How old do you think video games are? Would you believe…65 years? William Higinbotham, who was born October 25, 1910, invented Tennis for Two, an analog computer game using a video display, in 1958.
If you’re in the US, you’ve heard the legend of Paul Bunyan, the superhuman logger. They have a similar legend in Canada too: Big Joe Mufferaw. But while Paul Bunyan is complete myth, Big Joe Mufferaw was real; he was Joseph Montferrand, who was born October 25, 1802 in Montreal. He was tall (6’4”; 1.93m), and extremely strong. When he was 16, he attended a boxing match that was to decide the champion of Canada. After the match, the emcee asked if anyone in the audience wanted to challenge the new champion. Montferrand stepped into the ring and floored the champ with one punch. Or so the legend goes.
You may have heard of the Stirling engine; it’s a high-tech motor that can be used anywhere there’s a difference in temperature. Technically, it’s a “hot air” engine, and the newest application is the Slingshot; it’s a water purification system that can be operated anywhere you can build a small fire. That is, basically anywhere. As a high-tech system, though, there’s one surprising thing about it; the Stirling engine was invented by Robert Stirling around 1816. That year, like all his others, he celebrated his birthday on October 25.
It’s also Bart Simpson’s birthday! Well, sort of. Bart Simpson, as you may know, is one of the animated stars of The Simpsons, a caricature-style series that debuted on US television in 1989, and has set records as the longest-running animated series, longest-running comedy series, and many more. Bart’s voice is provided by Nancy Cartwright, and it’s her birthday today too. She’s 66 today, but Bart has been 10 years old the whole time. Which probably sets another record, for the world’s oldest 10-year-old.
And last but not least…James Maybrick was born today in 1838. He was the center of not one, not two, but three scandals. The first was the Aigburth Poisoning case, which was in the headlines in both the US and UK. Unfortunately for Maybrick, he was the victim; his wife was convicted of poisoning him…although there were serious questions about the trial. Then around 1992, Maybrick’s diary was found, and it strongly suggests that he was the notorious Jack the Ripper, a serial killer in the 1880s in London…although there were serious questions about the validity of the diary. A few years before Jack the Ripper terrorized London, Austin, Texas was best by the Austin Axe Murderer (aka Servant Girl Annihilator and Midnight Assassin). And there’s a credible theory that the Austin, Texas crimes were also the work of Maybrick…although there are serious questions about the theory. Neither Jack the Ripper nor the Austin Axe Murderer were ever found. So…who knows?
