Friday, March 20, 2020

President George Washington - Fast Facts

President George Washington - Fast Facts George Washington was the only president to be unanimously elected to the presidency. He had been a hero during the American Revolution and was made the president of the Constitutional Convention. He set many precedents during his time in office that still stand to this day. He provided a blueprint of how the president should act and what role he should take. Here is a quick list of fast facts for George Washington. You can also learn more about this great man with: George Washington biographyTop 10 Things to Know About George Washington Fast Facts: George Washington Birth: February 22, 1732Death: December 14, 1799Known for: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Founding Father, First President of the U.S.Number of Terms Elected: 2 TermsTerm of Office: April 30, 1789-March 3, 1797Spouse: Martha Dandridge CustisNickname: Father of Our CountryFamous Quote: I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent. Additional George Washington Quotes. Did George Washington chop down a cherry tree and tell his father the truth? Answer:Â  As far as we know, no cherry trees fell victim to Washingtons rapacious ax. In fact, Washingtons biographer, Mason Weems, wrote a book called The Life of Washington shortly after his death where he created this myth as a way to show Washingtons honesty. Major Events While in Office: Elected to first term with a unanimous electoral vote (1789)First United States census (1790)District of Columbia established (1791)Bill of Rights ratified (1791)Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)Whiskey Rebellion (1794)Jays Treaty (1795)Pinckneys Treaty (1796)Farewell Address (1796) States Entering Union While in Office: Vermont (1791)Kentucky (1792)Tennessee (1796) Related George Washington Resources: These additional resources on George Washington can provide you with further information about the president and his times. George Washington Biography: Take a more in depth look at the first president of the United States through this biography. Youll learn about his childhood, family, early and military career, and events of his administration. Revolutionary War: The debate over the Revolutionary War as a true revolution will not be resolved. However, without this struggle America might still be part of the British Empire. Find out about the people, places and events that shaped the revolution. Chart of Presidents and Vice Presidents: This informative chart gives quick reference information on the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, their terms of office and their political parties. More on the Presidents of the United States: This informative chart gives quick reference information on the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, their terms of office and their political parties.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Thrinaxodon Facts and Figures

Thrinaxodon Facts and Figures Although it wasnt quite as mammal-like as its close cousin, Cynognathus, Thrinaxodon was still a startlingly advanced reptile by early Triassic standards. Paleontologists believe this cynodont (a subgroup of the therapsids, or mammal-like reptiles, which preceded the dinosaurs and eventually evolved into the first true mammals) may have been covered in fur, and also may have possessed a moist, cat-like nose. Name: Thrinaxodon (Greek for trident tooth); pronounced thrie-NACK-so-donHabitat: Woodlands of southern Africa and AntarcticaHistorical Period: Early Triassic (250-245 million years ago)Size and Weight: About 20 inches long and a few poundsDiet: MeatDistinguishing Characteristics: Cat-like profile; quadrupedal posture; possibly fur and warm-blooded metabolism Completing the resemblance to modern tabbies, its possible that Thrinaxodon sported whiskers as well, which would have evolved in order to sense prey (and for all we know, this 250-million-year-old vertebrate was equipped with orange and black stripes). What paleontologists can say for sure is that Thrinaxodon was among the first vertebrates the body of which was divided into lumbar and thoracic segments (an important anatomical development, evolution-wise), and that it probably breathed with the aid of a diaphragm, yet another feature that didnt come fully into mammalian vogue until tens of millions of years later. Thrinaxodon Lived in Burrows We also have solid evidence that Thrinaxodon lived in burrows, which may have enabled this reptile to survive the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event, which wiped out most of the worlds terrestrial and marine animals and left the earth a smoking, inhospitable wasteland for the first few million years of the Triassic period. (Recently, a Thrinaxodon specimen was discovered curled up in its burrow alongside the prehistoric amphibian Broomistega; apparently, this latter creature crawled into the hole to recover from its wounds, and both occupants then drowned in a flash flood.) For nearly a century, Thrinaxodon was believed to be restricted to early Triassic South Africa, where its fossils have been discovered in abundance, along with those of other mammal-like reptiles (the type specimen was unearthed in 1894). In 1977, however, a nearly identical therapsid species was discovered in Antarctica, which sheds valuable light on the distribution of  the earths land masses at the start of the Mesozoic Era. And finally, heres a bit of showbiz trivia for you: Thrinaxodon, or at least a creature closely resembling Thrinaxodon, was featured in the very first episode of the BBC TV series Walking With Dinosaurs.