Friday, January 21, 2011

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Western Union Telegram (1946)

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Before faxes and email this is how you got in touch with someone in a hurry.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

He Was Hefty... Robert Earl Hughes.. (1957)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Robert Earl Hughes (b. 4 June 1926 - d. 10 July 1958 in Baylis, Illinois, United States) was, during his lifetime, the heaviest human being recorded in the history of the world.
 Hughes' excessive weight was attributed to a malfunctioning pituitary gland. His chest was measured at 3.15 metres (10.3 ft), and he weighed an estimated 486 kilograms (1,070 lb) at his heaviest. At the age of six, he weighed about 92 kilograms (200 lb); at ten, he weighed 171 kilograms (380 lb). By the time of his death, he weighed over half a ton.
During his adult life, Hughes made guest appearances at carnivals and fairs; plans to appear on the Ed Sullivan television program were announced but never came about. On July 10, 1958, Hughes contracted a case of measles, which soon developed into uremia, resulting in his death. He was 32 years old.
He is often said to have been buried in a piano case. This error stems from a sentence that appeared in successive editions of the Guinness Book of World Records, which read, "He was buried in a coffin the size of a piano case." His headstone notes that he was the world's heaviest man at a confirmed 1,041 pounds (472 kg).

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Saturday, December 18, 2010

This tree was a champ! (~1980)

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I was unable to find any current information on this tree. It may have been destroyed or harvested since the original clipping.

Friday, December 17, 2010

New President Honors Fallen One. (1963)

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President Johnson places flowers at the casket of the assassinated President John Kennedy as his body lies in state at the rotunda of the Capital.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Biggest Twins Arrested (~1965)

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According to Wikipedia:
Billy Leon McCrary (December 7, 1946 - July 14, 1979) and Benny Loyd McCrary (December 7, 1946 - March 26, 2001), known together as the McGuire twins, were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Heaviest Twins" (328 kilograms (720 lb) and 338 kilograms (750 lb), correspondingly). A Guinness photo depicts the twins riding their Honda motorcycles.
Born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States, the twins began using the stage name McGuire and gained popularity as tag-team wrestlers and in carnival stunt shows.
Billy McCrary died on July 14, 1979 at the age of 32, following a motorcycle accident during a stunt at Niagara Falls. Benny lived for 21 more years, until his death at age 54 on March 26, 2001 of heart failure.
In an episode of The Simpsons, during a scene involving a trial, Attorney Lionel Hutz (voiced by Phil Hartman) called in several surprise witnesses to the trial. The last two people to come through the door were two large men on motorcycles who were implied to be the McGuire twins. They also appeared on the "Blind Ambition" episode of Family Guy and were referred to as "the world's fattest twins." A parody version of the twins can also be found in the Speed Demon segment of the Moonwalker film by Michael Jackson.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Paid Taxes in Pennies (~ 1966)

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There's no limit. A merchant is entitled to restrict payment methods---apartments often don't accept cash in payment of rent, and fast-food joints won't take bills larger than $20---but as far as I can tell, your way to legendary status as a pain in the IRS's neck is clear.

The Internal Revenue Manual
Part 21 - Customer Account Services
Chapter 3 - Taxpayer Contacts
Section 4 - Field Assistance
says:

"21.3.4.7.2 (04-01-2007)
"Cash Payments
"1. The IRS must accept cash payments from taxpayers who do not have a check or money order, are unable to obtain one, or insist on paying in cash."

This is followed by

"21.3.4.7.2
"Procedures For Accepting Cash Payments
"1. General procedures for accepting cash payments are:
"A.Ensure that the taxpayer has the exact amount of the payment. DO NOT MAKE CHANGE.
"B. Count the cash carefully in the taxpayer's presence..."