Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artists in the history of music. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901, he began playing the cornet at the age of 13. Armstrong perfected the improvised jazz solo as we know it. Before Armstrong, Dixieland was the style of jazz that everyone was playing.
The nation's fleet of over 100 coal plants is responsible for 57 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., more than any other single electricity fuel source. Coal is typically burned to create steam, which is then piped at high pressure over a turbine, causing it to rotate, producing electricity.
By itself, electricity is an exceptionally clean form of energy but we have to consider how it is generated. Today, about 70% of U.S. electricity is produced from fossil fuels (about 50% from coal, and 20% from natural gas). Nuclear power accounts for another 20%, leaving about 10% coming from renewable resources like wind, water and solar.