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Wall Street Journal
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
It All Started With a Great Hire
This weekend marks the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army. It seems unlikely we would have much to celebrate on Saturday if, right after creating an army, the Second Continental Congress had not also settled on the perfect choice to lead it. Not only did George Washington accept one of the world's most difficult assignments, but he wouldn't even accept a salary for his service—just reimbursement of his expenses. The National Archives has an account from the Continental Congress in Philadelphia dated June 16, 1775: It ended up being a pretty good deal for America, to say the least, and for the cause of human liberty around the world. The Archives also has a letter from the Continental Army's new commander-in-chief to Martha Washington dated June 18, 1775:
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Helen Keller's Family, Companions, & the Life They Built Together
As a disabled social activist and suffragette, Helen Keller is a household name. But her life story doesn't begin and end with her work. Let's take a deeper look into her early life, her evolving relationships with family, mentors, and friends, as well as the ways in which her disability shaped her experiences and informed the legacy we still engage with today. Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1880. She developed a brain fever at just 19 months old — later speculated to be either meningitis or scarlet fever — which left her deaf and blind. Losing both her sight and hearing at such a young age proved challenging, as you'd expect. Without easy access to occupational therapy or specialized schools, as many disabled children have today, Helen had to adapt to her environment on her own. She worked to feel and smell her world through her remaining senses. Many families with nonverbal or disabled children know how that lack of communication can be extremely frustrating for them and often lead to tantrums. Helen Keller was no different, throwing things and eating from others' plates to get her way. It's a common misconception that her famed tutor, Anne Sullivan, swooped in to save the day. Yet, Helen did use a primitive communication technique before ever coming into contact with Anne. She used a simple sign language that consisted of 60 signs with her family members and her companion, Martha Washington, who was the child of her family's cook. In addition to her friend Martha, Helen's dog Belle, an old setter, was also a constant companion to her. She enjoyed Belle's presence, excitement, and overall calm manner. Given her disabilities, Helen didn't lead a stereotypical adulthood. She and Anne Sullivan bought a home together in Wrentham, Massachusetts. Though Anne later married John A. Macy in 1905, Helen continued to live with the couple even into her 30s. Macy, an editor of Keller's autobiography, was also a great friend of Helen's. Both joined the Socialist Party (Helen in 1909), with Helen later becoming a suffragist. Helen seemed happy in the Macy's home, and John devised a system for her to be able to take regular walks. However, the marriage didn't last. While the two never formally divorced, John and Anne parted ways in 1914 and became estranged. Meanwhile, Helen continued staying with Anne. Incredibly, Helen's fight for social rights didn't end with the Suffragist Movement. She was a devout humanitarian and even co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union. She was also active in raising awareness and encouraging support for the blind. Additionally, Helen published four books about her life, one on religion, one on social problems, and a biography of Anne Sullivan. Probably one of the most notable of her accomplishments is that at the age of 75, she did a five-month, 40,000-mile trek across Asia. Helen Keller gradauted cum laude from Radcliffe College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1904. Related: Despite her achievements and triumphs, Helen Keller wasn't a monolith. She had people who loved and supported her, just as you do! We all have people who touch us along the way, and these are some of the important people to pop up in Helen's life. Helen was Arthur and Kate Keller's first child. After serving in the Confederate Army, her father became an editor for the North Alabamian. His first marriage to Sarah E. Rosser left him a widower, though he later married Kate Adams in 1877. Helen had a loving relationship with her parents, who sought to find the best care they could for her. Helen Keller was a distant cousin of Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, through her father's line. Helen was far from an only child, having a younger sister named Mildred and two stepbrothers, Simpson and James. While Helen struggled to adapt in an environment not well-suited for her needs with family who didn't know how to help, James is believed to have had a firmer hand with Helen than most. Helen also had a younger brother, Phillips, whom she helped name. While Helen didn't mention her brothers much in her writings, she did discuss walking hand-in-hand with her sister and attempting to talk to her with her primitive language. Once Helen learned to speak, Mildred became a close confidant. In 1886, Helen's mother contacted Alexander Graham Bell, who was working on a hearing device for the deaf. He led them to the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, where Anne Sullivan was studying. With a visual impairment herself, Anne was a star student at Perkins Institute and traveled to Alabama to work with Helen. Through their hard work, Helen learned to use sign language and read braille by the time she was 10 years old! Helen also wanted to learn how to