Aviva Trivia Blog

Aside from dying in your sleep, dying of laughter might seem like the perfect way to go. And although it sounds like the stuff of fiction, on rare occasions it has been known to happen in real life.

The Greek soothsayer, Calchas, was said to have died of laughter during the Trojan wars. When planting grapevines he was supposedly told by another soothsayer that he would never get to drink the wine he produced from his grapes. Once the wine was eventually made and ready to drink, Calchas invited the soothsayer along. After the soothsayer repeated his prophecy Calchas began a fit of laughter that resulted in him choking to death!

Other famous Greeks to have reportedly died in this way are the philosopher  Chrysippus, who died of laughter after giving his donkey wine to drink and then watching it attempt to eat figs, the Greek painter, Zeuxis, who was laughing at one of his own paintings of an old woman when he choked to death, and the Greek writer of comedies, Philemon who is said to have died laughing at the telling of one of his own jokes!

The British have also notched up a small tally of such deaths. The Scottish writer Thomas Urquhart supposedly died laughing when he was told of the restoration to the throne of Charles II. An English widow, Mrs. Fitzherbert, joined in a throng of laughter at the theatre one night in 1782 while watching The Beggar’s Opera. Apparently she was forced to leave the theatre when she became unable to stop laughing. The woman’s hysterical laughter is said to have continued until she died two days later. An English bricklayer, Alex Mitchell, was watching his favorite TV show, The Goodies, in 1975 when he began a fit of uncontrollable laughter that lasted half an hour and resulted in a heart attack and the death of Mr. Mitchell.

But perhaps the most recent case of death by laughter is that of Ole Bentzen, a Danish physician who was watching the film A Fish Called Wanda in 1989 when he laughed so hard his heartbeat reached between 250 and 500 beats a minute, causing Ole Bentzen to suffer a heart attack and die.

Thankfully these deaths are few and far between, but as Mrs. Mitchell said of her husband when she wrote to The Goodies to thank them, at least the last few moments in these people’s lives were happy ones.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, is considered one of America’s foremost writers.  His works have influenced generations of writers and classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are read in high schools and universities across the country.  Perhaps, best known for his characteristic (and sometimes irreverent) wit, Mark Twain is one of the most beloved writers of all time.  The following offerings relate fascinating facts and trivia about this notable author’s life and career.

Twain was born in Florida, Missouri (two months early) to parents John and Jane Clemens in 1835 during the presidency of Andrew Jackson.  Soon after, his parents purchased a home on the town’s Main Street, but by 1839 the family had moved to Hannibal, Missouri.  The boys could see the Mississippi river from their upstairs bedroom window.

Twain was six in a lineup of seven children.  Only he and two others (brother Orion and sister Pamela) survived into adulthood.  Twain suffered from color blindness.

As a child, Twain learned to swim in Hannibal’s dangerous Bear Creek.  He witnessed the drowning of two friends in this creek.

In 1844 his father became justice of the peace.  It is this period that researchers believe influenced the subject matter for Tom Sawyer.  In 1851 Twain began to help his brother run a local newspaper.  As a young man Twain was also an apprentice to two printers.

Twain’s father died in 1847 forcing the boys to seek out stable, well-paying work.

One of Twain’s biggest literary influences was The Arabian Nights.  His later work would often allude to the tales.  Twain also greatly admired the poet Robert Browning he later met in 1873.

By 1859 he had received his steamboat piloting license.  Piloting a steam boat offered one of the highest paying salaries during this era of American history–$250 per week.  Obtaining this license involved roughly two years of study; Twain had to learn the Mississippi inside and out.

Twain’s younger brother Henry was killed in a steamboat explosion in 1858.  Twain felt guilty for this death throughout his life as he had persuaded his brother to work on the river.  He continued work as a river pilot until the Civil War put a stop to river traffic.  Twain was actually in New Orleans the day that Louisiana declared its succession from the Union.

