---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a long time, I'd been vaguely…"
description: "\"For a long time, I'd been vaguely fascinated by the idea that Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in the same summer.\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png"
---

#  For a long time, I'd been vaguely fascinated by the idea…

![“For a long time, I'd been vaguely fascinated by the idea that Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in the same summer.” quote by Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png)

> “For a long time, I'd been vaguely fascinated by the idea that Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in the same summer.”

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

It reflects a quirky fascination with unlikely historical coincidences.

**In simple terms:** Interesting oddities in history catch our imagination.

Key Takeaway

Explore surprising facts that connect different fields.

Themes

curiosity history coincidence

Mood

wonderful engaging

Type

informative inspirational

When to use this quote

- learning
- teaching
- storytelling

Key Concepts

interconnectedness randomness historical trivia

Questions to Reflect On

- What unexpected connections have you discovered?
- Why do we enjoy surprising historical pairings?

A Different Perspective

Such coincidences may be rare and not always meaningful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Babe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babe/) [Babe ruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babe-ruth/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charles-lindbergh/) [Fascinated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascinated/) [Fascinated Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascinated-idea-447082/) [Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flew/) [Flew Atlantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flew-atlantic-5060769/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Home run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-run/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lindbergh-691033/) [Lindbergh Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lindbergh-flew-5060768/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Plane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plane/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Ruth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruth/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I hadn't realized quite how extraordinary Charles Lindbergh's achievement was in flying the Atlantic alone. He had never flown over open water before, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-hadn-t-realized-quite-how-extraordinary-charles-lindbergh-s/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“Not even much survives as memory. Many of the most notable names of the summer—Richard Byrd, Sacco and Vanzetti, Gene Tunney, even Charles Lindbergh—are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/not-even-much-survives-as-memory-many-of-the-most-notable-names-of/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“Influential Americans such as Charles Lindbergh opposed war with the Nazis under the slogan “America First.” It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/influential-americans-such-as-charles-lindbergh-opposed-war-with-the/)

[Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/)

> [In 1994, to motivate me to complete my pilot's license, my good friend, Gregg Maryniak, gave me Charles Lindbergh's autobiography of his solo flight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/in-1994-to-motivate-me-to-complete-my-pilot-s-license-my-good-friend/)

[Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/)

> [If Charles Lindbergh, flying with no instruments other than a bologna sandwich, managed to cross the Atlantic and land safely on a runway completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-charles-lindbergh-flying-with-no-instruments-other-than-a-bologna/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [This fellow Charles Lindbergh will never make it. He's doomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-frank-guggenheim/this-fellow-charles-lindbergh-will-never-make-it-he-s-doomed/)

[Harry Frank Guggenheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-frank-guggenheim/)

> [I never realized that batting a little ball around could cause so much commotion. I now know how (Charles) Lindbergh must have felt when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-musial/i-never-realized-that-batting-a-little-ball-around-could-cause-so/)

[Stan Musial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-musial/)

> [I don't know of a soul who packed more living into 72 years than Charles Lindbergh did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-scott-berg/i-don-t-know-of-a-soul-who-packed-more-living-into-72-years-than/)

[A. Scott Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-scott-berg/)

> [“Now, I’m giving up both land and day. Now, I’m heading eastward across two oceans, one of night and one of water. —CHARLES LINDBERGH”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hampton/now-i-m-giving-up-both-land-and-day-now-i-m-heading-eastward-across/)

[Dan Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hampton/)

> [A reflection of my feelings about the space program is found in a quotation from Charles A. Lindbergh's "Autobiography of Values." It reads, "Whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wise/a-reflection-of-my-feelings-about-the-space-program-is-found-in-a/)

[Robert Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wise/)

> [Glenn's 1962 Mercury flight was fraught with dramatics, from his 'Zero G and I feel fine!' exultation upon entering orbit to his reentry with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-hickam/glenn-s-1962-mercury-flight-was-fraught-with-dramatics-from-his-zero/)

[Homer Hickam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-hickam/)

> [“desire to know more. I hope my novel accomplishes this, and I highly recommend the following books that I found very useful: Anne Morrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/desire-to-know-more-i-hope-my-novel-accomplishes-this-and-i-highly/)

[Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/)

> [For most of the twentieth century, a Minnesotan abroad could fix his home state in the cosmos by invoking for his hosts the name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rushin/for-most-of-the-twentieth-century-a-minnesotan-abroad-could-fix-his/)

[Steve Rushin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rushin/)

> [In the 1920s, everyone wanted to be a celebrity. Everyone wanted to be like Babe Ruth or Charles Lindbergh. ... Businessmen, in particular, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-eig/in-the-1920s-everyone-wanted-to-be-a-celebrity-everyone-wanted-to-be/)

[Jonathan Eig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-eig/)

> [“and all children everywhere go through a phase in which they become oddly fascinated with the idea of “gone” and “all gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/and-all-children-everywhere-go-through-a-phase-in-which-they-become/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

