Animals That Changed History

Nature 6 Minutes

I found this article on Reader’s Digest and wanted to share!

From Reader’s Digest:

Dolly the sheep proved cloning was possible

On July 5, 1996, this fuzzy little bundle of joy emerged from the belly of one of her three mothers, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Dolly’s birth proved that a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, a technique in which the cell nucleus from an adult cell is transferred into an unfertilized egg, blasted with electricity, then implanted into a surrogate, could work. Dolly died of a lung disease at age six, but the cloning technique used to produce her was later employed on other larger mammals, including pigs, deer, horses, and bulls.

Cher Ami the pigeon saved hundreds of American troops

During World War I, this homing pigeon lived up to her name and was a “dear friend” to the American troops. Cher Ami delivered 12 messages during her service to the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France, but none was more important than the missive she delivered in early October 1918. On that day, Major Charles White Whittlesey and more than 500 men were trapped behind enemy lines without food or ammunition.  Afraid that his battalion would be killed by friendly fire, Whittlesey attempted to send messages to his compatriots via pigeon. The first two birds were shot down, but Cher Ami successfully navigated a barrage of fire to deliver this message: “We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it.” The shelling stopped and the troops were saved. Cher Ami received the Croix de Guerre medal for bravery. Upon her death in 1919, her body was preserved and placed on display at the Smithsonian Institute.

David Greybeard revealed chimpanzees’ true intelligence

Until 1960, scientists believed that humans alone possessed the ability to make and use tools. But on November 4 of that year, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee she had named David Greybeard using a grass stalk to extract termites from a termite hill. Later, Goodall observed David Greybeard and another chimp constructing fishing tools by stripping the leaves off twigs. “[David] was the first chimpanzee who let me come close, who lost his fear,” Goodall told Bill Moyers in 2011. “He helped introduce me to this magic world out in the forest.”

Elsa the lioness inspired wildlife conservation

In 1956, George Adamson, a game warden in Kenya, and his wife Joy adopted a small lion cub they named Elsa. For years, the Adamsons raised and cared for Elsa at their home in Africa, teaching her to hunt on her own and develop the abilities to survive in the wild. Eventually, the couple released Elsa and, surprisingly, she survived. In 1960, Joy wrote a non-fiction book, Born Free, about the experience of raising Elsa. Six years later, a movie based on the book was released to wide acclaim and is credited with promoting wildlife conservation to the general public.

Balto the dog delivered life-saving serum

In 1925, doctors in Alaska faced a deadly dilemma. A diphtheria epidemic was poised to sweep through Nome, Alaska, a city on the state’s far west coast, and the only serum that could save them was in Seattle. Unable to deliver the medicine by plane, officials devised a long-shot alternative: They would use multiple dog sled teams to transport the antitoxin to the village. The team assigned the final leg was led by Balto, a black and white Siberian husky, who ran through a blizzard in the dead of night to deliver the serum. Upon reaching the town in the early morning of February 2, 1925, Balto’s owner Gunter Kaasen uttered a mere three words: “Damn fine dog.”

Jim the horse impressed a president

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the variety show performed by Beautiful Jim Key and his trainer/owner Dr. William Key, was seen by an estimated ten million Americans and written about in every major newspaper. Not bad for a sickly quarter horse and a former slave. Through Bill’s humane training techniques, Beautiful Jim Key “learned” to read, write, spell, add, tell time, sort mail, and use a cash register and telephone—skills he performed in front of delighted audiences across the country. At a time when African-Americans and whites rarely interacted, Beautiful Jim Key’s shows brought them together. When President William McKinley saw one of the Keys’ performances at an exposition in Tennessee, he declared, “This is the most astonishing and entertaining exhibition I have ever witnessed.”