During the war Twain traveled west for stint at silver mining.  It was during this period that he settled on his famous pen name.

Twain was known for his anti-slavery views well before they came into fashion.  However, some of his work, like Huckleberry Finn, has been termed racist for its use of derogatory terms.

In 1868 Twain finished work on his manuscript Innocents Abroad.  He would not begin writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer until 1874.  In 1876 he began writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In 1867 Twain was received by Russia’s Alexander II.  Twain dined with Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1892 while traveling through Europe.  In 1899 he met with Austria-Hungary’s Franz-Josef.

In 1867 Twain developed a serious enjoyment of billiards.  He enjoyed the game for the rest of his life.

In 1868 Twain met Harriet Beecher Stowe.

In 1870 Twain married Olivia Langdon in Elmira, New York.  She was known to Twain and her family as Livy.  Their first son died of diphtheria in infancy.  Mrs. Clemens then gave birth to three daughters-Susy, Clara and Jean.  Susy died of spinal meningitis during Twain’s lifetime in 1896 sending him into frequent bouts of depression.  Twain was on a European tour when she died.  Olivia lived until 1904.

In 1871 Olivia contracted typhoid.  During their marriage she was often frail and ill.  Today, researchers believe she may have been suffering from Pott’s disease.

In 1888 Yale presented Twain an honorary degree.  Oxford presented him an honorary doctorate in 1907.

Twain’s daughter Susy began to write a biography of her father when she was just thirteen.  He was able to incorporate her work into his own autobiography.

Twain gave Anne Sullivan the label “miracle worker” for her work with Helen Keller.

During his lifetime, Twain lost a considerable part of his fortune in poor investments.  Many of these investments were for inventions.  He met with Nikola Tesla in 1894 and seemed always to have a keen interest in science.

Bermuda was the last foreign locale Twain visited before he died.

Twain was diagnosed with heart disease in 1909.  His daughter Jean died this same year resulting in the author’s greater depression.  He died in 1910.   Twain’s daughter Clara lived until 1962 dying at the age of eighty-eight.

Twain would have a profound influence on future writers like William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway.  Today Twain is remembered for his wit, satire and humorist writings.

The property where Mount Vernon, the home of first United States President George Washington, sits was first obtained by John Washington, the great grandfather of George, in 1674.  When Washington inherited the estate after the death of his elder half brother, Mount Vernon would rise to great prestige to become one of the most treasured homes in the country.  The following article offers a wide array of facts and trivia about this great U.S. landmark.

Mount Vernon is located in Virginia; it overlooks the Potomac River as well as the low hills of Maryland.  It is considered to be America’s “first home.”

George Washington’s great grandfather John Washington was granted five thousand acres from King Charles II with the stipulation that he pay an annual rent and “seat and plant” the land within the span of three years.  This tract of land was divided with John Spencer.

Before the estate became known as Mount Vernon it was called Hunting Creek Plantation.  Much of the early history of the plantation has been gathered from legal documents such as deeds and wills. 

Under George Washington’s ownership, the estate was expanded from 2,126 acres to above eight thousand. 

Like other eighteenth century plantations, the estate boasted an array of beautiful gardens, a greenhouse and a kitchen garden.

The mansion is considered an excellent example of colonial architecture.  The home’s high-columned piazza is considered the standout feature of the mansion.  It extends the entire length of the house.

The cupola, another notable feature of the mansion, was added in 1778.  Washington added his “dove of peace” weathervane in 1787.

The Banquet Hall contains an engraving of Louis XVI, Sheraton side chairs, and a moonlight river scene above an exquisite mantel.  This room was where Washington received the news that he had been elected to the Presidency.

The Central Hall contains a key to Paris’ infamous Bastille-a present from General Lafayette in 1790.

The mansion’s Little Parlor boasts an elegant harpsichord and was the room where the family enjoyed music together.

