David J. Kent's Blog, page 33

Lincoln Room Dedicated in U.S. Capitol

It’s official. The room once used by Abraham Lincoln has been designated the Lincoln Room by House Resolution 1063. It’s a fitting tribute both to the 16th President of the United States and to Past-President of the Lincoln Group of … Continue reading →

Tesla and Edison: From Paris to America

In 1882, Nikola Tesla’s time in Budapest was coming to an end. His close relationship with the Puskas brothers led him to Charles Batchelor, who was Thomas Edison’s man in Paris. Batchelor was an Englishman and mechanic supreme, having learned … Continue reading →

Sumter, Hunley, and a Die-Hard Confederate

What do Fort Sumter, the H.L. Hunley, and a die-hard Confederate all have in common? I saw them all during my whirlwind weekend trip to Charleston, South Carolina – where the Civil War began. It was a quick trip but … Continue reading →

Lincoln and Tesla at the Library of Congress

Nikola Tesla’s pioneering work with alternating current electricity relies on power generated by a dynamo. Abraham Lincoln had a broad interest in science and technology. And now Lincoln and Tesla are joined in electrical science at the Library of Congress. … Continue reading →

The Sorrow and Science of Notre Dame de Paris

Yesterday the world watched in horror as the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris blazed into the night. I’ve been to Paris a half a dozen times and on all but one trip (an in/out day train commute from Brussels), … Continue reading →

Join Us – DC Emancipation and the Emancipation Proclamation – Special Event

I’m happy to be a part of sponsoring a once in a lifetime special event. On the evening of April 16, 2019 there will be a triple header at the National Archives. You’ll be able to see the original Emancipation … Continue reading →

Lincoln Takes Tad to Richmond on His Birthday

On April 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln took his son Tad into the city of Richmond, Virginia. The city had fallen the day before into Union hands two days before. It was Tad’s 12th birthday. Tad was born Thomas Lincoln … Continue reading →

Traveling Travails – It Isn’t All the Good Life

In over five years of science traveling I’ve experienced some fantastic locations, but it isn’t all the good life. Sometimes there are traveling travails. I’ve been injured traveling more times than I care to admit, and getting lost is not … Continue reading →

Abraham Lincoln Meets Joshua Speed…and Mary Todd

After an unfortunate breakup with a woman named Mary Owens, and with negotiations over moving the capital from Vandalia to Springfield under way, Abraham Lincoln decided to leave New Salem for the big city. The move was advantageous. But he … Continue reading →

Surprise Endorsements on the Internet

As an author, every once in a while I find a pleasant surprise on the amorphous conglomerate known as the world wide web, aka “the net,” “the internet,” or if you’re a fan of G.W. Bush, “the internets.” I recently … Continue reading →