Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Writes about: History , literature

Islington, London

Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe

Since the dawn of time, people have found nifty ways to clean up after the bathroom act. But the idea of a commercial product designed solely to wipe one's bum? That started about 150 years ago, right here in the U.S.A.... READ ON

15 Fast Facts About the London Tube

A vasectomy kit, a harpoon gun, false teeth, and six full-sized mannequins are just a few of the many strange things that passengers have left behind.... READ ON

The Incredible Adventures of Gabriel García Márquez

The Nobel Prize-winning author, who would have turned 91 years old today, is the subject of today's Google Doodle.... READ ON

A Brief History of Swedish Fish

The friendly Swedish Fish are a staple of the U.S. candy scene, a denizen of nearly every movie theater counter and convenience store. But where did they come from? And why fish? Why not Swedish Reindeer? Or Geese? There isn't a lot of research on Swedish Fish out there, but here's what we know.... READ ON

5 Forgotten Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm

Here are some of the more bizarre Grimm tales that didn’t quite merit the Disney treatment.... READ ON

7 People Who Hated Pride and Prejudice

Despite how beloved 'Pride and Prejudice' is, there have been plenty of people who hated it.... READ ON

Rose Totino, Patron Genius of Frozen Pizza

Say a thanks for Rose. Frozen pizza used to taste terrible. Then this sweetly badass nonna fixed it.... READ ON

15 Shimmering Questions About Glitter, Answered

Where does glitter come from? Why does it exist? And how in the name of all that is good can you get it off the upholstery?... READ ON

6 Creative Ways Countries Have Tried to Up Their Birth Rates

How do you make people make more people?... READ ON

The Surprisingly Cool History of Ice

Until two centuries ago, ice was just an unfortunate side effect of winter. But in the early 1800s, one man saw dollar signs in frozen ponds.... READ ON

8 Historical Methods of Detecting Pregnancy

Before home pregnancy tests, the most reliable test was just to wait and see. But women still wanted to know as early as possible whether or not they were harboring a tiny human.... READ ON

30 of the Best Parents in Literature

A lot of books deal with a parent’s complete unsuitability for the role. But there are good fictional moms and dads out there!... READ ON

9 Historical Methods for Determining the Sex of an Unborn Baby

Before modern technology could tell expectant parents the sex of their child, how did you tell whether you were carrying a boy or a girl? And even more important, could you choose which?... READ ON

A Brief History of Snow Globes

When a surgeon came to Erwin Perzy for help, it wasn't because he wanted a tiny globe he could shake.... READ ON

11 Things Prince Charles Does With His Time

Here's how the Prince of Wales keeps busy.... READ ON

12 Terrible Pieces of Advice for Pregnant Women

We’ve compiled some of the best worst pregnancy advice through the ages. Please don't tell any pregnant women they shouldn't look at monkeys.... READ ON

Clementine Paddleford: The Badass Lady Pilot Who Revolutionized the Art of Food Writing

With a name like Clementine Paddleford, she should have been unforgettable. So why don’t you know who she is?... READ ON

Arnold: The Watch that Conquered London

In 19th-century England, the right time was money.... READ ON

101 Masterpieces: The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York on June 17, 1885.... READ ON

What Is Prince William on Paternity Leave From?

11 Fascinating Facts About 'Watership Down'

9 Ways The Art of War Conquered the World

Everyone from New England Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick to Tupac Shakur has supposedly read the 2500-year-old text’s 13 chapters on the 13 aspects of warfare.... READ ON

A Brief History of Princess Leia’s Buns

George Lucas claims that Princess Leia's iconic buns are from turn-of-the-century Mexico, but our investigation into the matter tells a different story.... READ ON

7 Things You May Not Know About ‘Matilda’

10 Things You Might Not Know About 'Anne of Green Gables'

7 Animals That Jump for Fun and for Sport

10 Celebrities Who Spied on the Side

For some of these big-name personalities, spying taught them the skills that made them famous; for others, being famous made them the perfect spies.... READ ON

Sex Parties, Scandal, and Booze: 5 Naughty Princesses

No one over the age of Disney really believes that being a princess is really all it's cracked up to be.... READ ON

4 Historical Royal Birthing Traditions

We can’t tell you happened in Kate Middleton's delivery room. But we can tell you what it was like for other historical royal women.... READ ON

11 Patron Saints of Food, Drink, and Those Who Make Them

8 More Surprising Things Banned by the BBC

The BBC takes its role as an arbiter of taste, morals, ethics, and standards very seriously—so it doesn’t show just anything. But what the BBC decides to ban or not allow is, well, sometimes a little weird.... READ ON

11 Reasons the BBC Has Banned Hit Songs

Here are a few things that got songs banned from the Beeb.... READ ON

Black Cat Bones, Crocodile Dung, and Coca-Cola: 9 Fascinating Historic Methods of Contraception

This might not be the time for the birds and the bees talk, but sometimes, when a man and a woman love each other, they have sex—but they don’t always do it to make a baby. In fact, sometimes, they are very much not in the market for a baby. So before the veritable cornucopia of contraceptive options available to copulating couples today, how did people make love without making dependents?... READ ON

Marie Manning: The Original Dear Abby

Marie Manning wanted to report on crimes. Instead, she invented the advice column.... READ ON

If Kate Has Twins, Which One Will Assume the Throne?

