19th July 2016
The construction workers’ hats were invented by E.W. Bullard, who was inspired by the steel helmets he wore during World War I. He devised what is now known as ‘hard hats’. They were called so because they were made by steaming canvas and glue to make a hard material, which were then fashioned into hats. When the Hoover Dam was being constructed in 1931, the companies insisted on their workers wearing these hats for safety.
21st June 2016
14th June 2016
The phrase ‘in the limelight’ means at the centre of attention. However, limelight was actually a form of light which was invented in 1825 by burning a cylinder of lime (calcium oxide) that produced brilliant light. This light was used in lighthouses and theatres. In the theatre, the limelight was used to focus a performer to make him/her the centre of attention, and this marks the origin of the phrase ‘in the limelight’.
27th January 2016
Thomas Alva Edison is one of the greatest innovators who is credited with inventing the phonograph, the motion picture camera, film projectors, practical use of electricity, and an improved and effective electric light bulb that was superior to gas lighting. When asked once if he were afraid of anything he replied, ‘I am afraid of the dark.’