## More by Bill Bryson

> [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“But Welsh spellings are as nothing compared with Irish Gaelic, a language in which spelling and pronunciation give the impression of having been devised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/but-welsh-spellings-are-as-nothing-compared-with-irish-gaelic-a/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“Pantaloons were often worn tight as paint and were not a great deal less revealing, particularly as they were worn without underwear. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/pantaloons-were-often-worn-tight-as-paint-and-were-not-a-great-deal/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [If you go out on the Appalachian Trail, you have to bring so much more equipment - a tent, sleeping bag - but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-you-go-out-on-the-appalachian-trail-you-have-to-bring-so-much-more/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“The dining table was a plain board called by that name. It was hung on the wall when not in use, and was perched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-dining-table-was-a-plain-board-called-by-that-name-it-was-hung-on/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“From almost nothing, France in four years built up an aircraft industry that employed nearly 200,000 people and produced some 70,000 planes. Britain built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/from-almost-nothing-france-in-four-years-built-up-an-aircraft/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/every-twenty-minutes-on-the-appalachian-trail-katz-and-i-walked/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“A diarist named George Templeton Strong recorded in the winter of 1866 that even with two furnaces alight and all the fireplaces blazing, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/a-diarist-named-george-templeton-strong-recorded-in-the-winter-of/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/tune-your-television-to-any-channel-it-doesn-t-receive-and-about-1/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [Nobody gets excited about the future at all, ever. The future is something we find depressing and worrisome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/nobody-gets-excited-about-the-future-at-all-ever-the-future-is/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/what-made-this-particularly-interesting-is-that-john-howard-is-by-far/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by 'we' I mean every living thing. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-this-book-has-a-lesson-it-is-that-we-are-awfully-lucky-to-be-here/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

[Explore all 656 Bill Bryson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

## More Babe quotes

> [ROSES ARE RED VIOLETS ARE BLUE YOU DID ME WRONG SO GUESS WAT BABE??FUKK YU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica/roses-are-red-violets-are-blue-you-did-me-wrong-so-guess-wat-babe/)

[JESSICA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica/)

> [You two faced threw your teeth u ain't nun but babe daddy go wash your feet go with the girl u so call sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherrykee/you-two-faced-threw-your-teeth-u-ain-t-nun-but-babe-daddy-go-wash/)

[Cherrykee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherrykee/)

> [“You’re all mine, babe. Knew it the first time I saw you. Couldn’t give you up if I tried.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-wylde/you-re-all-mine-babe-knew-it-the-first-time-i-saw-you-couldn-t-give/)

[Joanna Wylde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-wylde/)

> [The home run became glorified with Babe Ruth. Starting with him, batters have been thinking in terms of how far they could hit the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rogers-hornsby/the-home-run-became-glorified-with-babe-ruth-starting-with-him/)

[Rogers Hornsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rogers-hornsby/)

> [You love young ones and babes, I know this. The young will always befriend and admire you...all the young ones of the earth belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jacques/you-love-young-ones-and-babes-i-know-this-the-young-will-always/)

[Brian Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jacques/)

> [I just hate it when my baby try to chill with some other guy..hunny.!.if u really want to chill then please use A.C. not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritzy/i-just-hate-it-when-my-baby-try-to-chill-with-some-other-guy-hunny-if/)

[Ritzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritzy/)

> [“My heart slammed into my chest when he called her babe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-elliott/my-heart-slammed-into-my-chest-when-he-called-her-babe/)

[Kelly Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-elliott/)

> [Wine is the drink of the gods, milk the drink of babes, tea the drink of women, and water the drink of beasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-blackie/wine-is-the-drink-of-the-gods-milk-the-drink-of-babes-tea-the-drink/)

[John Stuart Blackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-blackie/)

> [I need a man who can call me beautiful with no makeup on, who can be himself around me, who can kiss me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idk/i-need-a-man-who-can-call-me-beautiful-with-no-makeup-on-who-can-be/)

[Idk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idk/)

> [“I shan't make a fuss over the babe's father.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-e-pearson/i-shan-t-make-a-fuss-over-the-babe-s-father/)

[Mary E. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-e-pearson/)

> [This Christmas, as the spirit of the season permeates our hearts, let us do something that expresses our feelings in an outward way, showing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-e-stevenson/this-christmas-as-the-spirit-of-the-season-permeates-our-hearts-let/)

[Gary E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-e-stevenson/)

> [Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-as-the-unborn-babe-is-in-the-womb-of-his-mother-these-five-are/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The Babe is one fellow, and I'm another and I could never be exactly like him. I don't try, I just go on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gehrig/the-babe-is-one-fellow-and-i-m-another-and-i-could-never-be-exactly/)

[Lou Gehrig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gehrig/)

> [“Babe, the only times I've been in you have been too fast. The next time I strip you down, I want to take my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/babe-the-only-times-i-ve-been-in-you-have-been-too-fast-the-next-time/)

[Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/)

> [Cute babe whom I love a lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reynold/cute-babe-whom-i-love-a-lot/)

[Reynold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reynold/)

[Browse all 528 Babe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "For a long time, I'd been vaguely fascinated by the idea that Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in the same summer.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Bryson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-charles/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Babe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-charles/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34e/bill-bryson-340_babe_for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascina_626985.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For a long time, I'd been vaguely fascinated by the idea that Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and Babe…” — Bill Bryson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Bryson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "For a long time, I'd been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-charles/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/for-a-long-time-i-d-been-vaguely-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-charles/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
