Dentures and false teeth are a common part of our world. We have all heard the myths about them such as George Washington having wooden dentures and many of us have relatives with false teeth. The Etruscans of northern Italy produced dentures using human and animal teeth as early as 700 BC. The teeth decayed rapidly but were easy to make and were used often until the middle of the 19^th century.

Early European dentures from the 15^th century were made of bone or ivory. Often human teeth were used either from recently deceased or poor people who sold their teeth for money. These dentures were not comfortable and were attached to any remaining teeth by threads of silk or metal. Wealthy persons had dentures made of silver, gold, or mother of pearl. Keeping the false teeth in the mouth became difficult as the number of real teeth decreased and those that had full dentures had to remove them to eat.

During the middle ages dentures were not often considered and gaps in the teeth were expected even among the nobles. In fact, Queen Elizabeth I put white cloth in the gaps of her teeth to look better in public. Alexis Duchateau made the first porcelain dentures in about 1770 and the first British patent was issued to Nicholas Dubois De Chemant. His method used springs to fasten the teeth and he began selling his products in 1792 using porcelain mainly supplied by Wedgwood.

Claudius Ash manufactured top quality porcelain dentures and affixed them to 18-carat gold plates in 1820. Plaster was used to make molds of the mouth which made dentures a better fit and the use of Vulcanite (hardened rubber) became common in the 1850s. It was cheap and flexible which made it easy to work with and Ash’s company was a prime manufacturer of dental quality Vulcanized rubber.

The 20^th century saw dentures made of acrylics and other plastic materials become much more widely accepted but increased dental care has led to a reduction of full dentures in the past 40 years. The method of manufacturing dentures has improved to the point that they mimic natural teeth with minimal discomfort.

Tags: 1792, 700 B.C., Alexis Duchateau, Ancient History, animal teeth as dentures, Bone dentures, Claudius Ash, dentures in the middle ages, false teeth, George Washington's dentures, gold teeth, history of dentures, Ivory Dentures, Medieval History, Modern History, mother of pearl teeth, Nicholas Dubois de Chemant, porcelain dentures, Queen Elizabeth I, silver teeth, the Etruscans, the middle ages

The war of 1914-1918 also known as World War I, The Great War and the war to end all wars, ended on what became known as Armistice Day. The war officially ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month or November 11, 1918 and was celebrated around the world with street parties and overwhelming relief. Because WWI was one of the bloodiest battles the world had ever experienced and meant many firsts for military and world history.

The first use of chemical weapons in the form of mustard gas, the introduction of trench warfare, the use of tanks, the inspiration for overthrow of monarchy all over Europe and the spark that ignited the Russian revolution, the Great War changed everything forever. And although it didn’t end war for all time, it certainly shocked the world into realizing what scale and heights man’s inhumanity to man could reach.

It began with the assassination of the Archduke of Austria Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian dissident and alleged member of a well-known nationalist group who sought independence from Austro-Hungarian rule. Princip probably didn’t realize that the complicated treaties and alliances between the countries of Europe would quickly come into play when Serbia didn’t respond to Austria-Hungary’s outrage at the assassination as they would have liked. Like dominoes falling against each other, pact after pact came into play until the continent was ablaze with confused fury.

Austria Hungary invaded Serbia. Germany declared war on Russia. Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium. Britain declared war on Germany.  Japan declared war on Germany. Turkey joined Germany’s side. Russia, Britain and France declared war on Turkey. Romania joined Britain’s side. And on it went until the whole world was at war, including the once neutral United States.

All of the battles were horrible and unforgettable for their survivors. 60,000 died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The men in the trenches that scarred France’s landscape suffered starvation as well as the threat of mustard gas and shelling. Tanks rolled across Europe destroying everything in their wake, bombs dropped onto Britain’s major cities night after night, ships sunk and supplies dwindled.   The world descended into utter madness for four long years. It seemed for those living at the time, that the chaos would never end.

But it did. Battle weary nations and optimistic politicians combined to formulate peace treaties. America entered the war in its final months, providing the allies with much needed support in troops and supplies. A devastated continent retreated to compose itself. On November 11, 1918 Germany negotiated peace with Britain and France and an uncertain calm settled followed by victory celebrations and finally thousands of cries of never again. This would be the war to end all wars. With an estimated 20 million dead or dying this would be the end. But of course, it wasn’t. War has become a constant for modern civilization. Whether it’s a holy war, a civil war, a political war or a war on human rights, somewhere in the world violence and conflict is happening right now.

