We combed through the news to pick a few favorites from the (somewhat) recent past.

From The Archive
These days, pants are our garment of choice. But for years, our ancestors draped themselves in tunics, robes, and gowns, until someone decided they were tired of having the wind up their skirt. So, what prompted the change? When, exactly, did two-legged t
Webster Edgerly had developed a system for “the management of the body and its members” that if carefully studied and committed to memory would turn anyone into “the PERFECT ACTOR.” Here are explicit instructions from “the Shaftesbury Method” on how to pe
It’s no surprise that not every hugely popular retail giant was an instant success, but it may be a little shocking to realize that plenty of well-known stores didn’t even start out selling the stuff they’re best known for now.
The book provides advice in the form of example letters for all sorts of situations. But it is the many matters of the heart that come across as particularly dated and worthy of unraveling more than a century and a half later. Let's take a look at some of
Better late than never.
These dissertation topics were kind of boring. You won't believe what happened next.
What starts with a C and wakes you up first thing in the morning? If you said coffee, you’re half right. But the other half you may not have considered.
Were those prices as cheap as they sound in retrospect, or were they on par with what we’d pay today?
In honor of Flip a Coin Day, here are four big decisions that came down to a simple question: Heads or tails?
Circle, square, triangle—boring! There are so many more shapes than those in nature. Good thing there’s a rich vocabulary of fancy scientific words for shapes. Most of them don’t get much use, which is a shame. Get to know a few of these, and describe you
Scientists and animal rights activists have long wondered if wheel running was a neurotic behavior exclusive to captive mice. But new research on mice in the wild shows that it's possible these rodents run for fun.
It’s happened to all of us. You ordered a Big Mac at the McDonald’s drive-thru, but when you got home and opened the bag, you discovered a Filet-O-’Fish in its place. When this conundrum arises, most people choose between three options: toss the offending
On September 11, 1937, the Washington Post reported that "D.C.'s Lone Girl Motorcyclist Stormed Loudly To Get Permit." The girl was Sally Robinson (married name: Halterman, as she is identified in photo archives) and after nearly a decade of operating mot
DEAR A.J., I’m about to turn 50, and my doctor tells me I should get a colonoscopy. Is this really necessary? It sounds highly unpleasant.—ERICA IN MARYLAND
Popeil Industries filed a number patent requests for subliminal messaging technology and the machinery to implement it.
A few years ago, Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson pointed out that the best way to expose a German spy would be to ask them to say the word “squirrel,” because “no German, no matter how well they speak English, can say ‘squirrel.’” So naturally, someone test