The Bizarre History of White House Pets
→
From Nation, For Nation - Pulse of the Nation
The World's Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival
Every year, over 500 hot air balloons float above Balloon Fiesta Park!
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place in New Mexico and is the world's largest hot air balloon festival!
Up and Away
Every October, the skies over Albuquerque come alive as over 500 hot air balloons float above Balloon Fiesta Park.
However, New Mexico isn't new to hot air ballooning. The history dates back to 1882, with Park Van Tassel. Tassel was an aerial exhibitionist who would go into the air in balloons and jump with parachutes throughout the western United States in the 1880s.
In 1882, Tassel made the first recorded balloon flight in New Mexico.
Ballooning paused for decades until Sid Cutter revived it in 1972 with the first official Balloon Fiesta, featuring 13 balloons. Since then, the event has blown up, now attracting hundreds of balloons and thousands of visitors annually.
Balloons Galore
Balloon Fiesta has moved locations over the years, from Coronado Center to the current Balloon Fiesta Park, each time accommodating more participants.
Special events like the Dawn Patrol and Glowdeo, along with the "Albuquerque Box" wind pattern that allows balloons to return to their launch point, have become staples.
The Fiesta now features balloons from all over the globe, including traditional designs and those, well, not so traditional. This international event is not just a celebration of ballooning, but a testament to the beauty and history of Albuquerque.
→
Bizarre Clothing Rules
Strange But True: The Bizarre Clothing Rules of the Olympic Games
From Globe, For Globe - Pulse of the Planet
Ballot box
Diving Into a Historic Election Relic
A ballot box frozen in time!
Today, we are getting up close with a piece of U.S. election history! That's right, we are taking a look at a wooden ballot box from 1920. Let's dive into the history behind this historical relic!
A Constitutional Amendment
The 19th Amendment, which officially gave women the right to vote, became law on August 26, 1920. But the battle started much earlier.
In 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York, activists met to demand equal rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass, among others, argued for women’s voting rights. Over the years, suffragists held protests, marches, and even went on hunger strikes!
But here’s the catch: this amendment mostly helped white women vote. African American, Native American, and Asian American women still faced voting barriers until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and women with disabilities gained more protections in 1990.
A Historical Relic
Here at Ripley's, we had the honor to get up close with a historic wood ballot box from 1920! This ballot box was used by some of the first female voters in Boston in 1920.
The words "Dist(rict) 17 Ward" are written on the side, and there is even a piece of paper adhered to the inside that says "Women's Ballots in this Box."
Today, we honor the bravery and grit of all the women who fought for equality.
→
Referred by ripleys.com - where the world’s most extraordinary stories are discovered and celebrated.