This week!
Disney’s animated film Alice in Wonderland premiered in 1951. The movie about a young girl’s madcap adventures in a topsy-turvy world starred the voice of 10-year- old Kathryn Beaumont, who also acted out her entire performance for the animators to study— blue dress, hair bow and all!
As 600 million people worldwide watched on TV, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon in 1969. In addition to leaving behind an American flag, the crew also left some not-so-well-known mementos, including a patch from the never-launched Apollo 1 mission, goodwill messages from 73 world leaders and a gold pin shaped like an olive branch— a symbol of peace!
The U. S. Postal System
was established in Washington, D.C. in 1775— with Benjamin Franklin as its postmaster general. Franklin held the job until late the next year, when he became America’s first ambassador to France, a post he served in until 1785!
Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia, in 1964. Another of the many other honors bestowed upon the spunky queen of romantic comedies: being People magazine’s pick for “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” in 2015— she was age 50 at the time!
The ancient ruins of Machu Picchu were discovered high in the Andes Mountains of Peru in 1911. Believed to have been a royal estate for Inca emperors, today over 300,000 people visit Machu Picchu annually to tramp up the more than 3,000 steps that link the man- made wonder’s many levels! Photos: courtesy of vendor (11); shutterstock.com; Bruce Glikas/filmmagic; Disney; Stockbyte/getty Images; Apic/getty Images; E+/getty Images; Photographer’s Choice/getty Images; Kidstock/getty Images.
Love the bold fruit- and-wine flavors of sangria? Beat the heat with a trendy sangria granita! This icy dessert is made from fruit juice, wine, water and a bit of sugar to create a light, refreshing treat. ● Here’s how to make it: Heat 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves. Then stir in the juice of 1 orange, juice of 1 lime and juice of 1 lemon. Remove from heat and add 2 cups your favorite red or rosé wine. Pour into a shallow 13"x9" glass or metal baking dish; cover with foil. Freeze for two hours, remove from freezer and drag a fork over it to create ice flakes. Cover again, return to freezer and repeat in two hours. Serve your granita in chilled glasses and enjoy! (Makes 4 servings.)