The West Parlor contains the family’s Coat-of-Arms.  This room dates from Washington’s first enlargement of the mansion.  It also contains two portraits of Washington and his wife Martha.

The family dining room today contains a mahogany dining table that is believed to have belonged to Martha’s daughter Nelly Custis Lewis.

The second floor of the mansion contains five bed chambers.  Historians believe the mansion was continually peopled by family and guests putting a strain on the accommodations.  Mrs. Washington arranged low beds in the bedrooms to accommodate extra guests.

After her husband died, Martha Washington closed the master bedroom and resided in a garret bedroom across from her grandson’s bedroom.

The library contains a Mount Vernon original-a terrestrial globe.  The room also contains busts of George Washington and John Paul Jones.  At the time of Washington’s death, the library contained 884 bound books.  Washington considered this room his private sanctuary. After the Revolutionary War the library could not be visited without an invitation from Washington.

Historians have found that although the plantation produced a profit, it did not leave Washington a wealthy man.  He did not have an extensive income as much of the plantation’s yield supported the estate.  His service to his country prevented him from acquiring the wealth he might otherwise have.

The Washingtons of Mount Vernon were revered for their simple hospitality.  Washington said, “A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready, and such as will be content to partake of them are always welcome.”

During his presidency Washington was only able to visit Mount Vernon fifteen times.  Washington died in 1799.  The terms of his will stipulated that the estate was not to be divided until after the death of his wife Martha.  She died in 1802.

The home also contains stables, tomb, colonnade, various outbuildings such as the kitchen (off the courtyard) and store rooms. 

Washington left the mansion house to his nephew Bushrod Washington.  The rest of the estate was divided amongst other relatives. 

Interestingly, the estate has been preserved by the nation’s first women’s patriotic organization founded by Miss Pamela Cunningham of South Carolina in 1858 and called the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.

The Kentucky Derby is sometimes called the “Most exciting two minutes in sports”. That’s because it lasts just about two minutes. But what a two minutes it is! Here’s a bit of trivia to help you understand and enjoy “The run for the roses” even more:

* The idea for the Kentucky Derby was thought up by explorer Meriwether Lewis. In fact, the land where it is run was donated by his relatives, the Churchills– thus the name Churchill Downs.

* The fastest Derby ever was run by Secretariat in 1973. He ran the race in 1:59.4 and is the only horse to have ever come in faster than two minutes.

* Although most Kentucky Derby winners have been males –geldings and stallions– three fillies have won the race. They were Favored Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.

* Willie Shoemaker was the oldest jockey to ever win the Derby. He was 54 when he rode Ferdinand to win in 1986.

* On May 2, 1970 Diane Crump became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby.

* No matter when they are actually born, race horses are considered a year older on January first.

* Horses running for the roses lose an average of fifteen to twenty-five pounds during the race.

* An amazing total of eight Kentucky Derby winners have been bred by Calumet Farms in Kentucky.

* Racing rules hold that no racehorse may have a name that contains more then eighteen letters, so as to fit legibly on the racing forms.

*Presidential candidate Richard Nixon was in the house when the only Derby winner to be disqualified for cheating was busted in 1968.

These ten facts are only a tiny portion of what there is to know about the Kentucky Derby. Print this out and save it and who knows– it might help you win a little side bet with your friends.

With a population nearing the six million mark, the ancient city of Calcutta figures deeply into the imaginings of the wider world.  A city of mystics and saints, artists and throngs of impoverished-Calcutta is a city of great extremes.  The following article lists a wide array of facts and trivia about the Indian city of Calcutta.

Calcutta is the capital city of West Bengal, a northwestern state of India.  It is known in Bengali as Kolkata.  The name derives from the land of the Goddess Kali.  The name was officially changed from Calcutta to Kolkata in 2001.

Considered the second city of the British Empire, Calcutta was established in 1690 by the East India Company.  It grew out of the small fishing village of Kolikata.  Before the East India Company acquired the land, the nearby villages were known for the production of muslin and chintz.

