Tag / History
The Tun Tavern
In November we celebrate Veterans Day across the country, and this year is particularly special. For this newsletter I won’t go into the full history of Veterans Day, but I will highlight a few specific dates. Major hostilities of World War I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, and this armistice with Germany would be celebrated as Armistice Day. This date was celebrated in the United States and was made an official national holiday on May 13, 1938. In 1954, Armistice Day in the United States was officially renamed to Veterans Day and has remained in observance since then.
Doylestown Historical Society
A history of the building that is now the Masonic Lodge on State Street, courtesy of research conducted by Brother Milt Kenin of the Doylestown Historical Society:
Euclid’s 47th Problem
Also known as the Pythagorean Theorem, this equation (a2 + b2 = c2) is the building block of most mathematical problem solving. In basic form, it can tell you how to create a right angle, while advanced versions can measure solar systems. I’d explain how that works in more detail, but it involves a lot of math.
Yes, that was a math joke.
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Batman: Freemason
He wears a belt full of working tools, is a master of secrecy and owns a tuxedo – but let’s be honest, that evidence is anecdotal at best. However, I submit to you that the Dark Knight is in fact a Freemason, and here is the proof.
Exhibit A. Legends of the Dark Knight #86 – 88 (1996) is a three-part mini-series called “Conspiracy” in which the Caped Crusader investigates a series of murders with loose ties to Masonic legend (amongst the legends of other secret societies). Of all the various murders, Batman immediately recognizes a pattern in three cases and contacts Alfred to confirm his suspicions.
1st Degree Tracing Board
The First Degree Tracing Board is the most extravagant of the three in allegory, and is thus explained; the form of a Lodge is a parallelepipedon in length from East to West, in width between North and South, in depth from the surface of the earth to the height of the heavens. Masonic lodges are situated due East and West to illustrate the significance our ancient brethren attributed to the East, e.g.: the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, higher learning (Greek Philosophy) originated in the East and then spread to the West, etc..
Origins of the Topper
There has never been a more sophisticated and dominating hat in fashion than the top hat. The topper’s dominance as the gentleman’s headwear for formal occasions wasn’t truly established until Prince Albert started to favor it in 1850, some 50 years after it was first introduced via an incident which became known as the “The Top Hat Riot.”
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