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Ludwig van Beethoven

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Ludwig van Beethoven

Have you heard Ludwig van Beethoven’s symphonies?

  • Ludwig van Beethoven has no recorded birth date, but was officially baptised on 17 December, 1770, and is believed to have been born the day before, on the 16th in the city of Bonn, in what is now known as Germany.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven was a German pianist and composer of many symphonies, concertos, sonatas and other musical pieces and first performed in 1778 at seven years of age.
  • In 1787, when Ludwig van Beethoven was 16, his mother died, leaving behind an alcoholic husband that became even more dependent on the substance, two younger boys and Ludwig, who became the main carer for his two siblings.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing in 1796, at 26 years of age, and became nearly totally deaf by 1814.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven died on 26 March, 1827, aged 56, and at the point of his death, a clap of thunder supposedly occurred.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Portrait, Painting, 1861 to 1897, L. Prang & Co, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Portrait of Beethoven
Image courtesy of Boston Public Library/Flickr
  • A statue of Ludwig van Beethoven was revealed in 1845 in Germany, as an acknowledgement of 75 years since he was born.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven loved a number of women during his life, but never married, although he fought for the custody of a nephew at one stage.
  • On the planet Mercury, there is a crater that has been named in honour of Ludwig van Beethoven.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most famous classical composers and musicians in history.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven’s father and grandfather were musicians, and Ludwig studied with the Austrian composer Joseph Hayden, often known as the ‘Father of Symphonies and String Quartets’ and was also influenced by the work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Bibliography:
Ludwig van Beethoven, 2013, Naxos, http://www.naxos.com/person/Ludwig_van_Beethoven/25976.htm
Ludwig van Beethoven, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

 

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Rondeletia

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Rondeletia

The beautiful rondeletias sway in the garden.

  • Rondeletias are from the family Rubiaceae, which is the family of coffee or madder.
  • Rondeletias are often grown as a decorative garden plant, although they are not as common as they used to be.
  • Rondeletias are 160 species of hardy shrubs or trees with glossy, evergreen leaves.
  • Rondeletias grow up to three metres (10 feet) in height and are suitable to grow as a hedge.
  • Rondeletias have small flowers that grow in clusters and are typically orange-pink in colour.

Rondeletia, Pink, Flowers, Plant, Decorative, Garden, Ten Random Facts, Flower

  • Rondeletias are native to Central America, including countries such as Mexico, Panama and Cuba.
  • Some species of rondeletia are critically endangered, while others are common.
  • Rondeletias generally prefer sunny conditions and warm temperatures.
  • Rondeletias have fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and birds.
  • ‘Rondeletias’ are named after a French medical professor and scientist of the 1500s, Guillaume Rondelet, who specialised in botany and other areas.
Bibliography:
Rondeletia, n.d., Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2001/archives/2001_archives/in_the_garden/flowering_plants_and_shrubs/rondeletia
Rondeletia (Plant), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondeletia_(plant)

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Housefly

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Housefly

“Shoo fly, don’t bother me!”

  • ‘Houseflies’ are also known as ‘house flies’, ‘house-flies’, ‘common houseflies’ and ‘common flies’ and are often referred to by their generic name ‘fly’.
  • The scientific name of houseflies is Musca domestica, and they are from the family Muscidae, which is a family of flies.
  • Houseflies are the most common type of domestic fly, making up 91% of all domestic flies.
  • Houseflies grow to be 5 to 8 millimetres (0.2 to 0.3 inches) in length and have one pair of wings, that have a few major veins in them.
  • Houseflies generally have a grey or black thorax with a brown to yellow coloured abdomen and are somewhat hairy.

Housefly, Small, Insect, Fly, Sitting, Jeans, Pants, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Housefly maggots can become pupa after a half to one and a half days, and live two to four weeks as an adult.
  • Female adult houseflies usually lay eggs in waste products, 75 to 150 eggs at a time, and can lay up to 9000 eggs in its life.
  • A housefly egg takes on average a day to hatch, and grow quickest in warm to hot weather.
  • Houseflies can be carriers of over 100 diseases of parasites, bacteria and viruses.
  • Houseflies can convert solid food to liquid, and they have tubular shaped tongues, like straws, with which they suck up their food.
Bibliography:
Flies, n.d, Pestworld for Kids, http://www.pestworldforkids.org/flies.html
Housefly, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_fly

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Corn Flakes

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Corn Flakes

Pour a bowl of corn flakes.