Job Charnock, a servant of the East India Company, is credited as the city’s founder.

St. Anne’s, Calcutta’s first church was built in 1709.  The British went on to build about a three mile stretch of Calcutta they referred to as the white city.  The neighboring black town was the area for native peoples.

Many inhabitants of the city refer to its patron goddess as Kali Kalkattawali, owner of the city.  A famous festival for Kali is celebrated during a period of October and November. 

The city’s most famous festivals include Durga Puta, Diwali, Holi and Christmas.

Calcutta sits in the Ganges River Basin and is spread along the shores of the Hooghly River cutting the city in two. The city itself is set apart from the Bay of Bengal by the notorious Sundarbans National Park (notable for its man-eating tigers).

The Hooghly River is a tributary of the Ganges River. 

Calcutta is surrounded by creeks, mangrove swamps and marshes.  While the outlanding areas contain ancient-looking bamboo huts, the city contains many modern buildings intermixed with colonial structures reminiscent of the British Empire that established and built the city.

There are three bridges and multiple ferry landing sites that link both sides of Calcutta.  The Rabindra Setu is the city’s most famous bridge named for the writer Rabindranath Tagore.

Calcutta was the home of Rabindranath Tagore-the first Asian winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Tagore was born in the city in 1861. 

Calcutta’s Kalighat metro station near the famous Kalighat temple contains a large mosaic rendering of Mother Teresa beneath a halo.  The Albanian Catholic nun came to the city in 1931 where she took up Indian citizenship and devoted her life to helping the poor and diseased people of the city.

Calcutta is also known as “the city of dreadful light” which is a line taken from a Rudyard Kipling poem.  Kipling visited Calcutta as a newspaper correspondent.  Like Victorian London, the city embodied impoverished nooks set beside great wealth and grandeur.

Among Calcutta’s typically consumed foods are rice, fish curry and yogurt.  Bull sharks are especially preferred for fish curries. 

Hindu College was established in 1817.  Today it is known as Presidency College and is one of the city’s best-known schools.

The colonial architecture of the city embodies Victorian, Baroque, Oriental, Gothic and Rococo styles.  Because of the grand structures the city has also been termed the “city of palaces.”

Calcutta’s most important street is Jawaharlal Nehru Road formerly known as Chowringhee Avenue.  Historians believe it is also one of the city’s earliest roads that predates the East India Company.

Calcutta contains India’s largest library known as the National Library of India.  It was founded in 1836.

A major attraction for visitors to the city is the Alipore Zoological Gardens.  It was founded in 1800 by Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington.  The zoo sits on forty five acres and contains animals such as the Grant’s zebra, royal Bengal tiger, Indian elephant and African lion.

Calcutta’s largest park is called the Maidan which contains the famous Victoria Memorial which was completed in 1821.

Calcutta has a vibrant cultural community that is influential across the country.  The city contains many art galleries, museums, cafes, etc … Calcutta is known for both its contributions to the arts as well as politics.

Golden lilies, idyllic bound feet of women and girls, were the erotic hallmarks of feminine China for one thousand years.  Yet, to practice the custom meant enduring the excruciating pain of mutilation and even the threat of death should the binding be improperly applied.  The following offerings relate facts and trivia about the fascinating and controversial ancient custom of foot binding.

Foot binding has been dated to the middle of the tenth century when it was confined to the royal and upper most classes.  By the seventeenth century the practice spread to millions of Chinese women from many social and economic classes.

An ancient ballerina called Precious Thing is credited with boasting the first bound feet.  The dance and ribbons swirling from her legs and feet led to the erotic tradition.

Footbinding was generally practiced from mother to daughter.  Girls who could boast of bound feet were more marriageable.  While foot binding rendered a woman incapable of work, her complete dependence her husband was a great status symbol for him.