Britons woke up yesterday morning to gleeful headlines declaring that the former Kate Middleton, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant. It was, of course, something British tabloids already knew—every time the Duchess turned down a glass of wine in favor of water or happened to rest her hand on her stomach, she was instantly and obviously pregnant.But this time around, she actually is. However, the happy couple was forced to explain to the salivating British press much earlier than they... READ ON

5 Historical Manias That Gripped Societies, Then Disappeared

“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.”... READ ON

10 Scandalous VP Stories Worth a Warm Bucket of Spit

This morning Mitt Romney tapped Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. John Nance Garner, FDR's first vice president, either said the VP position wasn't worth "a warm pitcher of piss" or "a warm bucket of spit." Whatever body fluid and receptacle he really used, you get the idea. But that doesn't mean there haven't been some wild scandals along the way. 1. Chester Arthur Was Canadian! Garfield's VP Chester Arthur took office under the thickest cloud of suspicion. As a lieutenant in... READ ON

5 Articles of Clothing That Caused Riots

Note: This article was originally published in 2009. We're currently switching to a new hosting provider, and it's a messy process. So while we wait for the "OK, you can start posting again" note from the server migration people, we'll be putting up a few stories you may have missed the first time around.The clothes may make the man, but sometimes it's what the clothes make the man do that makes the story. Throughout history there have been more than a few instances of an article of clothing actually... READ ON

A Brief History of Garden Gnomes

At the risk of accidentally sounding biblical, we regret to report that gnomes have been banished from the garden.... READ ON

Light Heart, Dark Humor: The Man Behind The Addams Family

Cartoonist Charles Addams was almost as bizarre as the characters he drew. His most famous creation, The Addams Family, has been reincarnated time and again during the past 70 years, coming back to life from the grave. Are his drawings morbid? Sure. But they’re also... READ ON

A Brief History of Flintstones Vitamins

The Flintstones has been off the air and in syndication since 1966. But Flintstones Vitamins remain on the shelves and in homes, despite the fact that this generation of children probably has no clue who Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty and Dino are.... READ ON

10 of the Best Parents in Fiction

It’s a lot more difficult than you might think to find good parents in fiction: Perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of fiction deals either with the lack of a parent—being a cardinal rule of children’s fiction to ditch the parents—or a parent’s complete unsuitability for the role. But there are a few out there, parents who make you think, “Gee, I wish my parents were like that.” Here’s our totally comprehensive, really scientific overview of good parenting in fiction: 1. Atticus Finch To... READ ON

Vaseline: The Miracle Jelly Turns 140

It's difficult to find anything, especially a commercial product, that hasn't really changed in 140 years. But Vaseline, that miracle product that is used for everything from softening tough skin to keeping beauty queens smiling, may just fit the bill. Vaseline turned up on the market in 1870—and the world has been just a bit softer, maybe a bit greasier since. From Rod Wax to... READ ON

What Happened to Marie Antoinette's Children?

While the story of Marie Antoinette ends with her beheading in 1793, the tragedy of her family continued to unfold long after her death.... READ ON

Dear Valentine: A Brief History of Great Love Letters

For as long as people could write, it seems, the more romantic and less self-conscious have been penning love letters. But in the era of texting ("luv u") and tweeting and emailing, the visceral pleasure of a handwritten love letter is largely lost. What grammar school kid even gets an "I like you, do you like me? Check yes or no" note anymore? And sure, an email can explain the depths to which you love your "own dear boy," your "Best Beloved," or your... READ ON

Inside the World of Fan Fiction

Fan fiction—that is, fiction that uses an existing universe created by another author and expands (or pirates) it—has literally been around for centuries. Consider the "infancy gospels," later texts that explored the life of the infant Christ and other figures in the original gospels. But right now, we are living in an unprecedented era of devoted—even rabid—fandom, where the dedication of a few can actually bring a dead series back from the brink (Firefly), can... READ ON

A Christmas Tree Rental Service

These days, you can rent just about everything—Segways, leprechauns, little people, sheep, dogs. And here in the UK, a very clever and environmentally concerned businessman came up with a brilliant idea: Rent out Christmas trees for the holiday season. The whole thing works like this: The renter orders a tree, choosing between three models (the Fraser fir, the Norway spruce, and the Nordmann fir), in sizes between 5 and 8 feet tall. The tree is then delivered to the customer's door in a... READ ON

The History of Hollywood's 'It Girls' (And Their Tragic Downfalls)

Heavy is the head that wears the "It Girl" tiara.... READ ON

Happy World Toilet Day!

According to the World Toilet Organization—yes, there is actually a World Toilet Organization—2.5 billion people worldwide are without access to proper sanitation, like a working toilet. Much more than just an inconvenience, poor sanitation and crappy toilets (sorry) are hugely detrimental to the health of people living under those conditions, leading to the deaths of around 1.8 million people, mostly children, each year. The World Toilet Organization is asking people around the world to... READ ON

6 Multi-Purpose Wonder Bras

You might think that bras are pretty much fulfilling their function in life—they do their job and most of the time, they do it well. But lucky for us, some very creative inventors disagree. This post is for all of you who wear bras and have thought, "Man, I wish this thing did something else." 1. The Putting Mat Bra Evidently, golfing has been growing in popularity among Japanese women—so much so that lingerie designer Triumph recently released the Nice Cup in Bra, a bra and... READ ON

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