On This Day
1789 – George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.[7]
George Washington (February 22, 1732[b] – December 14, 1799) was an American soldier, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army, Washington led the Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War, and presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which established the Constitution of the United States and a federal government. Washington has been called the “Father of the Nation”[10] for his manifold leadership in the formative days of the country.
Washington’s first public office was serving as official Surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia from 1749 to 1750. Subsequently, he received his initial military training (as well as a command with the Virginia Regiment) during the French and Indian War. He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was named a delegate to the Continental Congress. Here he was appointed Commanding General of the Continental Army. With this title, he commanded American forces (allied with France) in the defeat and surrender of the British at the Siege of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War. He resigned his commission after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.
Washington played an indispensable role in adopting and ratifying the Constitution of the United States. He was then twice elected president by the Electoral College unanimously. As president, he implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in a fierce rivalry between cabinet members Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. During the French Revolution, he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while sanctioning the Jay Treaty. He set enduring precedents for the office of president, including the title “Mr. President”, and his Farewell Address is widely regarded as a pre-eminent statement on republicanism.
Washington controlled over 577 slaves in his lifetime, who worked on his farm and in his houses. He signed measures passed by Congress to protect slavery, as well as measures passed by Congress to curtail slavery. He became troubled with the institution of slavery during the 1770s, and in his will he stipulated that one of his slaves, William Lee, should be freed upon his death, along with 33 more slaves that he acquired in a prior debt agreement with his brother-in-law. He also stipulated that the other 123 slaves that he owned should be freed upon the death of his wife, Martha Washington. She however freed them on January 1, 1801, during her lifetime.[11][12]
He endeavored to assimilate Native Americans into the Anglo-American culture but fought indigenous resistance during instances of violent conflict. He was a member of the Anglican Church and the Freemasons, and he urged broad religious freedom in his roles as general and president. Upon his death, he was eulogized by Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee as “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”.[13]
Washington has been memorialized by monuments, a federal holiday, various media, geographical locations, including the national capital, the State of Washington, stamps, and currency, and many scholars and polls rank him among the greatest U.S. presidents. In 1976, as part of commemorations for the U.S. Bicentennial, Washington was posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States.
Born On This Day
1778 – Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, Swiss botanist, mycologist, and academic (d. 1841)
Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (UK: /kænˈdɒl/, US: /kɒ̃ˈdɔːl/, French: [kɑ̃dɔl]; 4 February 1778 – 9 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle’s botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle had established a new genus, and he went on to document hundreds of plant families and create a new natural plant classification system. Although de Candolle’s main focus was botany, he also contributed to related fields such as phytogeography, agronomy, paleontology, medical botany, and economic botany.
De Candolle originated the idea of “Nature’s war”, which influenced Charles Darwin and the principle of natural selection.[1] de Candolle recognized that multiple species may develop similar characteristics that did not appear in a common evolutionary ancestor; a phenomenon now known as convergent evolution. During his work with plants, de Candolle noticed that plant leaf movements follow a near-24-hour cycle in constant light, suggesting that an internal biological clock exists. Though many scientists doubted de Candolle’s findings, experiments over a century later demonstrated that ″the internal biological clock″ indeed exists.
De Candolle’s descendants continued his work on plant classification; son Alphonse and grandson Casimir de Candolle contributed to the Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis, a catalog of plants begun by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle.
FYI
Bob Proctor (July 5, 1934-February 4, 2022[1]) was a Canadian self-help author and lecturer.[2] He is best known for his New York Times best-selling book You Were Born Rich (1984) and a contributor to the film The Secret (2006).[3] Proctor’s material has maintained the idea that a positive self-image is critical for obtaining success, frequently referencing the Law of Attraction.[3] This includes all the books he has authored as well as seminars he conducts, and videos shared.
Proctor, as well as the law of attraction, has been often criticized for being a threat to individuals for suggesting that simply having a sustained thought over time will materialize into reality, whether it be for riches or for health.[2] Furthermore, experts believe individuals may opt for positive thinking instead of physical therapies or medical intervention.[2] The law of attraction originates from the idea, supported by self-help enthusiasts, that positive thinking can shape reality.
