall Gates and G. Tschudi announced synthesis of morphine in 1956. Considered to be the first true drug, it remains the gold standard for relieving severe pain.
Day 101 - Percy Julian
Posted on April 11, 2011Percy Lavon Julian, born 1899, brought relief to millions with aches and pains caused by rheumatoid arthritis. His synthesis of cortisone made the treatment affordable.
Day 102 - Otto Fritz Meyerhof
Posted on April 12, 2011Otto Fritz Meyerhof, born 1884, showed that there was a fixed relationship between the consumption of oxygen and the metabolism of lactic acid in the muscle, garnering him a Nobel Prize in 1922.
Day 107 - Cheese
Posted on April 17, 2011In 1810, a U.S. patent for pineapple cheese was issued to L.M. Norton of Troy, Pennsylvania. Cheese is one of the oldest processed foods known to mankind, and process cheese products such as Cheez Whiz can add flavor to broccoli or cauliflower.
Day 110 - Whisky
Posted on April 20, 2011Eduard Buchner, born 1860, was awarded the 1907 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for demonstrating that the fermentation of carbohydrates results from the action of different enzymes contained in yeast and not the yeast cell itself. Such complex chemistry is used to develop alcoholic drinks such as this.
Day 111 - Marshmallow
Posted on April 21, 2011Although a year-round treat, spring uniquely promises brightly colored marshmallows shaped like chicks and bunnies.
Day 113 - Licorice
Posted on April 23, 2011This popular root is used worldwide as a flavor and a medicine.
Day 116 - Rumford Baking Powder
Posted on April 26, 2011In 1856, Eben Horsford received a patent for calcium acid phosphate, one of the ingredients in the basic formula still used today for the manufacture of Rumford Baking Powder.
Day 123 - Instant Coffee
Posted on May 3, 2011This ‘instant’ classic was first unveiled at the World’s Fair in Buffalo, NY this week in 1901.
Day 124 - Alice Hamilton
Posted on May 4, 2011Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day. Alice Hamilton made the American workplace less dangerous by exposing dangerous working conditions in early twentieth-century America.
Day 128 - Liquid Bandages
Posted on May 8, 2011Mother’s Day: One of the new tools in the medicine kit of Dr. Moms everywhere makes it easier to mend those cuts, scratches, and scrapes.
Day 131 - Sodium
Posted on May 11, 2011Eleven is the theme for the day, so it’s no surprise that Sodium —atomic number 11 — is everywhere, too. Sodium compounds are among the most frequently used materials for industrial and domestic use, and salt is needed for human life.
Day 137 - Pool Chemicals
Posted on May 17, 2011During pool season a cornucopia of additives keeps pool water sparkling and clean.
Day 138 - MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
Posted on May 18, 2011Together, NMR and MRI revolutionized the practice of chemistry and medicine by providing fast, non-destructive, and non-invasive means for the observation of matter from the atomic to the macroscopic scale.
Day 139 - Max Perutz
Posted on May 19, 2011Max Perutz, born this date in 1914, received the 1962 Nobel Prize for his studies of the structure of hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues via blood cells.
Day 147 - Deciphering the Genetic Code
Posted on May 27, 2011Scientists decipher the genetic code in 1961 experiment using Synthetic RNA, showing how messenger RNA transcribes genetic information from DNA.
Day 149 - Sulfonamides
Posted on May 29, 2011In 1951, a patent for improved sulfonamide drugs was issued to James W. Clapp and Richard O. Roblin. Sulfonamides — discovered in 1932 by Gerhard Domagk — were the first chemical substances systematically used to cure bacterial infections in humans.
Day 151 - Rachel Holloway Lloyd
Posted on May 31, 2011The first American woman to earn a chemistry Ph.D., Lloyd introduced a beet sweetening agent as a sugar substitute.
Day 153 - Self Tanners
Posted on June 2, 2011These products help people get a jump-start on their summer glow without exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Day 156 - Ibuprofen
Posted on June 5, 2011Ibuprofen, commonly used as an alternative to aspirin, received an environmental make-over of its industrial production process in 1997.
Day 157 - Walter G. Campbell
Posted on June 6, 2011Pure Food and Drug Act signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt, 1906. As time wore on, it became clear that a stronger, more a enforceable law was needed and in 1938 the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was passed.
Day 163 - Fritz A. Lipmann
Posted on June 12, 2011Fritz A. Lipmann, born in 1899, discovered coenzyme A and described the central role of ATP in metabolism; he received the Nobel Prize in 1953.
