Tag Archives: America

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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Neil Armstrong

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Neil Armstrong

“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong; spoken after the first step on the moon.

  • Neil Armstrong (born ‘Neil Alden Armstrong’) was born on 5 August, 1930 in Ohio, United States, and his parents were Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel.
  • Neil Armstrong was a NASA astronaut, who was famous for being the first person to set foot on the moon, where he moved around for approximately two and a half hours, on 21 July, 1969.
  • Neil Armstrong died at 82 years of age on 25 August, 2012, in Ohio, due to cardiovascular surgery complications; and his ashes were scattered at sea.
  • Neil Armstrong journeyed through many careers including engineering, aircraft, test piloting, university education and business.
  • Among other awards and honous, Neil Armstrong was awarded three significant medals: the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1969), Congressional Space Medal of Honour (1978), and Congressional Gold Medal (2009).

Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11, Space, Spacesuit, Moon, Astronaut, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, NASA

Armstrong in Apollo 11
Image courtesy of Recuerdos de Pandora/Flickr
  • Neil Armstrong married Janet Shearon in 1956, whom he met while she was studying, and subsequently had three children (one died at a young age), and then he married Carol Knight in 1994, after he divorced Janet.
  • Neil Armstrong was appointed to aircraft training in the navy, in 1949, performed 78 tasks in the Korean war, and retired in 1960.
  • Neil Armstrong participated in two major space projects of NASA’s: Project Gemini, for advancements in space travel, and Project Apollo, for the first person on the moon.
  • Neil Armstrong was involved in a few legal issues, which included Hallmark’s illegal use of his quotes and other information, and his barber selling his hair for $3,000.
  • In his whole life, Neil Armstrong spent only a little more than eight and a half days in space.
Bibliography:
Bibliography, 2012, NASA, http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/bios/neilabio.html
Neil Armstrong, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong

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Hydrangea

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Hydrangea

Hydrangeas may look like mops, but will not work like one.

  • Hydrangeas are generally flowering shrubs that grow from 1 to 3 metres (3 to 10 feet) in height, but some species are trees or climbers, with some climbing up tall trees.
  • Hydrangeas are mostly hardy plants that are also known as ‘hortensia’, and are from the family Hydrangeaceae.
  • There are over 70 species of hydrangeas, that either deciduous or evergreen, with the most commonly grown type, Hydrangea macrophylla, being deciduous.
  • Hydrangeas are native to east and south Asia, as well as north and south America.
  • Hydrangeas have flowers that are either pom-pom shaped or flat-headed, known as ‘Mopheads’ and ‘Lacecaps’ respectively.

Hydrangea, pom-pom, bloom, purple, pink, flower, plant, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • The flowers of hydrangeas can be white, blue, and pink, purple or red in colour, which are often determined by the soil the plant is planted in, with acidic soils producing blue flowers and alkaline soils bearing flowers in pink or red shades.
  • Hydrangeas are popular decorative and ornamental plants in the garden, and usually bloom in spring and summer.
  • Certain hydrangea species are poisonous, and can cause severe sickness or fatalities if consumed, and despite this, some parts are sometimes smoked.
  • Hydrangeas are mostly hardy plants and prefer semi-shaded areas.
  • Some species of hydrangeas have leaves that are used to make a sweet tea.
Bibliography:
Hydrangea, 2011, Gardening Australia, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866625.htm
Hydrangea, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrangea

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Alligator Snapping Turtle

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Alligator Snapping Turtle

Do not get caught by the alligator snapping turtle!

  • Alligator snapping turtles are the heaviest freshwater turtles, weighing on average 68 to 80 kilograms (150 to 180 pounds).
  • ‘Alligator snapping turtles’ are also known as ‘alligator snappers’ and are from the family Chelydridae, a family of turtles.
  • The scientific name of alligator snapping turtles is Macrochelys temminckii, named after the zoologist Coenraad Temminck.
  • Alligator snapping turtles are native to the United States in the south-eastern areas, and they live in lakes, rivers and other aquatic habitats.
  • Alligator snapping turtles have heads that are large and heavy, and a ridged-scaled shell that grows to between 40 to 80 centimetres (16 to 32 inches).

