Today In History; Michelangelo, Italian Renaissance Artist

1475: The Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was the son of a government administrator. Michelangelo's artistic talent emerged at a young age, and he was taken into the household of Lorenzo de' Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent), where he studied scuplting under Bertoldo di Giovanni. His early pieces demonstrated his mastery, and he received increasing numbers of commissions from Florence and other city-states, as well as from the Vatican. In his famous Pietà, which is in St Peter's Basilica in Rome, he solved the problem posed by the subject matter: to lay the full-sized body of Jesus in His mother's arms without creating an awkward image. The sculpture's grace and poignancy bear witness to Michelangelo's artistic and technical skill. He returned to Florence to create another of his masterpieces, the David, which stands over fourteen feet tall. Among his most famous works are his frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Although best remembered as an artist, Michelangelo was also an architect and an accomplished poet, publishing more than three hundred poems.

Word of The Day

Pleiad: A group of usually seven illustrious or brilliant persons or things.

News; Rattlesnake Rustlers

When Heather Ramirez of Auburn, California, went to the dentist recently with her husband Len, she wasn’t there to have her teeth cleaned. She and her husband are professional snake removers. They were there to catch and return to the wild a rattlesnake that had slithered indoors.

She describes her work as “protecting people from rattlesnakes—and protecting rattlesnakes from people.” In her part of the country, the northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus virudis oreganos) often comes face-to-face with humans.

Studies show these snakes generally only bite people who are trying to catch or kill them. Keeping your distance prevents bites, which are serious but not usually fatal with today’s medicines. A rattlesnake can even give a loud warning that says, “I am here, stay away” with the rattles located at the tip of its tail.

“We find rattlesnakes everywhere,” says Ramirez. “In houses, in yards and woodpiles, under decks.” She says that the snakes aren’t invading human homes—it’s the other way around: “These animals were here first, and we humans came in and built houses. We are living in their territory.”

Many people are frightened when they see a rattler and call for help right away. When the Ramirez phone rings, the couple drops whatever they are doing and rushes to work, often leaving a meal half-eaten on the table.

The team is good at finding snakes that have gone into hiding. A tool that looks like long spaghetti tongs allow them to handle the snakes without harming them (see photo), and the tongs are long enough that the snake cannot reach them to bite.

“Never pick up a rattlesnake,” says Ramirez. “I’ve been doing this job for 12 years, and I have never touched one with my hands. There’s no reason to take that risk.”

“We put the snakes in wooden crates in our pickup truck. Those crates are bolted to the floor and locked for safety,” explains Ramirez. She takes the captives to holding pens at her house until she can let them go far away from human activity.

Ramirez tells people to read all they can about snakes so they understand these amazing animals. For example, snakes actually help humans. Small mammals like rats, mice, and gophers carry fleas and ticks that spread serious illnesses like bubonic plague and Lyme disease to people. A snake might eat a dozen rodents a year, helping control the population—and the spread of disease.

Ramirez and her husband relocate more than a thousand snakes a year. “The longest was 5 feet 9 inches (1.8 meters), and I’m only five-foot-three, so that was amazing to see.” She enjoys every day working with snakes. “I just love my job!”

Snake Safety Tips

* If you see a snake, don’t touch it. Go tell an adult.

* Snakes like warmth, and they often curl up at night next to big plastic toys outside that hold the warmth of the sun. Look carefully when you go out to play.

* Never put your hands into woodpiles or dark corners of the garage in case a snake is hiding there.

* When you’re out playing, step on rocks and logs, not over them. You don’t want to surprise a snake that might be hiding underneath.

Today In History; Boston Massacre

1770: During the reign of King George III, British soldiers killed five men in a dispute we now refer to as the Boston Massacre. The crown had sent soldiers to Boston, which was a colonial center of revolutionary sentiment. The soldiers had been quartered with the townspeople, who resented their presence, and, even though the soldiers were there to keep the peace, skirmishes were common. The situation was growing increasingly tense, and the "massacre" was a result of that tension.

The Boston Massacre began when a young apprentice yelled an insult at a custom house guard. The guard responded by hitting the teenager on the head with the butt of his rifle. The young man called for help, and the soldier found himself confronted with an angry crowd of (mostly) young men. He shouted for back-up and was joined by six more redcoats and an officer, who directed the soldiers to fix bayonets but not to load their weapons. Soon the crowd was several hundred strong and had begun to throw rocks and chunks of ice. Led by Crispus Attucks, they dared the soldiers to fire. The soldiers loaded their guns but didn't shoot until some in the mob began to attack them with clubs and a cutlass. When finally they did fire a volley, three men were killed and two more were mortally wounded. Six others were wounded but survived. As a result of the incident, the British withdrew their troops from the town, arrested those who had fired on the crowd, and scheduled a trial for the following fall. John Adams defended the soldiers, all but two of whom were acquitted; those two were found guilty of manslaughter and branded.

Word of The Day

Nascent: Being born; just coming into existence. Just liberated from a chemical reaction, and hence more reactive.

Scientists Help Giant Pandas Raise Twins

Any human mother of multiples knows it's hard to raise two or more children of the same age at the same time. And it's true for other mammals, too.

"Nearly half of all giant panda births in zoos and research stations result in twins," Don Lindburg says. Lindburg is the leader of the giant panda research team at the San Diego Zoo.

"Taking care of tiny infants is an awesome chore, and mother pandas usually can't handle two," Lindburg says.

"Every newborn panda is important," says Lindburg "After giant pandas have grown to adulthood, some of the captive-born bears could be released into the mountainous wilds," he says. Those that mate and give birth to more cubs will help rebuild China's perilously small population of wild pandas.

At China's Wolong facility, caregivers are helping make the mother's situation more "bear-able." They gently remove one of the twins, keeping it warm and well fed for a week before trading it for the cub's brother or sister.

The cubs continue to be swapped for months, until they can eat solid foods and no longer need to nurse.

Bamboo, apples, carrots, and biscuits are added to the diet of mother's milk when the cubs are about seven months old. By adulthood, the pandas will eat fresh stems, shoots, and leaves of wild bamboo plants.

Fast Facts

• In five years female cubs will be mature enough to give birth to cubs of her own.
• Sixteen pandas were born in Wolong Nature Reserve in 2005.

Today In History; Actor Charlie Chaplin Knighted At Buckingham Palace

1975: After many years away, Charlie Chaplin finally returned to his native England to be knighted by the queen in recognition for his accomplishments as one of the most original filmmakers in history. Known primarily for silent movies featuring the sympathetic "Little Tramp" character, Chaplin used humor and pathos to charm audiences and to comment sharply on modern evils. Today's audiences still enjoy classic Chaplin films such as The Gold Rush, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator.

Word of The Day

Éclat: Ostentatious display, publicity. Dazzling effect, brilliance. Brilliant or conspicuous success, praise, applause.

Today In History; First Solo Flight Around The World

2005: When his plane touched down on the runway in Salina, Kansas, American pilot Steve Fossett became the first person to fly around the world single-handed. His flight, which lasted sixty-seven hours, two minutes and thirty-eight seconds, was the longest ever made without stopping or refueling. Three years earlier, he had become the first person to fly around the world in a balloon on his own. These were but two in a string of over a hundred air, land, and sea records set by Fossett.

Word of The Day

Temerarious: Reckless; rash.

Sentences:

He was sent to jail because of temerarious driving.
Don't be so temerarious.