The known history of the Grand Canyon area stretches back 10,500 years when the first evidence for human presence in the area started. Native Americans have been living at Grand Canyon and in the area now covered by Grand Canyon National Park for at least the last 4,000 of those years. Drought in the late 13th century was the likely cause for these cultures to move on. Under direction by conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado to find the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, Captain Garcia Lopez de Cardenas led a party of Spanish soldiers with Hopi guides to the Grand Canyon in September of 1540. Not finding what they were looking for, they left. Over 200 years passed before two Spanish priests became the second party of non-Native Americans to see the canyon. In 1869, U.S. Army Major John Wesley Powell led the Powell Geographic Expedition through the canyon on the Colorado River. This and later study by geologists uncovered the geology of the Grand Canyon area and helped to advance that science. In the late 19th century there was interest in the region because of its promise of mineral resources—mainly copper and asbestos. Although first afforded Federal protection in 1893 as a forest reserve and later as a U.S. National Monument, Grand Canyon did not achieve U.S. National Park status until 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service. Today, Grand Canyon National Park receives about five million visitors each year.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Grand_Canyon_area

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1610:

Polish–Muscovite War: The outnumbered forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth defeated the Russians at the Battle of Klushino. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Klushino

1776:

In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing that the thirteen American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence

1941:

German AB-Aktion operation in Poland: After capturing Lwów, the Nazis executed approximately 45 professors of the University of Lwów. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Lviv_professors

1976:

Israel Defense Forces raided Uganda's Entebbe International Airport to free hostages taken by hijackers on Air France Flight 139. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Entebbe

2005:

The NASA space probe Deep Impact impacted the nucleus of the comet Tempel 1 , excavating debris from its interior to study its composition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Impact_%28space_mission%29

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

pyrotechnics (n): 1. The art and technology of fireworks and related military applications. 2. A display of fireworks. 3. (figuratively) An impressive display http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pyrotechnics

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Every individual has a place to fill in the world, and is important, in some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not. --Nathaniel Hawthorne http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Hawthorne