Alligator Snapping Turtle, Bench, Alive, Wet, Mouth open, Ten Random Facts, United States, Reptile, Flickr

Alligator Snapper
Image courtesy of Gary J. Wood/ Flickr
  • When ‘hunting’ for food, an alligator snapping turtle lies still and camouflages itself with its mouth open, and the worm shaped part on its tongue attracts its prey.
  • Alligator snapping turtles eat fish and other aquatic animals or shore mammals, and they have strong jaws, and can bite a human finger off.
  • Alligator snapping turtles can live from 20 to 70 years while in captive, and some believe that the turtles can live over 100 years in the wild.
  • Alligator snapping turtles are sometimes kept as pets, but must be kept cautiously as well as being fed and held correctly.
  • Alligator snapping turtles are commonly poached for its exotic meat and shell.
Bibliography:
Alligator Snapping Turtle, 2013, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/reptiles/alligator-snapping-turtle/
Alligator Snapping Turtle, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle

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Jacaranda

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Jacaranda

The flowers continuously flutter down from the jacaranda tree.

  • Jacarandas are from the family Bignoniaceae, which is the family of bignonias, and are a group of 49 flowering shrubs and trees.
  • Jacaranda mimosifolia, a tree with purplish blue flowers, is the most popular and common species, that is sometimes called ‘Black Poui’, ‘Blue Jacaranda’, or ‘the fern tree’, although it is usually just called ‘Jacaranda’.
  • Jacarandas are native to Central and South America as well as some of the islands in that region, and can now be found in many tropical areas around the world.
  • ‘Jacaranda’ is said to mean ‘fragrant’ in a native South American dialect and have blue to purple or white coloured flowers, depending on the species.
  • Depending on the species, Jacarandas can grow up to 20 to 30 metres (66 to 98 feet) in height.

Jacaranda, Purple, Blue, Flowers, Carpet, Fall, Tree, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Jacaranda mimosifolia are popular trees used in landscaping, and they line streets in a number of towns and cities around the world.
  • Jacarandas have leaves that are used by the Chinese to make purple dye and the timber of some species is used in woodwork.
  • Jacaranda festivals are held in Pretoria, South Africa, and in a number of cities in Australia, during the peak blooming period.
  • Jacarandas generally flower in spring and summer, and the flowers commonly drop, making a carpet of purple or blue.
  • Jacarandas have hard, flattened, round seed pods that contain a number of seeds.
Bibliography:
Jacaranda, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacaranda
Jacarandas, 2007, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Flowering-Plants-and-Shrubs/Jacarandas/3083

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I have a dream…” – Martin Luther King.

  • Martin Luther King was an African-American humanitarian and activist, as well as the leader of the African-American civil rights movements.
  • Martin Luther King was born on 15 January, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and was the second child in a family of three children.
  • It was originally believed that Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, United States on 4 April, 1968, by a bullet shot by James Earl Ray, a criminal, however a jury, in 1999, gave the verdict that the government and others were involved in a conspiracy, that had King assassinated.
  • Martin Luther King had a strong belief in Jesus, particularly focusing on a verse from the Book of Matthew in the Bible: “love your neighbour as yourself”.
  • Martin Luther King married Coretta Scott on 18 June, 1953, and had four children, one of which was named Martin Luther King III.

Martin Luther King Jr, Black and White Photograph, Speaking, Speech, American Civil Rights, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

 

Martin L King
Image courtesy of Family MWR/Flickr
  • Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream” is a 17 minute speech, and the most famously known one of King’s, and one of the most significant in the history of America.
  • ‘Martin Luther King’ was also known as ‘MLK’, and was originally named Michael King on his birth certificate.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was first celebrated in 1986, and the public holiday is recognised throughout the United States on the 3rd Monday in January.
  • Martin Luther King was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in October 1964 for his involvement in civil rights, and at the time, he was the youngest to have received the prize.
  • Martin Luther King has had his house bombed in 1956, was arrested for his rebellion against racial unfairness in buses, and after his assassination, there were riots among much of the United States.
Bibliography:
Martin Luther King, Jr., 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr., 2013, Bio.com, http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086

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