Smoky the dog became a war hero

There’s no shortage of stories of dogs performing heroic acts during wartime. But Smoky wasn’t a husky, or a Newfoundland, or a big, bulky dog saving the day. She was a Yorkie! During World War II, American soldiers were under attack on an airfield in the Philippines. The only way they could communicate from the airfield was by running telephone lines through an underground pipe. Getting humans to place the lines would’ve been challenging and dangerous, so it was Smoky to the rescue! She belonged to a corporal, who called her and helped her find the way through the pipe with the wires attached to her collar. In addition to saving as many as 250 people’s lives by allowing the construction of the communication line, Smoky was also just a morale booster and a calming, happy presence to have around for the soldiers and for hospital patients. She is remembered as one of the earliest-ever therapy dogs.

Pickles the collie thwarted a robbery

And a high-profile robbery, no less. In 1966, the Jules Rimet trophy (the precursor to the FIFA World Cup trophy) was stolen from its supposedly-secure location in London’s Central Hall shortly before the start of the World Cup. The British detectives on the case all came up empty. High-profile companies offered rewards to anyone who found the trophy. And then, a week after the cup disappeared, a man named David Corbett was walking his dog in a South London neighborhood when the pup, Pickles, started sniffing around underneath a bush. Corbett came over to investigate, and, sure enough, the Jules Rimet trophy was tucked underneath, wrapped in newspaper. For his find, Pickles received a silver medal from the National Canine Defense League and even appeared in a spy film called The Spy with a Cold Nose. It’s especially incredible considering that Pickles wasn’t a police dog, or specially trained in any way—he was a regular pet!

Snowball the cat helped solve a murder

In 1994, a murder case rocked the small Prince Edward Island, located off the coast of Canada. A 32-year-old woman named Shirley Duaguay went missing, and her body was found months later. Most people believed that her estranged husband, who was known to be abusive, was to blame. However, there was no evidence to convict him. That is until someone found a bag in the woods containing a blood-stained jacket, sneakers, and some white cat hairs. The victim’s husband, Douglas Beamish, owned a white cat named Snowball. A geneticist at the United Cancer Institute ran a DNA test and matched the cat hairs from the bag with Snowball’s DNA. Paired with some evidence from the victim’s body, Snowball’s “testimony” was enough to convict Beamish. It was the first time non-human DNA was used in a murder case. Since then, pet DNA has helped solve many violent crimes.

Montauciel the sheep was one of the world’s first aeronauts

Long before Sputnik, Laika the Soviet space dog, and even the Wright brothers, there was Montauciel the sheep and his fowl companions. In the 1700s, people wanted to test to see if humans could withstand time spent at high altitudes. There had already been several unmanned hot air balloon flights, and in 1783, the first flight containing a land animal took off. Montauciel the sheep went up in the balloon, accompanied by a duck (a bird already used to high altitudes) and a rooster (a flightless bird). The scientists believed that if a sheep could survive the trip, so could a human. The animals all returned unharmed…mostly. Montauciel apparently kicked the rooster before the balloon took off, the big bully. (Fun fact: his name means “ascend into the sky” in French.)

SOURCE: RD.COM; BETH DREHER and MEGHAN JONES

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Published by pat frederick

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85 thoughts on “Animals That Changed History”

  8. My name is CJ Pearson. I’m 22 years old. And in 25 days, I’ll be joining millions of other young black men and voting for Donald J. Trump!

    And we don’t give a damn about what Barack Obama has to say about it. pic.twitter.com/tKzupKL0N1

    — CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) October 11, 2024

    Liked by 2 people

  11. OK, THIS is what concerns me about Musk – this push to replace humans with robots! WTH would this end up? Sooooo….what are the REAL humans that have always done these things going to do with themselves now? How are people supposed to support themselves? WHERE IS THIS GOING?!?!

    NEW: Elon Musk introduces an army of Optimus robots, says people will be able to buy them to complete tasks. Epic. Musk then said attendees could walk up to the Optimus robots who would do things like serve drinks. “At scale, you should be able to buy an Optimus robot for $20,000 – $30,000.” “It can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend.”