Not all the tribes of China practiced foot binding.  The Manchu, Hakka and women of the Tanka settlement of Guangdong did not.  However, the vast majority of Chinese are of the Han ethnic group who believed that a Chinese girl without bound feet could not get a decent husband.

The ideal length of a bound foot was three inches or under.  Only a foot with this measurement could be termed a “golden lily.”  Achieving this size meant that the arch of the foot would have to be broken and all the toes except for the biggest needed to be folded under the foot.  Bound feet that did not attain the smallest sizes might be called silver or iron lilies which would have been insulting to the girl.

Girls needed to be about five or six to begin the foot binding.  The custom varied among different parts of the country.  At this age the bones are more pliable.  Mothers opted to begin binding in the fall with the belief that the cold weather would help numb the child’s feet during the first difficult months.

Foot binding was a major family event.  Women would often travel great distances to attend their extended family during this trying period.   Often a mother would do the actual binding.  Sometimes a mother-in-law would perform the rite-it was not uncommon for girls of this age to be married or betrothed.  Sometimes women skilled at binding would be invited to perform the task.

The process entailed a hot water soaking initially to soften the skin.  Herbs, roots or special ancestral recipes might be added to the water.  In Datong of Shanxi Province a girl’s feet would be stuffed into the sliced stomach of a lamb.

Binding the feet called for bandages approximately ten feet long.  Often the bindings would be soaked so that they would shrink as they dried to actually bind the feet tighter.
Sewing the bandages was necessary sometimes to keep them in place.  After the binding the girl was required to walk on her feet.

Binding and rebinding the feet was a long process that took about two years to complete.  Washing and inspecting were done constantly as infection could kill the child if it spread. 

While it is a well-known fact that men believed the little feet to be erotically stimulating, they were actually not permitted to view the naked foot; they merely saw the enticingly small foot decorated with the little silken and embroidered shoes.  In some ways, foot binding might be considered a shoe fetish.

The initiators of the Taiping Rebellion tried to ban foot binding, but the practice was still continued well into the twentieth century.  Today, it the foot binding is seldom practiced.  But many of China’s older women still suffer from the pain of their disability. 

Americans have a long tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day each March 17th with  plenty of green beer and pinches to go around. But where did these traditions come from? Did our Irish ancestors bring them to America when they immigrated? Or are these customs purely Americanized visions of an Irish holiday? Surprisingly, the latter is true. Most St. Patrick’s Day customs that we are familiar with today have no roots in Ireland at all.

The Pinch and The Wearing of The Greens

The custom of pinching those not wearing the customary green on St. Patrick’s Day was invented by school children in America, not dear old Erin. In fact, green isn’t even a popular color in Ireland as it is the color of the former flag, representing a time when Ireland was not a free nation. However, green coincides with Spring, which generally begins around St. Patrick’s Day – all reasons for the color green to be a popular choice for the holiday.

Let Them Eat Corned Beef and Irish Stew

Irish Stew and Corned Beef with cabbage will be popular dishes on American tables this St. Patrick’s Day, but they aren’t really true to their roots. Traditional Irish meals would consist of some sort of ham, such as bacon and cabbage – not beef.

Put It On My Tab

Many gallons of green beer will flow through American bars full of the Irish spirit this St. Patrick’s Day, but St. Patrick’s Day started as a religious holiday. Until the 1970s, the Irish governments ruled that no pubs could open on March 17th. Therefore….no beer, dear.

Clover and Clover…Over and Over

Contrary to popular belief, a four leaf clover has no ties to St. Patrick and it’s not the proverbial Irish shamrock. St. Patrick demonstrated The Doctrine of The Trinity using a three, not four leaf clover. A three leaf clover is the only true Irish Shamrock as the four leafed variety predates Christianity by a fair many years.

Sorry To Rain On Your Parade

But the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not held in Ireland, but in the good old US of A. Irish soldiers serving under the British flag marched through the streets of New York City on March 17th, 1762.