World War I Store German Picklehaub Helmet World War I - Red Baron Albatros Mauser Replica Automatic Pistol - 1896 World War I 1918 Sopwith F1 Camel

World War I didn’t stop war but the date on which World War I ended has become known across the West as a day to remember all those that have fallen in war.  Whether it’s Armistice Day or Veterans Day or Remembrance Day, the sentiment remains the same. People die for causes they feel just and their bravery, heroism and sheer determination deserve to be remembered by all peoples for all times.

Tags: Archduke Franz Ferdinand, armistice day history, Austria Hungary, Austro Hungarian Empire, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Ypres, chemical weapons, European War, first world war, Gavrilo Princip, Military History, Modern History, Mustard Gas, November 11th, rememberance day, Russian Revolution, Serbia, tanks, The Great War, Trench Warfare, veterans day, war, war to end all wars, world at war, World History, world war 1, world war i, ww1, wwi

The story of the RMS Titanic, an Olympic Class Passenger liner owned by The White Star Line began rather inauspiciously on March 31, 1909 in Belfast, Ireland. J.P. Morgan and his International Mercantile Marine Company formed a venture to fund the construction of the largest luxury liner in the world at the time.

During its construction, the RMS Titanic received much publicity for its enormous size, advanced technology and the amenities it would offer including an indoor pool, a Turkish bath and a gymnasium. Yet, this luxury would come at a price, for in an effort to preserve the Luxurious uncluttered appearance of the ship, the White Star Line outfitted the RMS Titanic with only 20 life boats when it could have carried 48. This decision would have fateful consequences later in the voyage.

The RMS Titanic’s much anticipated maiden voyage began when it set sail from Southampton, England on Wednesday, April 10th, 1912. Some of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent people boarded the First Class cabins on that fateful voyage, including millionaire John Jacob Astor, industrialist Benjamin Guggenheim, Macy’s department store owner Isidor Straus, millionairess Margaret “Molly” Brown, journalist William Thomas Stead, The Count and Countess of Rothes.

Two days later while in the North Atlantic Ocean the RMS Titanic altered its course slightly south due to iceberg warnings it had received from nearby ships in the preceding days. At 11:40pm on the night of April 14th, 1912 amid a clear sky, a calm sea and dropping temperatures, the ship’s two look outs sounded the ship’s bell three times and exclaimed “iceberg ahead!” to warn the Officer’s on the Titanic’s bridge of the impending danger. The Titanic’s First Officer ordered an abrupt turn towards the starboard (right) side and stopped the ship’s engines as a counter measure.

Despite these evasive maneuvers, the RMS Titanic’s starboard side brushed along the large iceberg directly in its path, buckling the hull and causing damage along 299 feet along the ship below the waterline. The collision with the iceberg caused five of the forward compartments to fill with water. The RMS Titanic sank two hours and forty minutes later in the early hours of April 15th, 1912, firmly etching its place in history as the greatest peace time maritime disaster with a loss of life of 1,517 passengers and crew.

Recently, researchers uncovered a confidential investigation by the ships builders around the time of the tragedy that indicated their knowlege of the Titanic’s design flaws. In “Titanic’s Last Secrets”, a book by Brad Matsen, the author chronicles how the investigation into RMS Titanic’s sinking showed that skimpy rivets and a flimsy hull were to blame for the speed in which the Titanic sank. The owners of the White Star Line nevertheless, chose to cover up their findings and blamed the Titanic’s captain, Edward J. Smith for the disaster. The builders over-rode the concerns of their engineer despite suspecting the flimsy quality of the hull because they wanted to get the ship on the seas in time in their quest to win the race against the Cunard shipping line.

In their goal to create a faster ship, the builders chose hull plating a quarter of an inch thinner and rivets an eighth of inch thinner. These building decisions made the Titanic a faster ship, reducing the ship’s weight by 2,500 tons so it could cross English Channel faster than its competition. And since shipbuilding regulations did not keep up with the push towards larger vessels, the thinner specifications still met standards of the day. In the end, incompetance, poor construction, and negligence all played a part in the historic tragedy of this storied ship.

Tags: 20th Century, Historical Events, J.P. Morgan, Maritime History, Modern History, RMS Titanic, Sinking of RMS Titanic