  • Corn flakes are a breakfast cereal made primarily of corn and sugar.
  • Corn flakes were invented by the Kellogg brothers, John H Kellogg and Will K Kellogg, and their flaked cereals were first patented on 14 April 1896.
  • In the 1890s, in the United States, the famous Kellogg brothers took stale cooked wheat, rolled them into flakes and recooked them, which was a successful turn of events, and so other grains were experimented with, being cooked in a similar manner, which led to the invention of corn flakes.
  • Corn flakes are typically flakes that are orange-yellow in colour, have a crunchy texture, and soften with milk which is usually served in a bowl with the cereal.
  • The mascot of Kellogg’s corn flakes is commonly a rooster, while Sanitarium’s corn flakes has a kangaroo as a mascot.

Cornflakes, homebrand, Ten Random Facts, Cereal, Corn, Flakes, Australia

  • Corn flakes were first produced by Kellogg’s, but now there are numerous brands of corn flakes, including Sanitarium, generic brands, and gluten free brands.
  • Corn flakes are generally high in iron, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin and other vitamins.
  • In the 1920s, corn flakes were introduced to Australia, and became so popular that they have been manufactured there ever since.
  • Corn flakes were first sold publicly in 1906, and in 1909, a booklet was given as a bonus if  two boxes were purchased, with the offer lasting for over two decades.
  • Corn flakes can be found as a component in other packaged cereals, and made into snacks such as bars, cookies, or ‘honey joys’.
Bibliography:
Cornflakes, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_flakes
Kellogg’s Cornflakes, 2005, The Great Idea Finder, http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/kelloggcf.htm

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Shovel

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Shovel

Shovel all day long.

  • Shovels are tools that are primarily used to move or dig substances such as dirt or sand.
  • Shovels are basically a long rod, sometimes with a handle, with a somewhat flat scoop on the end.
  • Shovels are commonly used in landscaping, building or farming.
  • Shovels are typically made of steel or tough plastic, with a fibreglass or wooden handle.
  • Throughout history, animal bones, particularly the shoulder blade, have been used like a shovel.

Shovel

  • In the 1900s, advancements in machinery started to replace shovels.
  • In 1967, a wooden shovel from approximately 2000 BC was discovered in Turkey.
  • There are many types of shovels; some are used to pry open items, dig holes, and scoop away snow or coal.
  • Shovels range in size and shape; some are square, while others are small, and some have sharp blades.
  • Some shovels are designed to collapse and be easily stored, and are often used by the military or campers.
Bibliography:
A History of the Shovel, 2009, Landscape and Garden Tools, http://landscapeandgardentools.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/history-of-shovel.html
Shovel, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shovel

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Kendama

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Kendama

Flick up the kendama ball and catch it on the stick.

  • A kendama is a traditional Japanese toy, typically made of wood.
  • Kendama are historically hammer-shaped with a spike, and have a ball attached with string.
  • Kendama have four main parts: ‘ken’ (stick or handle), ‘crosspiece’ (cup body), ‘string’, and ‘ball’ , and the toy usually has three different cup sizes to balance the ball on.
  • The aim of a kendama is to get the ball onto the spike or catch it on one of the sides of the hammer.
  • A ‘kendama’ is also known as ‘ring and pin’, and it is similar to the European cup-and-ball toy.

Kendama, Toy, Japanese, Traditional, Two, Mini, Wooden, Small, Anatomy, Ten Random Facts

  • Kendama are particularly common in Japan, where trick competitions are held.
  • While some people think that the kendama toy originated in Japan, it possibly came to the country by trade in the 1770s from the French, who had a similar toy named a ‘bilboquet’, to which the Japanese made some modifications.
  • The modern kendama was patented by Japanese Hamaji Egusa in 1920 and the official competition design came from the 1970s.
  • The string on a kendama is typically between 35 to 45 centimetres (1.1 to 1.5 feet) in length; a longer string makes it harder to complete the aim.
  • The grip and stance of kendama change the performance, with specific recognised standards of each.

 

Bibliography:
Kendama, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendama
Kendama, n.d, Kids Web Japan, http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/kendama/kendama01.html

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