St. Patrick Wasn’t Patrick….or Irish

St. Patrick was born Maewyn Succat in either Scotland or Roman England. He was kidnapped from Wales as a teenager and sold into slavery in Ireland, where he spent the next six years until his eventual escape to Britain and then France. Upon arriving in France he joined a monastery. He died on March 17th,  461 AD. This day was designated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.

Not all of the world’s most brilliant innovations were intentional. In many cases, an accident or mistake led to some creative thinking, which eventually became a new, hot product.

Such is the case with these products.

The Post-It® Note
A 3M engineer named Spencer Silver was working one night in 1968. His goal was to invent a strong adhesive. Instead, he came up with the reusable – but quite weak – adhesive that a fellow 3M engineer by the name of Arthur Fry would eventually turn into a bookmark. That became the Post-It® Note.

By 1980, the Post-It® Note was available all over the world. Today, the 3M company markets some 200 products that contain Silver’s accidental invention: the adhesive that has made the company a sizable fortune.

The Popsicle
Back in 1905, an eleven-year-old boy named Frank Epperson accidentally discovered the Popsicle. One night, he left his drink – a combination of soda-water powder and water – on his porch. The stirring stick was still in the glass. The next day, young Epperson discovered the frozen concoction.

In 1923, Epperson started producing what he called “Epsicles.” They were available in seven fruit flavors. At some point, the product name changed to “Popsicles.” Epperson sold the rights to his creation: Good Humor, which produces many popular frozen treats, owns the Popsicle.

Potato Chips
Sometimes a sarcastic action can lead to one of the world’s greatest inventions. Such was the case in 1853, when a chef named George Crum was working in New York. One of his customers sent back an order of French fries, claiming that they were too thick. Crum tried again: the customer wasn’t satisfied with this second batch of thinner fries. Apparently annoyed by this, Crum sliced the next batch of potatoes as thinly as he could and then deep-fried them as he would do with regular French fries.

This sarcastic offering did not go over well – or so it seemed at the time. The customer adored the chips: other people in the restaurant started asking for them too. Eventually Crum opened his own restaurant, where patrons could get a basket of potato chips at every table.

Penicillin
We can thank a lack of laboratory sanitation for penicillin, one of the world’s greatest antibiotics. Back in 1928, Alexander Fleming was working on flu research when he noticed something blue and green growing in one of his Petri dishes. This something was not supposed to be there. Further investigation revealed that this mold – soon to be known as penicillin – had killed the other bacteria in the dish.

That’s not quite the end of this story, though. In its natural state, penicillin isn’t very stable. You can’t just leave a cold pizza out for a few weeks and then scrape off a bacteria-killing miracle. But fortunately for us, it was only a few years later when researchers at Oxford figured out how to make a stable form of penicillin: one that actually works.

Viagra
In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration approved a drug named Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction. This was not what Viagra’s inventors originally had in mind for this little blue pill.

Back in the 1980s, researchers were trying to develop a drug to treat hypertension. Viagra did not do the job, so the researchers switched gears. They tried using Viagra to treat angina. This didn’t work either.

But the clinical trials revealed a very interesting side effect: erections. Further research and testing revealed that Viagra was responsible for this reaction. From that point on, the researchers tested Viagra as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

These are just a few of the greatest accidental discoveries that people have made in modern history. These things – products that many of us use on a regular basis – have changed our world for the better. They are a testament to creativity, open-mindedness, and the willingness to make the best of failure.

Spamtown USA is the nickname given to Austin, Minnesota, a town full of spirit and community pride.  Austin acquired its name from one of its original settlers, Austin Nichols.  This town is home to the Hormel Foods Corporation, the maker of the world’s supply of Spam, as well as a variety of other products. 

Spam, once touted as the miracle meat in a can, was developed in 1937.  This clever meat product did not need to be refrigerated and was created from a mixture of ham and pork that was chopped and flavored.  Unfortunately for its makers, competitors honed in on the market and presented fierce competition initially. 

