In 1902, only 23,000 cars were in operation in this country compared with 17 million horses.  Yet, 50 small motor clubs had been formed by motoring enthusiasts across the country.  Nine of those clubs joined together to create a national motoring organization and on March 4, 1902, in Chicago, founded the American Automobile Association.  At the turn of the century, existing roads had been designed for the horse and buggy — not the automobile.  Traveling on those dirt paths was often risky, and AAA’s earliest goal was to lead a fight for improvements in the nation’s roads — ones which could better accommodate automobile traffic.  By 1916, AAA had won a major battle in its campaign for better roads when the principle of federal aid to highways was initiated.  Auto breakdowns have always been a source of frustration to car owners.  In 1915, AAA was the first to introduce a service for stranded motorists and it is now one of the most valued features of a AAA membership.  Calls for roadside assistance average 29 million annually, and is coordinated through a network of nearly 13,000 contract facilities.  Just five years after its founding, AAA established a bureau of touring information to supply members with all available data on roads, hotels, service facilities and motor vehicle laws.  Because early maps were prepared principally for bicyclists, AAA soon began producing its own auto-oriented maps and road logs and, eventually, a series of TourBook® guides and camping directories.  The AAA is a not-for-profit association. 

http://newsroom.aaa.com/about-aaa/history/

AARP, Inc., formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C.  It is a membership organization for people age 50 and over.  AARP operates as a non-profit advocate for its members and as one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.  AARP has two affiliated organizations: AARP Services Inc. which is managed wholly for profit, and the AARP Foundation, a charity that operates on a non-profit basis.  AARP Services Inc. offers Medicare supplemental health insurance, discounts on prescription drugs and consumer goods, entertainment and travel packages, long-term care insurance and automobile, home and life insurance.  It provides quality control over the products and services made available by AARP-endorsed providers.  According to AARP's 2008 Consolidated financials, it was paid $652,000,000 in royalties from insurance companies that sold products referred by AARP. AARP also received an additional $120,000,000 for the advertisements placed in its publications.   The AARP Foundation's website says the nonprofit "wants to win back opportunity for those now in crisis, so thousands of vulnerable low-income Americans 50+ can regain their foothold, continue to serve as anchors for their families and communities and ensure that their best life is still within reach."  Key areas of focus are hunger, income, housing and isolation.  The Foundation's vision is "a country that is free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable."  As of April 2014, AARP says it has more than 37 million members, making it one of the largest membership organizations in the United States.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AARP

E pluribus unum is the motto suggested by the committee Congress appointed on July 4, 1776 to design "a seal for the United States of America."  An accurate translation of the motto is "From Many, One" or Out of Many, One" – a phrase that captures the symbolism on the shield.  See graphics and details at http://greatseal.com/mottoes/unum.html  Discover the source of E Pluribus Unum at http://greatseal.com/mottoes/unumflowers.html

The first use of E Pluribus Unum on coins was in 1795, when it was used on the Half Eagle ($5.00 gold piece.)  The reverse design motif is based on the Great Seal of the United States, and depicts an eagle holding a banner in its beak bearing the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.  The motto was first used on a silver coin three years later in 1798, and appeared on all U.S. gold and silver coinage shortly thereafter.  In 1834, E Pluribus Unum was removed from gold coins to mark a minor debasement in the fineness of the gold.  Once again, the silver coins soon followed, and E Pluribus Unum didn't appear on any U.S. coins again until 1866, when it returned to several coin types, including the Half Eagle, Eagle ($10 gold piece,) Double Eagle ($20.00 gold piece,) silver One Dollar, and Quarter Dollar.  In 1873, a law was passed that required E Pluribus Unum to appear on all U.S. coins when new designs went into effect, and the motto appears on all U.S. coins to this day as a result.  E Pluribus Unum still appears on U.S. coins even though it is no longer the official national motto.  That honor was given to In God We Trust in 1956 by an Act of Congress (36 U.S.C. § 302.)  http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/e_pluribus_unum.htm

The List of World Heritage in Danger is compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the World Heritage Committee according to Article 11.4 of the World Heritage Convention, which was established in 1972 to designate and manage World Heritage Sites.  Entries in the list are threatened World Heritage Sites whose conservation requires major operations and for which "assistance has been requested".   In the case of natural sites, ascertained dangers include the serious decline in the population of an endangered or other valuable species or the deterioration of natural beauty or scientific value of a property by human activities such as logging, pollution, human settlement, mining, agriculture and major public works.  Ascertained dangers for cultural properties include serious deterioration of materials, structure, ornaments or architectural coherence and the loss of historical authenticity or cultural significance.  Potential dangers for both cultural and natural sites include development projects, armed conflicts, insufficient management systems or changes in the legal protective status of the property . In the case of cultural sites, gradual changes due to geology, climate or environment can also be potential dangers.  Before a property is inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger, its condition is assessed and a potential programme for corrective measures is developed in cooperation with the state party involved.  The final decision about inscription is made by the committee.  Find currently listed sites at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_in_Danger

Individuals can ask Google Inc. to remove links to news articles, court judgments and other documents in search results for their name, the European Union's highest court said May 13, 2014—a surprise decision that could significantly disrupt how Google and other search-engine operators work across Europe.  The case centered on the so-called right to be forgotten, which plaintiffs argued before the court gives individuals the opportunity to request old information about them be removed from search engines.  The ruling means that individuals can request operators remove links that come up during searches.  It doesn't mean that the original article or website has to be removed or altered—it would only affect search results.  Frances Robinson  Read much more at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303851804579559280623224964?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303851804579559280623224964.html

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1148  May 14, 2014  On this date in 1607, Jamestown, Virginia was settled as an English colony.  On this date in 1787, in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding, delegates convened a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States.  On this date in 1796, Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox vaccination.