History buffs and Downton Abbey devotées know that 1912 is the year of the sinking of the Titanic.
What Else Happened in 1912?
On the world scene
Woodrow Wilson elected President
Japan sends 3020 cherry trees to the United States
First neon sign appears in Paris advertising a barber shop
American Inventions
Lysol disinfectant manufactured
General Electric invents and distributes plastics
Electric blanket invented
Foods
Whitman’s Sampler creates one of America’s best selling chocolates
Toy surprises are put into Cracker Jack boxes
Lane Company begins manufacturing cedar chests
On the market in 1912: Sun Maid Raisins, Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
Songs
“When Irish Eyes are Smiling”
“My Melancholy Baby”
Toys
First Kewpie doll
First Lionel racing cars
A Page from Longenecker History
Vagabond poet Vachel Lindsay encountered the farm of John G. Longenecker, an ancestor who bucked Pennsylvania tradition geographically and moved to Kansas. Here is the poet’s impression of his experience with the Longeneckers, lifted from the pages of Pitchforks and Pitchpipes by Esther Longenecker Heistand:
What do you remember from 1912? (If you send an answer, I’m going to go hide!)
What is your most memorable moment in 2016?
Plain and Fancy 