That wonderful mother of mine

1987 - First heart-lung transplant

The first heart-lung transplant takes place in 1987 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The surgery is performed by Dr. Bruce Reitz.

Cabeese

New Freedom, Pennsylvania

Canon EOS 30D & EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens

Montgomery Blair

(Wikipedia) - Montgomery Blair (May 10, 1813 – July 27, 1883), the son of Francis Preston Blair, elder brother of Francis Preston Blair, Jr. and cousin of B. Gratz Brown, was a politician and lawyer from Maryland. He was a loyal member of the Cabinet of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Continued

National Train Day

"On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, ceremonially creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. And America was transformed.
Suddenly, the country was united in a way it never had been, and train travel sparked imaginations in small towns and big cities, among folk who desired adventure and businessmen who saw fortunes to be made. The sound of a train whistle was the soundtrack of happy reunions and tearful farewells. It heralded the arrival of mail, supplies and change.
The train became more than the go-to mode of transport for people and goods. It was a proud achievement of engineering vision, technical ingenuity and sweat. It was a cultural force that sparked the creative imaginations of storytellers in songs, movies and novels. Railways provided jobs for thousands of Americans. The train station became a focal point of every community, from New York City’s Pennsylvania Station to the tiny stations that dotted rural America." Continued

Photo: Amtrak crossing the Susquehanna at Havre de Grace, Maryland. Canon 10D, courtesy of MDRails

Join, or Die

(LoC) - On May 9, 1754, "Join, or Die," considered to be the first American political cartoon, was printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette. The impetus for the cartoon, which is thought to have been devised by Benjamin Franklin, was concern about increasing French pressure along the western frontier of the colonies.

1961 - Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the first player in baseball history to hit grand slams in consecutive innings

(Wikipedia) - A powerful slugger listed at 6' 4", 215 lb, Gentile languished for eight years in the minors for a Dodgers team that already had All-Star Gil Hodges in first base. Traded to Baltimore, Gentile enjoyed his best season in 1961, hitting a career-highs .302 batting average, 46 home runs, 141 runs batted in, 96 runs, 147 hits, 25 doubles. 96 walks, .346 on base percentage, .646 slugging average and 1,069 OPS. He was considered in the MVP selection (third, behind Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris). In addition, Gentile hit five grand slams -- including two straight in one game --, setting an American League record that stood until Don Mattingly belted six in 1987. Link

Pennsylvania Historical Sites to Celebrate International Museum Day

Whether it's climbing aboard the U.S. Brig Niagara, following in the footsteps of George Washington, resting on wooden pillows at the Ephrata Cloister, or visiting the site of the first commercial oil well, history comes alive at Pennsylvania's historical sites.
In celebration of these diverse experiences and International Museum Day, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) today announced it will offer a "buy one general admission, get one general admission free" deal on Sunday, May 18.

International Museum Day is sponsored by the International Council of Museums and has been celebrated all over the world since 1977 in recognition of the role of museums as an important means of cultural exchange, cultural enrichment and development of mutual understanding.
"The epic stories of our nation's history come alive at Pennsylvania's historical sites and museums through stunning exhibits, living history programs, and hands-on demonstrations," said Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director. "On this special day - and every day - we invite visitors to experience our sites to learn more about themselves and what the past can teach them about our culture and current events."

Participating PHMC sites, by region, include:
-- Philadelphia and its Countryside - Brandywine Battlefield; Bushy Run
Battlefield; Pennsbury Manor; Graeme Park; Hope Lodge and Mather Mill;
and Washington Crossing Historic Park.
-- Pittsburgh and its Countryside - Fort Pitt Museum; Somerset Historical
Center; and Old Economy Village.
-- The Alleghenies and her Valleys - Pennsylvania Military Museum; Joseph
Priestley House.
-- Dutch Country Roads - The State Museum of Pennsylvania; Conrad Weiser
Homestead; Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania; Ephrata Cloister; Cornwall
Iron Furnace; and Landis Valley Museum.
-- Northeast Pennsylvania Mountains - Scranton Iron Furnaces; Eckley
Miners' Village; and Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum.
-- Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region - Drake Well Museum; Erie Maritime
Museum and U.S. Brig Niagara.
-- Pennsylvania Wilds - Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.

For more information about these sites and PHMC's Trails of History program, please visit http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/.

Cecil County Once Again Proposes Entire Elimination of Budget for Historical Society

(HSoCC) - The Historical Society of Cecil County was disappointed to hear that the Board of County Commissioners has recommended complete elimination of the Society’s small funding line item of $5,000 in the proposed budget.
While this is a minuscule allocation for the county, it is an important one for our organization, a group that provides economical services to the commissioners.
Our volunteers work hard for that small amount. In fact, the value of the services we provide to government is far greater than the amount the county provides for support. Since last year when the commissioners first proposed eliminating our funding, we have maintained a tabulation of the work we do at the request of local government. Our records show that we have provided over $16,000 in direct work for governmental bodies. Continued

Lafayette Hotel

The Lafayette Hotel was built around 1834 by A. J. Thomas as a residence. The railroad bought it in the 1850's and ran it as a hotel for about 90 years. Today it's an American Legion hall.

Havre de Grace, Maryland

Canon EOS 30D & EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS lens

Mike Cuellar

(Wikipedia) - Miguel Angel Cuellar Santana (born May 8, 1937 in Santa Clara, Cuba), best known as Mike Cuellar (/ˈkweʎar/), is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles.
He shared the American League's Cy Young Award in 1969, and won 20 games four times from 1969 to 1974 as the Orioles captured five division titles. He ranks among Baltimore's top five career leaders in wins (143), strikeouts (1011), shutouts (30) and innings pitched (2028), and trails only Dave McNally among left-handers in wins and shutouts. Continued

Image: Orioles Card "O" the Day

A Pioneering Driver Spins Tales, Not Wheels

(NYTimes) - There was a faraway look in Lloyd Moore’s eyes as he recalled racing against a Nascar legend. “That Petty was a tough driver, good guy,” he said.
... This Petty was not Kyle, who is 47 and close to retiring as a driver. It was not Richard, Kyle’s father, who is 70 and still the icon of the sport. This was Lee Petty, Richard’s father, who died in 2000 at 86. Continued