Algorithms: Named after Al-Khwarizmi
Algebra: Named after his book, Al-jabr.
Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
51–60 of 346 posts
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#52Main Street in San Francisco was named after Charles Main. https://mountainviewpeople.blogspot.com/2007/09/charles-main... Here are some more interesting ones... * Mason jar was named after John Landis Mason, 19th century American tinsmith * Guppy (fish) was named after Robert John Lechmere Guppy, 19th century British naturalist * Silhouette was named after Étienne de Silhouette, 18th century French politican * Bloom…
>Main Street in San Francisco was named after Charles Main. I feel this might be a bit of a cheeky urban legend, or at the very least a coincidence. "Main st" has been used in western city's and towns for a lot longer than SF has been around.
It could (conceivably) be that "in San Francisco" is meant literally, and that in San Francisco it's true, even if not the case for other instances of "Main Street" elsewhere, however; a cursory web search leads me to think "urban legend" is by far the more likely. It's always been my understanding that "Main Street" either is currently, or was at some time nearer the town / city's beginning the main street that went through "downtown".
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#53The color “fuchsia” is named after a guy named Fuchs.
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#54Sedona, Arizona.
Named for Sedona Schenbly, of Goren, Missouri. She and her husband had moved to Arizona for their health. He wanted to open a Post Office, but the Post Office authorities didn't favor his suggestion of naming it "Schenblyville Station." Thankfully, he chose to name it after his wife.
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#55German chocolate cake, per Wikipedia, "Originating in the United States, it was named after English-American chocolate maker Samuel German".
I learned this earlier today! My favorite desert too.
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#56One that surprised me recently: Coriolis force. I think I'd always assumed it was some latin-derived term to do with curling or curving, but no: named for Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis.
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#57Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#58The color “fuchsia” is named after a guy named Fuchs.
*The Raven
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#59I've driven the Outerbridge Crossing probably hundreds of times. That one is blowing my mind.
Context for non-New Yorkers: Outerbridge is the southernmost bridge in NYC and New York State, and Staten Island might as well be on Mars for the rest of the city. So the name "Outerbridge" is all the more fitting (and surprising).
Re: Things unexpectedly named after people (2020)
#60One of my favorites is that the creator of Pilates was a guy named Joe Pilates. It’s like if the inventor of yoga was named Vivek Yoga (which is not the case, to be clear.)
Although Bikram Yoga is named after this guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikram_Choudhury