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I can see the appeal to some people–business owners for example. buy a drink making robot once and get an employee for 40 years–or so providing we still have electricity. but it will need to be recharged–and if everyone has one (or more) electricity costs will spike–so is it worth it?
      and then there’s personal service…something robots can’t replace.
      shrug? if you could train robots to do the jobs humans don’t want to do–gutting chickens for example, they could be a boon to mankind.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. And those jobs lost to real humans….how are they to support themselves then? Live off of the government instead? Don’t you think that is exactly what TPTB want?

        Liked by 2 people

        1. i can see both sides. i see the benefits and the pitfalls.
          i mean do you really believe slinging hamburgers at mcd’s is worth $20 an hour??? I have a college degree and never earned $20 an hour. sometimes workers demand too much, but no….i wouldn’t like a robot preparing my food.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. No, I don’t think they are worth $20/hr but inflation has caused that, right? If the artificially-set prices were brought under control….but, again, I really don’t understand such financial matters. But it is those jobs that help kids who are working their way thru college – same with dog walking. What about the women who work as maids or baby sitters to help supplement the family income? Replaced by robots? What are they to do now?

            Liked by 1 person

            1. no, there are some jobs that should not be relegated to robots–but some surgeries are being performed with the assistance of robots.
              automobile assembly line work–the auto workers got greedy–or more importantly their UNIONS got greedy. the more they made (in wages and benefits) the more car prices go up.
              and no…inflation didn’t cause CA to raise minimum wage to $20 an hour. otherwise minimum wage would have increased across the country.
              LAZINESS has infected the country–kids and their phones have infected the country. no one wants to work anymore. entry level jobs were never meant to support a family.

              Liked by 1 person

    3. NO THANKS.

      I really don’t want any of Elon Musk’s inventions – battery vehicles, brain implants, tunnels, Starlink, X, robots.

      Musk is free to invent – but not to impose his inventions upon us – not mandate our use and purchase of his inventions.

      Same with Bill Gates, who is trying to force his evil godless values and agendas on everyone – his vaccines, depopulation, abortions, eugenics and euthanasia.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Well, I have to disagree on X and Starlink, not to mention his space endeavors. IMO, those are all valuable and useful contributions – but when you move into the realm of replacing humans, no, that I can’t countenance.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I’m upset about some of his changes to Twitter. Now, unless you have joined – you can’t read the latest posts on most accounts in order.

          Liked by 2 people

      2. Morning GA!
        on the other hand, millions in the hurricane disaster are able to connect with loved ones because of free starlink–which he is generously allowing to continue free of charge till the end of the year. i am not saying everything he does is brilliant–I am wary too.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Agree about this – and his other endeavors. I’m pretty peeved with him about some of what he did to Twitter. I can read very few accounts latest posts, because I haven’t joined.

          Liked by 1 person

  13. EXCERPT: “Former president Barack Obama, the man who salvaged Joe Biden from the ash heap of political history (an unfortunate move which in turn sadly revived Kamala Harris’ DOA career), continued with his unifying ways Thursday by shaming black men who don’t think that Harris is a great choice for commander-in-chief….”

    “I’ve always hated the left’s use of the word “community.” The “black community,” the “LGBTQ community.” As if, just because people have one thing in common, they all have the same viewpoints on everything. Is there a “white community?” A “heterosexual community?”

    Sure enough, it turns out that plenty of blacks were capable of their own thoughts and found the former president’s remarks to be belittling and deeply obnoxious. Former football great and one-time Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker was less than impressed, calling it a step backward:”

    https://twitter.com/HerschelWalker/status/1844726150678921437
    https://twitter.com/TheWakeninq/status/1844696114043158747

    https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/10/12/the-thrill-is-gone-barack-obamas-scolding-of-black-men-torched-by-prominent-african-americans-n2180466

    Liked by 1 person

  14. ENTIRE ARTICLE @ RedState: “As I’ve noted before, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) has risen to the occasion since becoming GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate in late July, from the way he’s handled the liberal media’s talking points to the way he refuses to back down from a fight and comes armed with receipts so he can start dropping them on his critics when challenged.

