Peek at the Week: August 23
Word of the Week: Petrichor
Although days leading up to these first days of classes were filled with rain and a bit gloomy, at least we all got to take in the delightful smell of petrichor.
Petrichor is the term coined by Australian scientists in 1964 to describe the unique, earthy smell associated with rain. It is caused by the water from the rain, along with certain compounds like ozone, geosmin, and plant oils and in soil.
This Week at Falvey
Monday, August 23
Mindfulness Mondays / 1 – 1:30 PM / ZOOM / https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849
More events to come as the semester kicks off – stay tuned for a weekly update of what to put on your calendar!
This Week in History
August 24, 1914 – The Birth of Winnie-the-Pooh
The origin of Winnie-the-Pooh started in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where a local trapper had shot a bear cub’s mother and took the bear to sell. The plot thickens when the bear is brought to a train station in White River, Ontario on August 24, 1914. There, an army regiment is disembarking a train, shocked to see a bear cub on the platform. Army veterinarian Harry Colburn took a special interest in the bear cub, purchased it from the trapper and brought it to training where the bear, named Winniepeg (or Winnie for short) became the regiment’s animal mascot.
When the regiment got deployed, Colburn dropped Winnie off at the London Zoo, where the bear went on to become a favorite attraction for many young kids and families. Christopher Robin Milne took a special interest in Winnie and even named his teddy bear Winnie the Pooh. Christopher’s father, A.A. Milne later used Christopher and his favorite stuffed bear as inspiration for the beloved characters we all know today.
Learn more about the origin of Winnie-the-Pooh and its author A.A. Milne with the following resources:
- Podcast: History This Week – The True Winnie the Pooh
- Non-fiction: The real Winnie: A one-of-a-kind bear by Val Shushkewich
- Fiction: Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Jenna Renaud is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.
0 Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI