I’M JUST CURIOUS: Let’s start with the “firsts”

by Debbie Walker

Yes, today let’s start with “Firsts”. First such as diets (shoot that guy), first electric car (it wasn’t recently), First bottled water, First 911 call, and First UFO sighting (my grandmother had her theories).

So, the first diet printed was from William Banting in 1863. Mr. Banting was struggling with his 5-foot 4-inch body weighing in at 202 pounds. The food plan that worked for him was a low carbohydrate, high protein diet. He published a pamphlet, Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public. (Corpulence is another word for fat! Why not just say fat, we all recognize that word! I can say such because I suffer from it as well.) Diet experts are still tweaking the Banting Diet to this day. There are many new diets offered every day.

Did you know that 130 years ago, electric cars outsold gas powered vehicles? The first U.S. car dealership in 1896 sold only electric cars. It seems like there is a question as to who created them, one of three from 1832 to 1834. In 1907 there was an illustrated guide to autos that listed 69 different electric vehicles from around the country. It looked as if the electric car would become the new standard. Toyota Prius was not the first hybrid. It was Ferdinand Porsche nearly 100 years before using the same charging principle.

It’s likely a combination of cheap gasoline, the electric starter for gas powered cars, improved roads and perhaps the failure of the electric vehicle joint ventures between Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.

All right then, we will move onto the First Bottled Water. Bottling water for sale goes back to 1622 north of London, United Kingdom. Water was coming up through the cracks of granite, what became the Holy Well Bottling plant. It was thought this water had healing properties. It was bottled and sold. In Switzerland in the late 1700s selling carbonated spring water was successful. After that it lost its popularity until plastic bottles were invented. And since 2009 the original Holy Well was purchased and restored and is back in production if you would like to try some.

Next, I’m passing on some information about the First 9-1-1 call. It was February 16, 1968, in Haleyville, Alabama. The National Association of Fire Chiefs called for the creation of a universal emergency number in 1957.

Next up is the First UFO sighting. Would you believe Puritan settlers in 1639 were the first to report the strange flashes of light in the night skies after watching for about two to three hours. In 1897, in Texas, a reporter reported sightings. The term flying saucer originated in 1947 when a pilot reported seeing nine boomerang-like objects flying through the sky.

If you are interested in more information on these Firsts, use your computer and go to FarmersAlmanac.com. I have had more fun reading their huge variety of subjects and info. They are not all weather and gardening, as you can tell from reading my little excerpts of their Fabulous Firsts. Type in a subject of interest and see if one of their writers was interested as well.

I’m just curious what you will look for. Please, any and all comments or questions send to DebbieWalker@townline.org. Thank you for reading and have a great week!