Celebrating Black History Month: DeHart Hubbard, first African-American to win an individual Olympic gold medal 1924

DeHart Hubbard, born November 25, 1903, attended University of Michigan, where he was National Collegiate Athletic Association champion three times, for the outdoor long jump (1923 and 1925), and the 100-hard dash (1925).  He was the Big Ten Conference champion 7 times.

While he was attending college, he participated in the 1924 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and became the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal for any sport: the running long jump.

He founded the Cincinnati Tigers, a professional baseball team, which played in the Negro American League.

He has been inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor and the National Track Hall of Fame.

Hubbard passed away in 1976.

Book review - "Murder on the Eiffel Tower" by Claude Izner

I find it a little strange that I read two mysteries in a row that take place in Paris, albeit 250 years apart.  Murder at the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner (published in 2009) occurs during the International Exposition in 1889 when the amazing structure was opened.

The main character is Victor Legris, a columnist and bookseller in Paris, who has joined thousands of people visiting the tower.  A woman dies of an apparent bee sting.  The incident doesn’t attract much attention until an anonymous letter sent to a local newspaper suggests she was murdered.  Soon more people die and Victor begins to suspect, well, everyone.

I enjoyed the book mainly for the description of late nineteenth century Paris and the International Exposition.  One thing that detracted from the enjoyability of the story is the numerous head-hops which confuse the reader, but nearly as bad as the previous book I tried to read.  Izner also builds his characters a bit better.

Readers of Agatha Christie might note a similarity between Murder on the Eiffel Tower and The ABC Murders by Christie.  I won’t go into detail here so you can figure it out for yourself. 

3 out of 5 croissants.

Félicette, first cat in space, 1963

We've all heard about Laika, the first dog in space and Ham the Astrochimp, but not many of us have heard of Felicette, the first astro-kitty.  Fifty-four years (and less than a month) ago, on October 18, 1963, the French government launched Felicette, a stray found on the streets of Paris, insto space to study the effects of weightlessness on animals.  If Felicette could survive, humans could survive.  Her flight lasted on fifteen minutes, reaching a heigh of 156 kilometers.  She parachuted to safety and was recovered alive.

Three months later, French scientists euthanized her to study her brain implant. Bastards.

There is now a crowdfunding campaign happening to raise money for a bronze statue to commemorate her work.  Laika has a bronze statue.  Ham is buried at the International Space Hall of Fame in New Mexico.  It's way past time to give Felicette her place in history!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9licette
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/11/09/first-cat-in-space-to-receive-proper-memorial.html