    Then there was his beast mode performance at the veep debate, where he made mincemeat of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris is desperately relying on to help her win over male voters, who are flocking to support the Trump-Vance ticket in droves.

    But while Walz’s reported role in part has been to try and assure male voters (as if they need it) that manliness won’t be a thing of the past in America if the Harris-Walz team is elected, Vance’s actual manly demeanor and style has been on full display in recent events, including one Thursday in North Carolina.

    Vance was in Greensboro for a town hall-style campaign stop that also featured former professional racing star Danica Patrick interviewing him, with the Senator also taking questions from the audience.  While Vance was of course critical of the Democrat ticket, one moment during the event stood out from the rest.

    As Vance was listening to someone talking, a woman could be heard behind him letting out a scream. Vance was immediately on alert and got up to see what the problem was, asking if she was okay. Moments later, he quipped, “Kamala Harris built this platform behind us, that’s what happened” before again asking if she was okay.

    “We doing okay, ma’am? We good?”

    Now, I’m sure that woman was probably mortified as the situation unfolded but once she got home she had quite the story to tell, didn’t she? I can just hear it now.

    “JD Vance came to my rescue! You shoulda seen those blue eyes.”

    Come on ladies, you know that’d be exactly how you’d frame it, too, if you had been in her shoes! If y’all think I’m just joking, just remember, after the vice presidential debate talk turned in certain, ahem, circles to Vance’s eyes as though voters were just discovering their blue color. 

    And though yes that’s a superficial thing and has nothing to do with a candidate’s position on the issues, as my colleague Nick Arama said at the time, “It’s the intelligence and the policy that are the important things, but this definitely is also a plus.”

    I think that especially holds true when you see a candidate/politico project the utmost confidence in themselves and their abilities without coming across as arrogant about it.

    It is something we also saw just a few days ago with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when he point-blank declared “Just let me be clear, we run the show” and “I’m the sheriff that’s in charge here, and we will make sure to protect you. Don’t worry about it.” This was said in response to people who had concerns about how FEMA would do things in Florida after Hurricane Milton.

    People should not underestimate the power of these moments, and the calm they elicit from voters in emergency situations (in Vance’s case) or in a time of crisis (in DeSantis’ case). They’re endearing and genuine enough that it might just cause a fence sitter to finally jump off and pick a side.

    As Nick Arama also said, “When you’re in a tough battle, every little bit helps.” That was true yesterday, was true today, and will be true on Election Day, too.”

    Liked by 1 person

  16. EXCERPTS: “The Florida school district that birthed Moms for Liberty as a repudiation of its COVID-19 mandates on their children is parenting the conservative group all wrong, so to speak, according to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

    Its Tuesday ruling smacked down Brevard Public Schools and four current and former school board members for unconstitutional restrictions on public comments at their meetings in a lawsuit by Moms for Liberty’s founding Brevard County chapter and its members, putting public schools on notice across the court’s jurisdiction of the Sunshine State, Alabama and Georgia.

    The opinion by Judge Britt Grant, joined by fellow President Trump nominee Judge Barbara Lagoa, overturns the trial court’s summary judgment for the district, citing several incidents in 2021 that crossed the constitutional line for the Atlanta-based circuit….”

    “…It’s a major win for Moms for Liberty after a nearly three-year legal battle to stop the “repeated interruption, silencing and even removal of parents from meetings when they attempted to voice their concerns about school policies, curricula or leadership when addressing the board,” their lawyers at the Institute for Free Speech said Wednesday.

    “This decision sends a clear message that school boards cannot use vague policies to silence criticism or discussion of uncomfortable topics,” said IFS Vice President of Litigation Alan Gura.

