HISTORY
Livin’ on the Wedge: The Long, Strange History of a Disputed Border
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, my home sweet home, is home to its fair share of oddities (see exhibits A, B, C and D). But one of the strangest stories involves our southern border and the controversy that surrounded it for more than a century. The We
5 Things You Didn't Know About Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh was born 109 years ago today. In honor of the famed aviator’s birthday, let’s hop onto five things you might not know about The Lone Eagle.1. He Was Time’s First Man of the
Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
Werner Herzog's latest documentary is about the Chauvet Cave, which is remarkable primarily for its cave paintings -- dating from the ice age, the paintings are surprisingly detailed, and some show a sort of "painterly" quality. In some cases, this effec
How the Cardinal Directions Got Their Names
While we were wading through the origins of the names of the U.S. states last fall, reader Brit asked me where the North in North Carolina and North Dakota came from. We’re happy to oblige.
Own the Road: A Brief History of the Adopt-a-Highway Program
In the decades since the Adopt-a-Highway program was launched in 1985, it has helped keep America’s highways clean, saved taxpayers money, sparked a handful of free-speech battles, and even been featured on an episode of 'Seinfeld.' Here’s a brief history
The Rise and Fall of Pablo Escobar
In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel was spending $2,500 a month on rubber bands just to hold all their cash.
How (and Why) Are Black and White Films Colorized?
Anyone who spent time flipping channels and watching movies on cable during the 1980s and early 1990s probably remembers screening a few colorized films. The films, which had originally been shot in black-and-white, didn’t look quite the same as “real” c
How Did the Duck Hunt Gun Work?
The 'Duck Hunt' gun, officially called the NES Zapper, seems downright primitive next to today's technology. But in the late '80s, it filled plenty of young heads with wonder.
Foooood iiiiin Spaaaaace: The Curious Case of the Contraband Corned Beef
In 1965, Command Pilot Gus Grissom and Pilot John Young successfully piloted the Gemini 3 spacecraft on a four-hour and forty-three-minute mission into Earth’s orbit, completed a handful of tests of the craft’s capabilities and returned safely to solid gr
5 Things You Didn't Know About Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill had one of the most immediately recognizable faces of the 20th century, and you probably know all about his triumphs as a statesman and orator. Let’s take a look at five things you may not know about him, including how his mom tried to
4 Famous Hackers Who Got Caught
Just recently we were reminded how delicate our online ecosystem really is when the mysterious group Anonymous took down big websites like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal because they refused to support WikiLeaks. Anonymous is the latest in the fascinating h
How Does an Etch A Sketch Work?
In 1955, a French electrician named André Cassagnes got an idea for a new toy after seeing how an electrostatic charge could hold aluminum powder to glass.
A Brief History of Christmas Tree Lights
Like Bert and Ernie or pork and fennel, Christmas trees and lights were made for each other. But how did stringing up a few hundred twinkling lights on a pine tree become a normal part of Christmas merrymaking? Make Like a Tree and Get in the
Donald Duck on the Futility of Nuclear War
In 1952, Disney released the 7-minute cartoon "Applecore" featuring Donald Duck and Chip 'n Dale, the mischievous fast-talking chipmunks. In this short, Donald plays an apple farmer whose crops are being eaten by Chip 'n Dale, so Donald retaliates, only
The Taman Shud Mystery
On December 1, 1948, a man's body was found on a beach in Australia. Then things got weird.
Why Can't You Start a Rival Post Office?
Sure, there are package delivery services—but the U.S. Postal Service is the only one that really does letters. Why?
6 of the Biggest Vegas Wins in History
Sounds like we need to plan a weekend trip to Vegas ASAP and hope the stars are shining down on us.
Are You Afraid of the Park? Ghosts, Conspiracies and Other Weird Happenings in Central Park
For a while, Central Park, the 770-acre green oasis in the middle of Manhattan, wasn’t considered a place you really wanted to go.
RIP, Sony Walkman
Last Friday, Sony announced the end of the Walkman Era -- a period that lasted more than three decades, defining the personal music listening experience for pretty much everyone in my generation (I was born a year before the Walkman was). Sony will no lo
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.
Amenities Available at the Original "Big Rock Candy Mountain"
The song "Big Rock Candy Mountain" describes a hobo's paradise, featuring all the things a good hobo needs -- from lakes of whiskey to cigarette trees and lax law enforcement. I have compiled a list of the amenities available at the original Big Rock Can
Upon Further Review: A Brief History of Instant Replay
© Ron Sachs/CNP/Corbis Instant replay in sports has sparked about as much controversy as it has eliminated since the feature was introduced more than 50 years ago, but it's hard to imagine watching games today without it. Here's a look back at the men be
10 Postmasters General Who Weren't Boring
If pressed, most people probably couldn't remember the name of any of the United States' Postmasters General (yes, we're going with "Postmasters General").