books

Did you know there is a “National Doctors’ Day”? The day designated every year to honor our doctors is March 30. Why March 30? According to “Holiday Insights,” it is the anniversary of the first use of general anesthesia for surgery. The first “Doctors’ Day”...

March is Women’s History Month. According to the Women’s History Month website, the path toward establishing the event started in 1978 with a weeklong California celebration that was deemed a success. “In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) cosponsored...

The third Monday in February is President’s Day. In 1971, During Richard Nixon’s presidency, President Washington’s and President Lincoln’s birthdays were combined into one national holiday. The fascination with the lives of these two presidents continues today as is...

There are many theories associated with the origins of Valentine’s Day, with one thing in common: ancient Rome. The burning question, however,...

Abracadabra. Now you see it, now you don’t — because a good magician knows to hide his props behind his fingers, beneath her clothes, in his pockets. And yet we flock to see that sleight of hand, the illusions, the chance to be awe-struck, entertained, and fooled. Now you...

When you hear Groundhog Day, what comes to mind? For most, it’s the title of a movie starring Bill Murray; but there is so much more. Do you know where the idea behind Groundhog Day comes from? Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions have roots in the Delaware Indians’ creation...

Do you know who the first U. S. figure skating superstar was? You have to go way back before Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill, or Peggy Fleming to a fourteen year old in 1927. She was the winner of 10 consecutive world championships, and set a record that hasn’t been broken while...

Did you know Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech almost didn’t have a dream? According to The Guardian, King’s advisor, Wyatt Walker, told him the phrase was cliché and he had already used it too much, so Dr. King left it out of the typed version of the...

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball, causing gradual loss of sight. The...

He was a once-in-a-lifetime dog. From the moment you brought him home until the day he left, you never had a minutes’ problem. He was easy to teach, easy to trust, easy to love and, unfortunately, too easy to lose. You’ll never forget your once-in-a-lifetime dog — nobody...

Human Trafficking Awareness Day is Jan. 11. As we take time to learn more, our human nature presses us to ask how wide spread the problem is; you may find that there is an emphasis on how unreliable the statistics are by the very nature of the crimes involved. According to The...

It’s time for Lake Agassiz Regional Library’s “Hot Reads for Cold Nights,” a reading program for adults! The challenge gets underway Jan. 2, and goes through March. For every four books that a participant reads (or listens to), they are entitled to an entry in the prize...

DULUTH, Minn. -- A few months ago, my cousin and I were talking about reading books on our new tablets. She said she enjoyed the convenience...