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When Bob and I created our vision for the Proctor Gallagher Institute we both knew that it was a vision that would last well beyond either of our physical presence here on earth – that it was a purpose noble enough that would stand the test of time.
Since then, we’ve set out to build an institute strong enough to stand on the principles we teach so we could continue to expand the lineage of this material.
I know you’ll agree that Bob is someone that we all admire, respect, and deeply care for. He is a true legend in the Personal Development industry whose concepts and teachings have literally changed the lives of millions of people around the world for the better, and it’s difficult to know how to adequately communicate what I am about to say. And that is… Bob has passed away and transitioned to the next phase of his eternal journey.
I have an immense amount of gratitude for Bob – our partnership over the last 15 years, the countless things that I’ve learned from him and his continued guidance as we carry out his mission and build his legacy.
Over the years as we’ve encountered people in our lives passing Bob would always remind me that it’s not something to be sad about – we all come, and we go and it’s part of our eternal journey. That no matter who passes from the physical world, they remain with us in spirit. I continue to remind myself of these words I’ve heard Bob say countless times and I’m sharing them with you in hopes they bring you comfort as well.
In true Bob fashion we are prepared for this moment. We will continue to deliver our programs at the highest levels.
The future for the Proctor Gallagher Institute is bright in large part because of Bob’s incredible, timeless wisdom and his life-long, unwavering commitment to improving the lives of our clients and the world – a mission we will continue to fulfill for decades to come.
Our vision remains to significantly improve the quality of lives globally by elevating the quality of thoughts individually.
We do this by educating and empowering our audience through products, services and events that expand awareness and harmonize people with the natural, immutable Laws of the Universe.
We intend to play a significant role in creating a world in which true wealth—spiritual, material, intellectual—flows to, through and from every person in an ever-expanding, never-ending cycle of abundance.
This vision and Bob’s mission will most certainly continue through the Proctor Gallagher Institute and we look forward to continue serving you.
Please join me in sending love and light to Bob and his family.
In gratitude,
Sandy Gallagher
Rare Historical Photos: Dorothy Counts: The teenager who challenged the segregation, 1957
Fireside Books presents Shelf Awareness for Readers for Friday, February 4, 2022
By Hank Shaw, Hunt Gather Talk: Deckhand Stories
NSFW
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
Ideas
By Tom Harkins: How to Forage and Use Wild Leeks
By Tara Dodrill, New Life On A Homestead: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Clove Homemade Soap
The Kitchen Garten: Best Garden Seed Companies
The Kitchen Garten: Gifts from the Garden
Recipes
Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
Arlyn Osborne for Food Network Kitchen: Pretzel Monkey Muffins
Little House Big Alaska: Almost Wendy’s Jalapeño Popper Salad
By Geraldine Saucier, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Taste of Home: Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes
By Ashley Armstrong, Kingsland, Georgia, Taste of Home: Italian Joes on Texas Toast
Kitchen Mason: Best Ever Custard Cream Baked Cheesecake Recipe
By Karen Lemay, Seabrook, Texas, Taste of Home: Texas Tumbleweeds
By Lisa Kaminski, Jacqueline Weiss, Taste of Home: 43 French Dessert Recipes That Take You There
DamnDelicious
RecipeTinEats
- Bruschetta summer pasta salad January 7, 2025This summer pasta salad is everything you want when it’s too hot to cook! Quick, nearly no cook (just boil pasta) and full of bright, fresh, bruschetta-inspired tomato flavours. Also – a useful tip for how to store basil that actually really, truly works! Bruschetta summer pasta salad Every Christmas break, I have intentions of... […]Nagi
- How to store basil January 7, 2025After trying every which way to store basil so it doesn’t turn brown within a day of buying it, I’ve finally learnt how to store basil so it stays perky, green and fresh for over a week. Just stick it in a jar of water and keep it on the counter. That’s right – not... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 9 January 9, 2025Picture of the day Art installation “Himmelsleiter” (Billi Thanner) on the tower of St. Lambert's Church in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyThe artwork came from St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna to St. Lambert's Church in Münster in September 2022. It remained there until March 2024 and has been on display at Saint-Eustache Church in Paris since […]
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 8 January 8, 2025Picture of the day The view of Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park, California, United States
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Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
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