Monthly Archives: November, 2012
Where come camphor come from?
Natural camphor is a fragrant gum that comes from the camphor tree. Camphor (pronounced KAM-fur) is a fragrant gum that comes from the camphor laurel tree. Camphor is used in medicine, explosives, and plastics, as well as in many other useful products. (Perhaps your mother uses balls of camphor in closets and drawers to keep …
Who were the Vikings?
The Vikings were skillful and daring seamen that came to be the most-feared feared of their time. They lived in the north of Europe a thousand years ago. “Northmen” and “Norsemen” are other names for the Vikings. Their homeland was a long the coastlines where the countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark are now. For …
How did the pilgrims get their name?
The term “pilgrim” was used by William Bradford to describe the first Plymouth settlers. A long time ago, people we now call the Pilgrims came to America and settled the first permanent colony of people from the Old World. They named their little New England village Plymouth in honor of Plymouth, England—the harbor from which …
What is the meaning of a 21-gun salute?
Gun salutes are often used to mark special occasions. Gun or cannon salutes sometimes honor distinguished persons or mark special occasions. This custom began long ago, when guns and cannons were loaded by hand. Upon the approach of a friendly ship, all the guns of the fort or ship were fired as a token of …
What Is Patent?
A patent is a government grant which gives an inventor, and no one else, the right to make and sell his invention for a certain number of years. Perhaps you have seen the words “Patent Pending,” “Patent Applied For,” or “Patent No. 123456,” for example, marked on many of the things you buy and use. …
