Monday, June 25, 2007

Get A Clue!

After much waiting, I am excited to see that one of my favorite shows returns to the air this evening for its fifth season on PBS. It is History Detectives. Please check your local listings for air times in your neck of the woods.


Here's the preview for the first episode:

EPISODE 1 - JUNE 25, 2007

3D Cuban Missile Crisis
Did this portable projection screen help save the Free World? ...More

Amos n' Andy Record
Is this aluminum record with the words "Amos and Andy" hand-written on its label an early recording of the old-time radio series? ...More

Women's Suffrage Painting
What role did this watercolor painting play in securing women the right to vote? ... More

Sometimes, the artifacts that are brought to the History Detectives have held an important place in our history, live up the story that has been handed down in a family for generations, or provide clues to solve other mysteries. Then, again, sometimes the artifacts do not do any of those. However, no matter the final outcome - one can learn a lot through the detective's research.

Speaking of mysteries... I think I am beginning to solve a few. If I have my facts straight (and I'm working hard on checking the family trees), the individuals listed below are a few of the "famous people" to whom I'm "related." (So, please insert the word "supposedly" before reading each relationship... as I am pretty sure. Just not 100% sure.) Some of these really crack me up! To me, all of this is not very important but somewhat interesting.

Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison - wife of our ninth President, William Henry Harrison She is my third cousin, nine times removed. That means her grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, is my fifth cousin, seven times removed.

George Soule - My 13th great grand uncle was one of the original 102 pilgrims to land in Plymouth. His sister, (my direct ancestor) Sarah Soule Hinckley, arrived in the United States with her husband, Samuel, and four of her children on the ship Hercules in 1635.

James Abram Garfield - The 20th President of the United States is my fifth cousin, seven times removed.

Also, William Howard Taft (seventh cousin, six times removed), Richard Milhous Nixon (eighth cousin, five times removed), and Ronald Wilson Reagan (ninth cousin, five times removed).

Maybe less notably, Mark Twain (fifth cousin, seven times removed), Amelia Earhart (seventh cousin, four times removed), Orville and Wilbur Wright (seventh cousins, five times removed), and Walt Whitman (seventh cousin, six times removed)... in addition to Edgar Lee Masters, Humphrey Bogart, JP Morgan, Louisa May Alcott, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lucille Ball, Helen Keller, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

4 comments:

lydia said...

I logged on to check this post 2 minutes before the show was to air!! Talk about good timing! I'm excited to see what the show is about.

strem said...

What did you think of it? I didn't think it was one of the most interesting I've seen (so far), but I still learned a lot about history that I didn't know before. (I've seen about 1/2 of it on tape, so I still need to watch the other half.)

lydia said...

I only watched the first few minutes before I went to bed. It was interesting, but I kind of zoned out a few times. I'm ready to watch it again to see if it is more interesting next time.

Sandy-san said...

I love the History Detectives, too! I enjoyed one of the first advertisings of Coca-Cola. I also loved the recent story about the map of Atlanta's last battle (plan) before the war was over. Very exciting stuff!

Sandy-san