Day 165 - Rockefeller University
Posted on June 14, 2011Rockefeller University, incorporated in 1901, was among the first to research protein and nucleic acid chemistry.
Day 170 - Tagamet®: A medicine that changed people’s lives
Posted on June 19, 2011FDA approved Tagamet® — a widely prescribed treatment for ulcers and heartburn — bringing relief to millions.
Day 171 - Sunscreen
Posted on June 20, 2011Northern latitudes recognize the June solstice as the start of summer – and sunbathers everywhere slather on this material to prevent sunburn.
Day 175 - Sports Drinks
Posted on June 24, 2011Many summer athletes ward off dehydration and carbohydrate loss by chugging these typically brightly-colored beverages.
Day 186 - Robert R. Williams
Posted on July 5, 2011Robert R. Williams pressed his wife’s washing machine into service as a centrifuge to begin his research on the molecular structure of vitamin B1.
Day 194 - Iodine
Posted on July 13, 2011Iodine and its isotopes keep us healthy in a variety of different ways.
Day 195 - Chemistry of Wine Flavor
Posted on July 14, 2011The French celebrate Bastille Day — La Fete Nationale — in commemoration of the 1789 storming of the Bastille, one of the main events in the French Revolution. Wine is strategically paired with many of the foods typically eaten at picnics commemorating this national holiday.
Day 200 - Rosalyn Yalow
Posted on July 19, 2011Birth in 1921 of Rosalyn Yalow, who was awarded the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her description of the radioimmunological assay (RIA) technique and her insights into peptide hormones such as insulin and the diseases resulting from their improper regulation.
Day 203 - Tattoos
Posted on July 22, 2011With summer’s hot days comes more bared skin, and more opportunity for people to show off their tattoos.
Day 210 - Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin
Posted on July 29, 2011Death in 1994 of chemist Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, who used x-ray crystallography to identify the structure of insulin, penicillin, and vitamin B12. She received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1964, making her the third woman, following Marie Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie, to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Day 216 - Cisplatin
Posted on August 4, 2011Cisplatin, a drug with the ability to target and kill cancer cells, is a powerful weapon the fight against cancer.
Day 220 - Hair Perms
Posted on August 8, 2011Hair stylists apply numerous chemical principles as they create curly or straight hair.
Day 221 - Bioprospecting
Posted on August 9, 2011Bioprospecting in the hot springs at Yellowstone led to one of the most valuable techniques for DNA analysis used in biochemistry and medicine.
Day 222 - Barium
Posted on August 10, 2011Scavenging oxygen during the fabrication of vacuum tubes and aiding medical imaging of the digestive tract are two important applications of the element, barium.
Day 224 - Quality and Stability of Frozen Foods
Posted on August 12, 2011The frozen food industry was born in 1930, when Clarence Birdseye found a way to flash-freeze foods.
Day 228 - Selman Waksman and Antibiotics
Posted on August 16, 2011Selman Abraham Waksman co-discovered streptomycin along with Albert Schatz. After the discovery of penicillin, Waksman played a major role in initiating a search for antibiotics among microbes. He died in 1973.
Day 230 - Azidothymidine (AZT)
Posted on August 18, 2011Although a failure as an anti-cancer drug, AZT has become a front-line defense in managing HIV infections.
Day 234 - Cleaning Dishes
Posted on August 22, 2011Although the sink and the dishwasher may be right next to each other in the kitchen, detergents for cleaning dishes are very specific for one method vs. the other.
Day 235 - Pickles
Posted on August 23, 2011Originally created to can and store excess produce from the garden and provide vegetables in winter, pickles are now a common addition to summer picnics and cookouts.
Day 236 - Lipstick
Posted on August 24, 2011Throughout history, lipstick has been made from a wide variety of ingredients and spanned the full range of fashion: from ‘not-dressed-without-it’ to scandalous and back.
Day 246 - Discovery of Penicillin
Posted on September 3, 2011Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and its potential uses in 1928, leading to the development of one of the 20th century’s greatest lifesavers.
Day 259 - Albert Szent-Györgyi
Posted on September 16, 2011Albert Szent-Györgyi, born 1893, isolated ascorbic acid, the agent in citrus juice that helped combat the deadly disease scurvy.
Day 260 - Beer
Posted on September 17, 2011Oktoberfest Begins in Munich, and the drinks will flow thanks to this brewing process.
Day 261 - Selenium
Posted on September 18, 2011The mineral selenium is a micronutrient found in meats and nuts and is an important part of a healthy diet.