The Hormel Company created a contest to come up with a catchy name for their product in an attempt to garner more of the canned meat market.  Obviously, the winning entry was “Spam” and the winner received one hundred dollars for the prize.  A singing commercial, one of the first, followed in 1940. 

From sponsoring popular radio shows to gimmicky tricks such as “Spammy the Pig,” Spam’s creators helped to ensure a major portion of the canned meat market by the time World War II began.  Spam became a staple, not only for the American forces, but also, for the Russian forces.

All of the corporate offices of the Hormel Foods Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company, are located right there is Austin along with its research division and flagship manufacturing plant.  A newly constructed museum, which opened in 2001, dedicated to Spam is also one of the town’s highlights.

The museum is located on Spam Boulevard and features a diverse assortment of interactive and educational games to its visitors.  A number of entertaining and informative videos are also presented on a regular basis. 

The exhibits are designed to be entertaining and include a great deal of fun for those who decide to view them.  One of the walls within the museum contains over three thousand cans of Spam.  Plus, the museum is open seven days a week with very few exceptions, mainly for holidays.

The annual Spamtown USA Festival includes a wide variety of activities including parades, watermelon eating contest, concerts, street dancing, fireworks, and canoe sprints.  This widely attended event occurs in mid June.

Other local festivals include the Mower County Festival that occurs every August and the Storytelling Festival that occurs in March.  Among the residents scattered throughout Austin’s past is a famous sportscaster, John Madden.

America is filled with ‘rags to riches’ stories but not all are as comical as the Levi Strauss story. Necessity truly is the Mother of invention. Just ask Levi Strauss!

Practically the entire world is familiar with the brand of Levi Strauss, but not everyone knows that the name belonged to an actual person who lived back in the 1800’s. Nor does anyone know just how many pairs of jeans were worn before the right ones were finally made to fit perfect.

There’s Gold Out Yonder!

In 1853 Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, set his sights on the California gold rush. He traveled to California from New York with a load of dry goods, mainly fabrics for his brother, and he planned on opening a store out west.

Levi traveled via boat and sold most of his fabrics on the boat, all he had left was a tough durable fabric. Shortly after Levi’s arrival in San Francisco a prospector asked Levi, “What ya selling?” and Levi explained he had some rough canvas for wagon covers and tents.

The prospector said, “You should’ve brought pants!”

Why Pants?

In the hills of California people were mining tirelessly and shredding their clothes simultaneously. Miners couldn’t find durable clothes to withstand the work. In essence, they were tired of spending their hard earned money on clothes that just didn’t last.

May 20, 1873

Most people consider May 20th of 1873 the official birthday of blue jeans because it was then that U.S. Patent #139,121 was issued for the manufacturing of Levi Strauss Jeans.

 Levi and a tailor from Nevada had finally developed the concept of strengthening pants with rivets, and thus started a fashion trend that is still hot today.

The Road to Riches …

To understand why so many people embraced the creation of blue jeans one needs to understand that nothing is successful without some sort of trial, error, success and failure.

It actually took twenty years for Levi to perfect blue jeans.

Levi tried many fabrics and finally found a cotton blend from France that we now call denim, people loved the feel of Levi’s pants. Ultimate success is a product that sells itself and Levi’s jeans did just that.

Levi Strauss Today

The Levi Strauss company has went through many challenges throughout the years but has managed to stay afloat among the competition, always evolving with the times, and lately even becoming more environmentally friendly with the company’s addition of eco friendly materials lacking harsh chemicals.

Levi Strauss himself is remembered for his kind acts of philanthropy and his hopes for the future. The story is beautiful and reminds us all that anything is possible.

The odds of a German immigrant becoming so successful in America today may seem less likely than in the 1800’s but everyday someone is climbing the ladder of success to prove that theory wrong, just like Levi Strauss.