    “When the government seeks to mute the voices of parents, it is the brave among us – those who refuse to be silenced – who become the vanguard of accountability and change,” Moms for Liberty cofounder Tiffany Justice said. She and Tina Descovich founded the group after leaving the Brevard school board….”

    https://justthenews.com/nation/free-speech/moms-liberty-defeats-school-district-birthed-it-speaking-rules-deemed

    Liked by 1 person

    1. finally!
      power corrupts…absolute power corrupts absolutely.
      these little tin pot dictators–school boards, borough councils, whatever think they have this immense power to silence people in public forums…it’s crazy

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Just The News: “Former President Donald Trump will take part in a town hall next week that focuses on issues affecting women, in front of an all-female audience in Cumming, Georgia.

    The event will be hosted by Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner on Wednesday, Oct. 15, and will be aired during her show “The Faulkner Focus” on Thursday, Oct. 16. Fox News said on Friday that it has also extended a standing town hall invitation to Vice President Kamala Harris as well.

    The town hall will feature questions on issues like abortion, immigration, healthcare, and the economy.

    “Women constitute the largest group of registered and active voters in the United States, so it is paramount that female voters understand where the presidential candidates stand on the issues that matter to them most,” Faulkner said in a statement. “I am looking forward to providing our viewers with an opportunity to learn more about where former President Trump stands on these topics.”

    The town hall format is a change from presidential debates, which usually occur three times during an election year. Trump has participated in two presidential debates so far, and has rejected calls for a third debate, claiming that it is now too late in the cycle to hold debates because early voting has begun. 

    CNN has also extended invitations to both campaigns for separate townhalls in Pennsylvania on Oct. 23. But only Harris’s campaign has accepted the invitation so far, according to Axios.

    The Fox News town hall will air at 11 a.m. Eastern.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Trump has always been a showman, but Kamala has operated mostly behind the scenes. I’m more concerned with the Electoral College, which is only vaguely referenced in the Constitution. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems the Electoral College is constricted by a separate set of rules. Why don’t we know who these individuals are in each state?

        Trump’s life has been very public for years. And Melania is now revealing herself as being an independant woman. My question is: Will this female-only audience include Melania’s viewpoint? I respect what she has to say. Kamala, not so much . . .

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Just The News: “The number of people who died as a result of Hurricane Milton hitting Florida has increased to 16 as of Friday, according to news reports.

    The storm hit the state’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane, swept across Florida, then went into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday morning.

    Among the most recent deaths is a man in his 60s found dead Thursday in the Orlando area, after he apparently stepping on a downed power line, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.

    CNN as of Friday morning list the storms death toll by county as:

    Orange: 1

    St. Lucie: 6

    Pinellas: 2

    Volusia: 4

    Citrus: 1

    Hillsborough: 1

    Polk: 1

    Liked by 1 person

  19. really interesting question.

    Rhh0nda
    October 12, 2024 9:32 am

    V.P. Mike Pence certified the 2020 Presidential election but he wasn’t a Presidential Candidate, Kamala is.

    So if she wins, will she be certifying her own election?

    What role, if any will House Speaker Johnson play?

    Really curious.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. “Yes, VP Kamala Harris can certify the election results even if she’s a presidential candidate

      The vice president can still oversee the counting of Electoral College votes if they are a presidential candidate. It’s happened multiple times throughout history.”

      https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/elections-verify/yes-vp-kamala-harris-can-certify-the-election-results-even-if-shes-a-presidential-candidate/536-6eb8fc15-c36f-4ca9-87c3-376a2e16442a

      EXCERPT: “…..On Jan. 6, Trump targeted Congress’ ratification of the Electoral College’s vote. He tried to exploit the vice president’s role in reading out the states’ electors to get Mike Pence to block Biden from becoming the next president by omitting some states Biden won from the roll. The new provisions make clear that the vice president’s responsibilities in the process are merely ceremonial and that the vice president has no say in determining who actually won the election….”

      https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/congress-approves-new-election-certification-rules-in-response-to-jan-6

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Special Reports: WHO: Monkeypox Is ‘Side Effect’ of Covid ‘Vaccine’

    Super Spreader, 1 hr. ago

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The United Nations’ (UN) World Health Organization (WHO) has admitted that “monkeypox” is actually a “side effect” of Covid mRNA “vaccines.” The admission is buried on the WHO’s VigiAccess website. The website contains a database that lists all known side effects of all drugs and vaccines that have been approved for public use.