Day 262 - Helmets
Posted on September 19, 2011Safety helmets for a wide range of conditions have become more effective by exploiting the availability of rugged lightweight plastics.
Day 263 - Statins
Posted on September 20, 2011The class of cholesterol-reducing medicines called statins directly attack a major factor contributing to heart disease that kills one in four Americans every year.
Day 264 - Shampoo
Posted on September 21, 2011The ingredients in shampoo are carefully chosen and combined to result in clean, manageable hair.
Day 265 - Vitamin D
Posted on September 22, 2011Unlike other vitamins, we can absorb Vitamin D from our diets or synthesize it directly through exposure to sunlight.
Day 267 - Mustard
Posted on September 24, 2011From mild to spicy, mustard’s zing depends as much on precise chemistry as on the seed itself.
Day 269 - U.S. Drinking Water Chlorination: A Public Health Giant Step
Posted on September 26, 2011Chlorine, a common component of drinking water and swimming pools, destroys germs and has helped to virtually eliminate waterborne illnesses like cholera and typhoid that once killed thousands of Americans each year.
Day 275 - Tamoxifen
Posted on October 2, 2011Tamoxifen used to target estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells is an important step on the path to curing this disease.
Day 276 - Mary Engle Pennington
Posted on October 3, 2011Born in 1803, John Gorrie, was granted the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851. Mary Engle Pennington, also born this month in 1872, spent her career studying refrigeration and how best to use it for food preservation.
Day 277 - Human Hibernation
Posted on October 4, 2011On this date in 1957, the Soviet Union launches the first satellite in space, Sputnik I, Today, space exploration takes on a new meaning, as scientists examine ways to send people into space for long periods of time.
Day 280 - Cortisone
Posted on October 7, 2011Nobel Prize-winning research resulted in the discovery of cortisone, which has eased chronic joint pain for decades.
Day 282 - Emil Fischer
Posted on October 9, 2011Hermann Emil Fischer, born 1852, discovered a family of bases called purines. Caffeine and theobromine—found in tea, coffee, and chocolate—are two familiar purines. Fischer received a Nobel Prize in 1902.
Day 285 - Paul Hermann Müller
Posted on October 12, 2011Death of Paul Hermann Müller, Swiss chemist and Nobel laureate. His work helped in efforts to control diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.
Day 288 - Chocolate
Posted on October 15, 2011A favorite gift for Sweetest Day, this yummy concoction contains around 800 chemical compounds.
Day 290 - The Steroid Industry
Posted on October 17, 2011During this month in 1951, the first oral contraceptive, the steroid hormone norethindrone, developed by Carl Djerassi and co-workers at Syntex.
Day 291 - Pasteurized Food
Posted on October 18, 2011Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard initiated a test of the idea of pasteurization by heating blood and urine in sealed flasks, 1862.
Day 296 - Toothpaste
Posted on October 23, 2011It wasn’t until the 1950s that a vigorous tooth brushing campaign was launched to encourage young children to brush twice daily to reduce tooth decay.
Day 297 - Vitamin K
Posted on October 24, 2011Vitamin K plays an essential role in the blood clotting process – another good reason to eat your vegetables.
Day 300 - Instant Mashed Potatoes
Posted on October 27, 2011National Potato Day: Instant mashed potatoes are made possible thanks to this technology, developed in the 1950s.
Day 301 - Marie Maynard Daly
Posted on October 28, 2011American biochemist Marie Maynard Daly, died 2003, was the first African American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry, awarded by Columbia University in 1947.
Day 303 - Hair Coloring
Posted on October 30, 2011For Halloween tomorrow night, many ghouls and goblins may change their hair color – whether it rinses right out or stays until the hair grows out is a matter of chemistry.
Day 304 - Licorice
Posted on October 31, 2011After a long evening of ringing doorbells and parading in costume, some trick-or-treaters may find this sweet treat in their bags.
Day 307 - Inhaled Vaccines
Posted on November 3, 2011In 1955, Carlton Schwerdt announced the crystallization of poliomyelitis virus– an essential step in the eventual development of the polio vaccine. Scientists working in vaccine development today have come up with new ways to deliver vaccines, including inhaled powders, microneedle patches, and even bananas.
Day 308 - Quinine
Posted on November 4, 2011Peruvian Quechua Indians discovered the first effective treatment for malaria.
Day 314 - Gladys L. A. Emerson
Posted on November 10, 2011Good Nutrition Month: Nutritionist and biochemist Gladys L. A. Emerson, isolated vitamin E in the 1930s. She then went on to work on the whole B complex of vitamins.
