If you ask most women, they would say they're always up for wearing a nice necklace. If you ask most men, they'd assert that they're happy to gift one to the woman they love. But chances are you wouldn't be as inclined to wear or give a vibrating social distancing necklace. You're probably wondering what on God's earth that is (as I was when I first read about it on the Smithsonian's website). You may remember that Italy was one of the first countries to get buffeted by the coronavirus. As of this writing, it has led to nearly 33,000 deaths in the European country. Even though the lockdown measures there have largely been eased, businesses big and small are taking steps to curb the virus's spread, and museums are no exception. At Florence Cathedral, electronic devices worn on lanyards will notify visitors if they’re standing too close to their neighbors. How? By vibrating and lighting up, much like a noisy cell phone or a pager you'd ge...

On this day in 1777,  Brigadier General George Clinton was elected as the first governor of the independent state of New York. Clinton would go on to become New York’s longest-serving governor, as well as the longest-serving governor in the United States. He held the post until 1795, and again from 1801 to 1804. In 1805, he was elected vice president of the United States, a position he maintained under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, until his death in 1812. There's no question that politics ran in Clinton's family. His father, Charles, immigrated to New York from Ireland and served in the New York colonial assembly. His brother, James, served as a major general during the Revolutionary War. In addition, James’ son, DeWitt Clinton, would follow in his uncle’s footsteps and serve as the governor of New York from 1817 to 1823. Clinton had a close friendship with George Washington, and his hatred of New York Tories wasn't lost on anyone. In fact, as govern...

I'm happy to say I achieved two feats over the last week: (1) I visited New York City for the first time in my life! You're probably asking, "What took you so long, dude?" Well, I'd never been big on traveling until now, not to mention the fact that my wife and I chose to save up for a while in order to have the wherewithal to go on these trips. (Much like our trip to Boston last summer, vacationing in the Big Apple costs a pretty penny.) What's more, it wasn't until just a few years ago that I morphed into the biggest history nerd on the planet. Now I have a valid excuse to explore historic cities big and small, from New York City to Washington D.C. Museums, anyone? (2) Just as my plane was landing in New York, I finished reading Ron Chernow's behemoth 730-page biography Alexander Hamilton , which inspired the hit Broadway musical .  It was fitting that I completed the book when I did, for Alexander Hamilton, immigrant-turned-Founding-Father a...

Many people know that Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, but do you know that he was arrested on this day in 1807 on charges of plotting to annex Spanish territory in Louisiana and Mexico to be used toward the establishment of an independent republic? Indeed, Burr traveled to New Orleans after finishing his term as Thomas Jefferson's vice president (1801-1805) and met with U.S. General James Wilkinson, who was an agent for the Spanish. Details on what the two plotted is unknown, but historians speculate it may have included the establishment of an independent republic in the American Southwest or the seizure of territory in Spanish America for the same purpose. In the fall of 1806, Burr led a group of well-armed colonists toward New Orleans, leading to an immediate investigation by U.S. authorities. General Wilkinson got cold feet and decided to turn against Burr, sending dispatches to Washington accusing the former vice president of treason. On February 19, 1807...

Today we kiss yet another month goodbye. We only have three months left in the year. Amazing, right? It feels like we were just ringing in 2016. And there was certainly no shortage of headlines in September. It saw the presidential race heat up, with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump edging ever closer to election day. Unfortunately, we witnessed bombings in New York and New Jersey; thankfully, no one was hurt. Eight people did sustain injuries in a stabbing attack at a Minnesota mall, for which ISIS has claimed responsibility. Other stories included the untimely death of Marlins pitcher José Fernandez, who was killed in a boating accident in Miami; Congress overriding President Obama's veto of a bill that will allow the families of people who died on 9/11 to sue Saudi Arabia; and controversial police shootings in North Carolina and Oklahoma that sparked riots in both states. I'm hoping October will be more tranquil and less dramatic than September was. Something t...

When most people think of New York, historic landmarks and attractions like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Chrysler Building come to mind. But few know of the place that happens to be the Big Apple's oldest cultural institution: the New York Society Library. It was founded in 1754 by the New York Society as a subscription library. During the time New York served as the capital of the United States, it was the de facto Library of Congress. It also functioned as the city's library until the New York Public Library was established in 1895. The New York Society Library was patronized by such iconic political figures as George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr, the latter two eventually squaring off in a duel that resulted in Hamilton's untimely death. Interestingly, Washington is believed to have failed to return two books due in 1789. Since 1937, the library has been housed in the former John S. Roger's Mansion on Manha...

I've always wondered why so many people have an aversion to cold weather. Mind you, I live in South Florida, where it can feel like summer year-round (with exception to a couple of days a year in which the temperature dips into the 30s and 40s as a result of a cold front). The humidity here can be hard to bear. Sometimes it's so bad that I have to keep the temperature in my condo in the low 60s. And when a cold shower won't do, I often take a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. I find that it's easier to bundle up when I'm cold -- a heater and cup of hot cocoa can do wonders -- than cool off when it's really hot outside. It doesn't help that, unlike most people I know, I get hot easily. Most of my friends and family members loathe cold weather. They claim to hate hot, humid days just as much, but say they'd choose the latter if they had to pick only one. I think I was meant to live somewhere that sees snow, which I love to behold and touch, ...

On this day in 1901, Connecticut becomes the first state in the U.S. to enact a law regulating motor vehicles. It limited their speed to 12 mph in cities and 15 mph on country roads. Speed limits had been established earlier in the United States, but only for non-motorized vehicles. In 1652, the colony of New Amsterdam (presently New York) issued an order stating that “No wagons, carts or sleighs shall be run, rode or driven at a gallop,” or else the driver would incur a fine of no less than “two pounds Flemish.” In 1899, the New York City cabdriver Jacob German was arrested for driving his electric taxi at 12 mph. The path to the law begin enacted in 1901 began when Representative Robert Woodruff submitted a bill to the State General Assembly proposing a motor-vehicles speed limit of 8 mph within city limits and 12 mph outside of the limits. The law passed in May 1901 specified higher speed limits but required drivers to slow down when approaching or passing horse-drawn vehicles...