The Casper Record, Volume 02, Number 06, October 15, 1912
July is Read an Almanac Month. Just like Google and old newspapers, almanacs can take us right down a rabbit hole.
Whether it is The Old Farmer’s Almanac or The World Almanac and Book of Facts, folks have enjoyed the bits of information for “entertainment, reference and learning” (World Almanac Book of Facts) for more than a century.
Here we go… From the World Almanac and Book of Facts: a 2000 list of eponyms (words named for a person) discusses the sandwich-named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-92), who supposedly ate food in this form so that he would not have to leave the gaming table. Speaking of bread, bruschetta was added as a word to Merriam Webster in 2003, and in 1946, when the first of the baby boomers were born, a loaf of bread cost 10 cents.
From the Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids (2007-2019) in MasterFile: Pizza is not Italian (well, not entirely), and it wasn’t invented — it evolved. Ancient Egyptians (c. 3000 B.C.) celebrated the birthdays of pharaohs with unleavened bread (like pita) covered with herbs. Soldiers in Persia (c. 500 B.C.) baked thin bread on their shields and then topped the bread with cheese and dates (Search terms: World Almanac AND bread).
You can find The World Almanac and Book of Facts (2000-2009) in Gale OneFile and Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids (2007-2019) in MasterFile , both in GoWYLD.net.
Both are available in your local library or from home with a Wyoming library card and PIN. For more information, contact your library or Chris Van Burgh, Database Instruction Librarian at the Wyoming State Library, chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.