    Under “potential side effects” for the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the WHO lists “monkeypox,” “smallpox,” and “cow pox” among hundreds of other disorders.

    They are listed under “infections and infestations” that emerge as “side effects” of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.

    The website is a searchable database that doesn’t provide direct links to the information. However, you can find the information for yourself by following these steps:

    • Visit the VigiAccess website
    • Scroll to the bottom and click “Search database”
    • Search for “BioNTech”
    • In the list search results, click on “Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine”
    • Click “Ok” in the Dialog Box that shows up
    • Under “Reported potential side effects,” click on “Infections and infestations”
    • Scroll down and continue clicking “Load More” until you see “Smallpox (15)”
    • Continue scrolling and clicking “Load More” until; you see “Monkeypox (6)” and “Cow pox (5)”

    Please note that the database worked at the time of publishing.“

    Source:

    https://slaynews.com/news/who-admits-monkeypox-side-effect-covid-vaccine/

    Liked by 1 person

  28. “Two teachers fired, not arrested, for drugging small children during class…This isn’t an isolated incident. This keeps happening over and over across the US. The story is just the latest, happening a few days ago…

    The first case I found was 11 years ago, when a teacher was caught by another adult dropping sominex in kids’ cups. She was fired and jailed after admitting what she did…

    The rest of the cases are from the last couple of years, most of which had been happening during the entire school year before parents got wise (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,and apparently this is happening abroad as well…).

    Teachers are applying “sleepy stickers” to the kids’ arms so they’ll stay docile during the day. Parents couldn’t understand why their children weren’t eating or sleeping at night until a sticker was left on a child who returned home.

    All but one of these cases were handled with no jail time. Schools either covered it up until they couldn’t, or put the teachers on administrative leave (meaning they continued getting a paycheck) until the dust settled.

    Kudos to the parent who blew the whistle to other parents when the school chose to protect the teacher over informing anyone of what was done to their kids.

    But WTF is going on?”

    Liked by 1 person

  29. “Northern Lights in Mexico? Believe it. On the night of Oct. 10-11, auroras descended all the way to the tropics:

    René Saade photographed the display from the beach at Mazatlan, Sinaloa

    Another notable low-latitude sighting comes from Priscilla Coote in Key West (+24.7 N):

    These remarkably low latitude sightings highlight the rarity of the Oct. 10-11, 2024, geomagnetic storm. Such a display has occurred only a handful of times in the 21st century…”

    Liked by 1 person

  30. EXCERPT: “Walz went to a football game at the school that he and his wife Gwen used to teach at in Mankato, Minnesota. Tim was a social studies teacher and a defensive coordinator for the football team. 

    But it didn’t all go well. Walz got a very pointed message from some in the area. Former GOP Rep. Jeremy Munson did manage to get a little bit of a troll in on Walz. He and others commissioned a plane to fly over the stadium before the game with a banner that read “Bench Coach Walz – Trump 2024.” 

    Now it didn’t fly over the game, likely because of security, but it did manage to fly over Mankato.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. “Then on Saturday morning, Walz went out with some influencers and his daughter to join a pheasant hunt. Even MSNBC was calling it out for the blatant effort to appeal to men. Everyone knows they have a problem with men.”

      Liked by 1 person

  34. “Nicely restored”

    “This pool is ours!”

    “The Tees Transporter Bridge, Teeside, Northern England
    The bridge, opened in 1911, crosses the River Tees between the towns of  Port Clarence and Middlehaven. The bridge carries a travelling ‘car’, or ‘gondola’, suspended below the fixed structure, across the river in 90 seconds. The gondola can carry 200 people, nine cars, or six cars and one minibus. The bridge has not been operational since 2019 and it is not expected to return to operation for a number of years.”

    Liked by 1 person

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