Day 318 - Bleach
Posted on November 14, 2011In addition to its use as a laundry additive, bleach’s antimicrobial activities have seen widespread use in cleaning up houses flooded by hurricanes or tropical storms.
Day 320 - Vitamin A
Posted on November 16, 2011Vital for healthy eyes, Vitamin A is luckily found in plenty of food sources including animal protein, dairy products, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Day 324 - Radiopharmaceuticals
Posted on November 20, 2011Small quantities of radioactive pharmaceuticals minimize risk while creating invaluable opportunities for physicians to image and evaluate the body without surgery.
Day 326 - Paul C. Zamecnik
Posted on November 22, 2011Paul Zamecnik (1912 – 2009) was the discoverer of cell-free protein synthesis systems, transfer RNA and the antisense principle. Nov 22, 2011 would have been his 99th birthday.
Day 328 - Tryptophan
Posted on November 24, 2011Although the amino acid, tryptophan, is especially associated with turkey, it is actually present in many every-day foods including poultry, eggs, cheese, meat, and fish.
Day 329 - Chalk
Posted on November 25, 2011Probably no one misses the task of clapping together elementary school erasers to clean them, but chalk is still essential to many sports and art endeavors.
Day 331 - Cider
Posted on November 27, 2011Hard or sweet, apple cider is the iconic beverage of the season.
Day 333 - Magnesium
Posted on November 29, 2011Metallic magnesium finds applications in lightweight alloys and in high-temperature combustion reactions. Not to be confused, magnesium ions play important roles in hundreds of biological enzymes.
Day 334 - Clot Busters and Blood Thinners
Posted on November 30, 2011Following a heart attack or stroke, clot busters are powerful emergency medications that break up blood clots. Blood thinners prevent the formation of future problematic blood clots.
Day 336 - Cloves
Posted on December 2, 2011Cloves are a potent spice used in different cuisines from around the world.
Day 337 - Vitamin C
Posted on December 3, 2011Vitamin C not only plays an important role in good health, it has been a significant factor in the historic exploration of our world.
Day 339 - Gerty Theresa Cori and Carl Ferdinand Cori
Posted on December 5, 2011Husband and wife team Gerty Theresa Cori and Carl Ferdinand Cori identified the process that muscle cells use to make and store energy — a finding that has helped in treating diabetes.
Day 343 - Molybdenum
Posted on December 9, 2011The 42nd annual Christmas Chemistry Lecture given by Professor Bassam Shakashiri on December 10th and 11th celebrates the chemistry of element #42, molybdenum.
Day 346 - Rosin
Posted on December 12, 2011Generations of aspiring ballerinas have gotten their start by dancing in December productions of The Nutcracker. For their leaps, turns, and pirouettes, dancers rely on rosin to secure safe landing.
Day 347 - Bread
Posted on December 13, 2011In the cold of winter, bread with its complex chemistry, is at once a daily staple, holiday treat, and a symbol of life itself.
Day 348 - Mascara
Posted on December 14, 2011Chemistry has helped cosmetics evolve from concoctions of messy, toxic ingredients to today’s formulations that yield smooth, easy, and long-lasting applications of color to adorn the eyes.
Day 349 - Allene Rosalind Jeanes
Posted on December 15, 2011Listed among the ingredients of foods such as salad dressing, ice cream and canned soup is a substance called xanthan gum. This groundbreaking product and a process for producing it was discovered in the 1950s by chemist Allene Rosalind Jeanes, who died this day in 1995.
Day 352 - Frankincense And Myrrh
Posted on December 18, 2011Frankincense And Myrrh, aromatic resins formed from the sap of trees, may have medicinal properties.
Day 356 - Tinsel
Posted on December 22, 2011Silver was the original material used to make tinsel, the metallic ribbons that decorate Christmas trees.
Day 359 - Scent of Memory
Posted on December 25, 2011Christmas present is made all the sweeter to mind and heart as our sense of smell helps us recall and savor memories of Christmas past.
Day 360 - Peppermint
Posted on December 26, 2011The pungent flavor of candy canes, peppermint is also favored for ice cream, toothpaste, and tea.
Day 362 - Chewing Gum
Posted on December 28, 2011The first patent for this chewy treat was awarded today in 1869, though the ancient Greeks had discovered their own version.
Day 363 - Perfume
Posted on December 29, 2011Often a finishing touch on primping for a party, perfumes are complex combinations of natural and synthetic chemicals.
Day 365 - Champagne
Posted on December 31, 2011Toasting in the New Year: champagne and all other sparkling wines must conform to just one law, Henry’s Law.