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Who first produced a neon lamp?

Claude was known for helping make neon lighting available to the masses. In 1923, Claude's company began selling neon signs in the United States, after receiving a U.S. patent in 1915. He was put in prison in 1945 after working with the Germans during World War II.\nThe ideas that led to the development of neon signs first surfaced in 1675, when Jean Picard, a French astronomer, noticed mercury giving off a weak glow in a container.

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Who is Margaret Sanger?

Sanger was born into a working-class, Irish, Catholic family in Corning, New York, in 1879. She attributed her mother's early death to the strain of multiple pregnancies and miscarriages. For the rest of her life, Sanger fought to improve women's reproductive rights. Sanger was arrested numerous times for providing women with diaphragms and other formerly illegal birth control options.\nSanger opened the first legal birth control clinic in the United States in 1923. In 1966, Sanger died at the age of 86 in Tucson, Arizona.

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How old was Bill Gates when he started Microsoft?

Bill Gates was born in Seattle on Oct. 28, 1955. He showed an interest in computer programming at a very early age when he was just 13 years old. It was soon to become his lifelong passion.\nMicrosoft launched its first operating system in 1985 with the release of Microsoft Windows. Over the years, Microsoft has launched various operating systems including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

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When was the first electronic computer built?

The British military leadership kept the existence of the Colossus computer a closely guarded secret because they didn't want Germany to discover the interception of its sensitive communications. The details surrounding the computer remained classified until 1975, when information about Colossus was released by the British government. Until that time, even professionals in the field of computer science generally believed that the American ENIAC was the first electronic computer.

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How did Florida get its name?

The explorer claimed the newly found territory for the Spanish. Searching for the Fountain of Youth, he later referred to the area believed to be an island as La Florida since it was discovered at Easter.\nEight years later, he returned to establish a Spanish colony. Native Americans already present in Florida fought him. He died in Cuba as a result of his battle wounds. In 1565, the Spanish did colonize an area known as St. Augustine. It is the oldest city in the United States.

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Why is the Eiffel Tower famous?

Though named after Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower was actually designed by an assistant. Eiffel himself was not initially a fan of the structure's design. He had been taxed, however, with designing the tallest structure in the world. The biggest challenge he faced in doing so was wind. The higher a structure stood, the more likely it was to be toppled by wind. Once Eiffel's assistant demonstrated that the structure would be sound, even in winds at a height of 1,000 feet, Eiffel embraced the project. The tower debuted in 1889 as part of the Universal Exposition. It was initially sup..

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What year did Puerto Rico gain independence?

Puerto Rico was a colony of the Spanish Empire for approximately 400 years. In 1860, a push toward independence started on the island. For the next 28 years, Puerto Ricans pushed for political reforms, national political party systems and the end of slavery. During this period, Spain's military and economic power began to dwindle across Europe. Following the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, the island was transferred to the control of the United States.

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Who did Lincoln ask to lead the Union Army?

Winfield Scott commanded the Union armies at the outbreak of war and urged caution rather than a rushed attack into Virginia. When Lincoln countermanded his plan and the attack failed, Scott resigned. Lincoln then appointed George McClellan, whose greatest fault was overestimating the Confederates and refusing to act until he felt he was properly supplied and reinforced. Lincoln replaced him with Henry Halleck, only to discover Halleck did a poor job of managing his generals. It was only after the appointment of Ulysses S. Grant, following his victories in the West, that the Union found a capa..

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What was daily life like in colonial Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania colony was officially established by a newly converted aristocratic Quaker, William Penn. He received the land grant as payment for a personal debt owed by the king to his father. The land he received was rich with natural resources including two river valleys, extensive forests and a large portion of the Appalachian Mountains. The English and its colonies despised the Quakers for refusal to pay taxes in support of war or participate in any acts of war. Philadelphia quickly became a refuge for Quakers in the New World.Penn created the government on the basis of his religious b..

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What were the women's jobs in the 1920s?

Until the 1920s, it was not common for women to work outside the home. In 1920, after the war, women obtained the right to vote, and this resulted in increased independence. The rise of corporate offices brought more jobs for women, who filled clerking, typing and secretarial roles. Other careers for women in the 1920s included acting, singing, dancing and writing.

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