On December 20, 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union!  Secessionists believed that the United States (the Union), was a confederation, allowing each state to “go its own way” and thus giving each state the right to secede.  Although various sections of the country had been disagreeing for several years over the issues of slavery, tariffs, states’ rights and the differences between agrarian and industrial lifestyles,  the magnitude of the Republican Party victory and the election of Abraham Lincoln  in 1860 created a secessionist response from the Deep South.   Lincoln’s winning meant that approximately three quarters of the elected officials…

Dr. Robert H. Grubbs accepts Nobel Prize from His Majesty the King, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, December 10, 2005 On December 10, 2005, Robert Howard Grubbs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Yves Chauvin and Richard R. Schrock.   This Nobel Prize recognized Grubbs’ work in the development of the metathesis method of organic synthesis.   “Metathesis is a chemical reaction in which atom groups break away and reform, “switching partners”. It is used in organic chemistry and pharmaceutical research, and Grubbs’ work has led to more efficient, simpler and more environmentally benign ways to synthesize medicines…