speak, so Anne took her to the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston. After having eleven lessons there, Anne took over her instruction, and Helen eventually learned to speak. Unsurprisingly, the two remained close until Anne's death in 1936. Helen Keller never married or had children, not that she didn't try. At 36, she and Peter Fagan applied for a marriage license that was never fulfilled. When Anne became ill, Peter, a 29-year-old reporter, became Helen's temporary secretary. During this time, the two grew close and made plans to marry. However, Helen's family was against the match, believing in the unfortunately common idea at the time that marriage and motherhood were not options for a disabled woman like her. The two planned to elope nonetheless, but Peter never came. Helen later said of the relationship, "His love was a bright sun that shone upon my helplessness and isolation." After the failed elopement, Helen never saw Peter again. Polly Thomson was another companion in Helen's adult life. A housekeeper from Scotland who eventually became Keller's secretary, she worked with both Anne and Helen. After Anne was no longer able to travel with Helen due to her declining health, Polly became Helen's best-known companion. Polly took Anne's place after her death and remained by Helen's side until her own death in 1960. Helen Keller was dealt a difficult hand as a young child, but she took advantage of every opportunity that came her way. Leaning on the friends and family around her, she fought for social and human rights, sought to increase her education at every turn, and lived a rich life right up to the end. And it's this triumphant story that's led to the even richer legacy we revere today.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These 27 Dangerously Funny Fails From Last Week Have Me Laughing So Hard I Might Actually Break A Rib
Editor's Note: While we can't endorse what X has become, we can bring you the fun moments that still exist there, curated and free of the surrounding chaos. Surprise, surprise — another Monday is upon us, but it will come as no surprise that I have devised another plan to free us from their grasp. Since Pope Gregory XIII is the one who created the Gregorian calendar, perhaps all I need to do is get a little message to the new pope and ask to have Mondays removed from the calendar once and for all. In the meantime, we've got these 27 hilarious fails from last week to get us through: now, you're probably thirsty again, too. don't have to grip the glass so hard, dude. olive you babe, but this is too much. should work for the human body. be fair, it is a really beautiful roasted chicken. that sexy Martha Washington energy. one's on the house. to start the day over entirely. a uh... "long heart," right? better than trying to watch them find it afterward. like his legs have been... swept under the rug. do you return this without them thinking it was you? your Power Card balance low? is how the pope does it. is that all? way is, "I'm not having a good time right now." is no way to know when ice cream will return to this plane of existence. you're gonna keep secrets, you can't go to your regular bar. what is the significance of six? casual, please. the one that's closest to my house? 22."He's here!" "He" being Jahmyr Gibbs, of course. must think you're perfect for everyone. like it's already working. loading up on carbs for a day just like this one. the price of a Broadway ticket, to be honest. finally, thank you so much for your input. If you enjoyed these laughs, go follow the creators! And for more fails, check out our most recent posts: "The Six Words No Parent Wants To Hear At 9:15 P.M.": 23 Hysterical Fails From Last Week That'll Make You Laugh So Hard You Can Tell Your Doctor You Did Cardio I Laughed So Hard At These 29 Fails From Last Week, I'm Probably Going Straight To The Bad Place 31 Gut-Busting Fails From Last Week That'll Make You Laugh So Hard You Can Legally Consider It Cardio
Buzz Feed
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
27 Hilarious Internet Fails From Last Week
Surprise, surprise — another Monday is upon us, but it will come as no surprise that I have devised another plan to free us from their grasp. Since Pope Gregory XIII is the one who created the Gregorian calendar, perhaps all I need to do is get a little message to the new pope and ask to have Mondays removed from the calendar once and for all. In the meantime, we've got these 27 hilarious fails from last week to get us through: And now, you're probably thirsty again, too. You don't have to grip the glass so hard, dude. Look, olive you babe, but this is too much. Reboots should work for the human body. To be fair, it is a really beautiful roasted chicken. It's that sexy Martha Washington energy. This one's on the house. Time to start the day over entirely. It's a uh... "long heart," right? Nothing better than trying to watch them find it afterward. Looks like his legs have been... swept under the rug. How do you return this without them thinking it was you? Was your Power Card balance low? This is how the pope does it. Oh, is that all? One way is, "I'm not having a good time right now." There is no way to know when ice cream will return to this plane of existence. If you're gonna keep secrets, you can't go to your regular bar. Wait... what is the significance of six? More casual, please. Um, the one that's closest to my house? "He's here!" "He" being Jahmyr Gibbs, of course. She must think you're perfect for everyone. Seems like it's already working. Currently loading up on carbs for a day just like this one. Worth the price of a Broadway ticket, to be honest. And finally, thank you so much for your input. If you enjoyed these laughs, go follow the creators! And for more fails, check out our most recent posts:
