I live and work in New Delhi - which is known for its extreme weather conditions: very hot summers and chilly winters. Yet, we who live in and around Delhi, really don't have much to complain about. If you want to know what a blistering summer can really be like, you should visit Al' Aziziyah in Libya.
Al' Aziziyah holds the world record for the highest temperature ever authoritatively registered when, on September 13, 1992, the mercury soared to a fiery 58 degrees centigrade. Death Valley, California, follows close behind, with a reading of 56.7 degrees centigrade on July 10, 1913. Both Amose and Mamoth Tank, also in California, have recorded a temperature of 54.4 degrees centigrade on the historic day of August 17, 1885.
However, the weather, as it occurs in different parts of the globe, shows a mercurial range of difference.
Thus, at the other end of the scale, is Vostok, Antarctica, where the lowest temperature reading ever of -83 degrees centigrade was made on August 24, 1960.
For those who feel that thermal variety is the spice of life, Browning, Montana, USA is just the place to suit their taste. On January 23-24, 1916, Browning experienced a temperature variation of 37.8 degrees centigrade (100 degrees fahrenheit) when, within a matter of hours, the thermometer dropped from 44 degrees fahrenheit to -56 degrees fahrenheit! In Olekminsk in Siberia, the annual temperature variation has gone up to 105 degrees centigrade, ranging from a broiling 45 degrees centigrade, in summer, to a biting -60 degrees centigrade in winter. Verkhoyansk, also in Siberia, is said to have fluctuated 106.9 degrees centigrade from 36.7 degrees centigrade in the summer to -70 degrees centigrade in the winter.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Pictorial letters of the English alphabet
The letters O, B, P and F are pictorial in origin. O is the open mouth in the act of uttering the sound. B shows the profile of the sealed human lips pronouncing it. P is the lips partly open and F is a P with the air escaping.
500 years of the toothbrush
The year 1998 marked the 500th anniversary of the toothbrush.
A 17th century Chinese encyclopedia says that the toothbrush was invented in China in 1498. This prototype toothbrush is said to have had bristles set at right angles in the handle and appears to have been basically of the same design as its modern counterpart.
The earliest English reference to toothbrushes, as claimed by the Shell Book, is contained in a letter addressed to Sir Ralph Verney in 1649, asking him to purchase, during his forthcoming visit to Paris, some of those "little brushes for making clean of the teeth."
By the end of the 17th century toothbrushes were available in Britain. The diary of Anthony A. Wood for 1690 records that they could be bought in London from one retailer called J. Barret. According to Messrs. Floris of Jermyn Street, it was customary in the 18th century to sell toothbrushes in sets containing 5-6 different sizes; the reason is unknown. They were supplied to Floris by a company founded in 1780 by William Addis, a company which claims to have been the first toothbrush manufacturers in Britain.
By the beginning of the 20th century, toothbrushes were readily available in Europe and America, but they were expensive items made of bone or ivory, expected to last for a long time. The shape of the handle was much the same as the standard one used today, but the bristles were nearly twice as long as modern versions.
In the 1930s plastic toothbrushes were first produced, though on a small scale. The shape of the head was retained, this time in plastic with natural bristles. The first one with nylon bristles was called 'Miracle Tuft Toothbrush', which had Du Pont Exton bristles. It was first marketed by the company Dr. West in the USA, exactly 70 years ago.
However, it was not until the plastic handle and nylon bristle were married in 1953 that the toothbrush as we know it today was born. With plastic handled, nylon bristled toothbrushes being mass-produced, prices fell and brushes became affordable to the common masses for the first time. Natural bristles continued to be used, marketed as "pure" and "healthy", while the cheaper and more durable nylon bristled toothbrush started becoming much more popular.
A 17th century Chinese encyclopedia says that the toothbrush was invented in China in 1498. This prototype toothbrush is said to have had bristles set at right angles in the handle and appears to have been basically of the same design as its modern counterpart.
The earliest English reference to toothbrushes, as claimed by the Shell Book, is contained in a letter addressed to Sir Ralph Verney in 1649, asking him to purchase, during his forthcoming visit to Paris, some of those "little brushes for making clean of the teeth."
By the end of the 17th century toothbrushes were available in Britain. The diary of Anthony A. Wood for 1690 records that they could be bought in London from one retailer called J. Barret. According to Messrs. Floris of Jermyn Street, it was customary in the 18th century to sell toothbrushes in sets containing 5-6 different sizes; the reason is unknown. They were supplied to Floris by a company founded in 1780 by William Addis, a company which claims to have been the first toothbrush manufacturers in Britain.
By the beginning of the 20th century, toothbrushes were readily available in Europe and America, but they were expensive items made of bone or ivory, expected to last for a long time. The shape of the handle was much the same as the standard one used today, but the bristles were nearly twice as long as modern versions.
In the 1930s plastic toothbrushes were first produced, though on a small scale. The shape of the head was retained, this time in plastic with natural bristles. The first one with nylon bristles was called 'Miracle Tuft Toothbrush', which had Du Pont Exton bristles. It was first marketed by the company Dr. West in the USA, exactly 70 years ago.
However, it was not until the plastic handle and nylon bristle were married in 1953 that the toothbrush as we know it today was born. With plastic handled, nylon bristled toothbrushes being mass-produced, prices fell and brushes became affordable to the common masses for the first time. Natural bristles continued to be used, marketed as "pure" and "healthy", while the cheaper and more durable nylon bristled toothbrush started becoming much more popular.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)