A to Z - Historic Trivia - I

I

Interestingly, in the course of researching innovations, I discovered the word itself is somewhat revolutionary in that its meaning has evolved from a synonym for revolt or rebellion into a term for enhancement or improvement. 

Luther Burbank’s innovative blending of his Russet Burbank Potato practically launched the Idaho Potato Industry. First cultivated by the Inca Indians of Peru, the potato is now the fourth-largest food crop in the world. Idaho, as it happens, produces more potatoes and trout than any other state in the nation, and is known as the “Gem State” for the 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones it produces.  The Idaho state seal, depicting a miner, a woman signifying justice, and various state natural resources, is the only seal in the union designed by a woman.

Izzy Einstein (former pushcart peddler) and Mo Smith made history as improbable US Federal Police Officers in the early 1920s by making the most arrests and convictions (4,932 in all) during the Prohibition era by exploiting Speakeasies while using clever disguises. By 1930, the two had become so well-known their jobs were eliminated (as well as 35 others) within the department. After which they each sought employment in the insurance industry. A journalist wrote: “They are now disguised as cans.”

Ireland is the only country in the world to have a musical instrument as its national symbol. You can see some of the oldest harps in the world at Trinity College in Dublin. There are no, and never has there been, any snakes on the Emerald Isle (my favorite fun fact!). The Irish drink more tea than Britain – no, really, they do – and they may just have the oldest working lighthouse in the world. There has been a lighthouse where Hook lighthouse currently stands since the 5^th century.