Born on this date in 1743 was Thomas Jefferson, third US President. 10 things you might not know about him:
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He was one of five people tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence, and is thought to have been its primary author. He was selected for this job by John Adams, the other signer of the declaration who would one day be president. It was Jefferson who first penned the words, “all men are created equal”.
He spoke 6 languages: English, French, Greek, Italian, Latin and Spanish. He preferred writing to speaking and during his life, wrote more than 19,000 letters. He loved to read, as well, and at one point owned one of the largest private collections of books in the US. Until, that is, the British burned the Capitol Building, including the Library of Congress, during the War of 1812. Jefferson sold his personal library to Congress as a replacement, about 6,500 books, at a fraction of its actual value.
He studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He would later teach himself architecture. He designed a house for himself, Monticello, and also the Virginia State Capital and The Rotunda at the University of Virginia. Monticello and The Rotunda are both World Heritage Sites.
In 1772, he married his third cousin, Martha Wayles Skelton, a widow. After she died he’s believed to have started a relationship with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves.
He was the son of a planter and slave owner, and inherited his father’s land and about 30 slaves. Over his lifetime he would own about 600 slaves, more than any other US president.
He was president at the time of the Louisiana purchase and appointed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead an expedition known as the Corps of Discovery to explore the newly acquired territory. The Louisiana Purchase more than doubled the size of the United States, and since it was fertile land, massively reduced America’s dependence on other nations for food.
He collected fossils, and while he was president, someone sent him the gift of the bones of a mastodon. Another of his interests was Wine – he planted vineyards and is regarded as an early American wine expert.
He was also an inventor. His inventions included a revolving book-stand, a clock powered by the gravitational pull on cannonballs, the moldboard plow, (which he never patented and gave to posterity) and the swivel chair, which he created and used to write much of the Declaration of Independence.
He and his old friend John Adams died on the same day, which happened to be the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Legend holds that Adams’ last words were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Unbeknownst to Adams, Jefferson had died a few hours earlier.
Jefferson’s tombstone lists the three achievements in his life that he was the most proud of, as his epitaph. Being president was not one of them. They are: his authorship of the Declaration of Independence; the Statute of Virginia that guaranteed religious freedom; and founding the University of Virginia in 1819.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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