Famous First Facts: A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries, and Inventions in American History

Reader's review:
The 5th edition of "Famous First Facts" is a virtually complete make over of a classic reference work. Joseph Nathan Kane, who published the first edition over 65 years ago, has been joined by Steven Anzovin and Janet Podell in compiling the information (Mr. Kane was born in 1898, so he's entitled). Some features in the new edition seem confusing at first, but are not a major hindrance to finding information. The first thing an experienced user will notice is that all entries are assigned a 4-digit number, beginning with the first entry on page 1, # 1001, through the last entry, # 8155, on page 629. The five indexes (which take up almost 500 additional pages) use these reference numbers to guide the reader to information. The main change involves the organization of categories, which have been rearranged to be more topical, rather than strictly alphabetical as in previous editions. Broad categories are divided into one or two subcategories. The problem is that not all the entries in the 4th edition have been retained in the current volume. In the 4th edition, for example, the first five entries under the main category FOOTBALL PLAYER list the first (a) Athlete enshrined in 2 Halls of Fame [with a cross-reference to the category Hall of Famer]; (b) Black football player to win the Heisman Memorial Trophy; © Football player to punt 98 yeards; (d) Football player to score 50 points in 1 game; and (e) Woman football player (professional). In the new edition, item (a) which refers to Cal Hubbard, is missing. His name is not in the index. Hubbard is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (as a player) and the Baseball Hall of Fame (as an umpire). Item (b) is now under AWARDS-SPORTS-BASEBALL. Steve O'Neal's 98-yard punt (item ©) has been dropped. Item (d) is under SPORTS AND RECREATION-FOOTBALL. Item (e) can be found under SPORTS AND RECREATION-FOOTBALL-GAMES, with the heading "Professional football game in which a woman participated." Some updating of language is to be expected ("African-American" has replaced "Black"), but other changes might be seen as examples of political correctness. Under WOMAN, the 4th edition lists the first "Heroine publicly rewarded was Hannah Duston." The new edition states, under POPULATION-SETTLEMENT the first "Settler heroine publicly rewarded was Hannah Duston." Two changes in the new edition detract in some measure from its usefulness. Previous editions had references to published source materials at the end of many entries. Older editions also used full personal names wherever possible, with nicknames in quotation marks. In the 4th edition, for example, the entry on Hanna Duston (see previous paragraph) referred the reader to "George Wingate Chase – The History of Haverhill." The 4th edition tells us the first "Baseball player (major league) killed in a game was Raymond Johnson ("Ray") Chapman … who was accidentally hit on the left side of his head by pitcher Carl William ("Willie") Mays … in a game at the Polo Grounds, New York City, on August 16, 1920." The new edition says the first "Major league baseball player killed in a game was Raymond Johnson Chapman … who was accidentally hit on the left side of his head by a pitch thrown by Willie Mays[.]" A youngster reading this entry might think that this Willie Mays is the same Willie Mays who played outfield for the New York/San Francisco Giants in the 1950s and '60s. There is at least one item of misinformation from the 4th edition that has not been corrected. The first postage stamp depicting a Jew was NOT the 3-cent commemorative honoring Samuel Gompers, issued January 27, 1950. It was, in fact, the Four Chaplains 3-cent stamp issued May 28, 1948. The stamp was a tribute to the four military clergymen who went down with the S.S. Dorchester, so that others could take seats in lifeboats. One of the chaplains pictured is Rabbi Alexander D. Goode. I found the following entry a bit puzzling: The first "Pope to visit the White House in Washington, DC, was Pope John Paul II, who flew across the Atlantic in Shepherd 1, landing in Boston, MA, on October 1, 1979. In six days he visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Urbandale, IA, Chicago, and Washington. He returned to Rome from Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, on October 6." Here's a question: On which date did Pope John Paul II visit the White House? The entry doesn't say. One thing I found interesting was that entries within a category or subcategory are arranged chronologically, rather than alphabetically. So, under NEWS, the first four items are "Opinion poll" (1824), "News dispatch by telegraph" (1844), "News dispatch by commercial telegraph" (1844), and "Press censorship by military authorities" (1861). When items are read in order, the reader follows a timeline of the innovations in a given subject. Although I might sound like a nitpicker, I do recommend this book.