Movie Critic Gene Siskel Helped Make A Popcorn Company A Chicago Icon
Today in 1986, a newspaper column by film critic Gene Siskel helped to turn a local snack favorite in Chicago into a signature of the city.
Baseball Player Ping Bodie Once Won An Eating Contest Against An Ostrich
Today in 1919, one of the strangest moments in the history of professional baseball, when major leaguer Ping Bodie took on an ostrich in an eating contest and won.
In 1906, Chicago’s Newspapers Told Everybody The City Was Being Attacked By Dinosaurs
It was probably more elaborate than your standard April Fools Day joke: today in 1906, the Chicago Tribune put together a two page "report," complete with pictures, about swarms of dinosaurs wrecking the city.
Police Squad! The TV Comedy That Got Canceled For Being Too Funny
Today in 1982, the premiere of the short-lived but critically acclaimed cop spoof Police Squad, a show TV executives said was essentially too funny to stay on the air.
Newspaper Reporters Once Bought A Chicago Dive Bar To Catch Corrupt Officials
Today in 1978 the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper started publishing a series of stories that reporters still talk about today: reporters bought a dive bar in Chicago, named it the Mirage Tavern, and worked undercover as bartenders to catch corrupt city inspectors.
Black Firefighters In Chicago Helped Give The World The Fire Pole
Today in 1872, the Chicago Tribune reported on the launch of a new fire station that would change the profession of firefighting forever by inventing the fire pole.
The Thirteen Club Put Thirteen Guests Together For A Thirteen Course Meal On Friday The 13th
A lot of people believe Friday the 13th is bad luck, and that comes from a lot of legends and traditions. But a guy in 19th Century New York decided to rep this maligned number by flouting superstition and holding regular meals for what he called the Thirteen Club.
Before There Were Chicken McNuggets, McDonald’s Tried Selling Onion Nuggets
Today is National Onion Day. For a very brief time in the 1970s, the preeminent fast food chain on Earth thought the onion might be its pathway to bigger sales. Here's the story of the McDonald's Onion Nugget.
The Ferris Wheel Was Designed To Show Up The Eiffel Tower
Today in 1892, an engineering team working on Chicago’s Columbian Exposition approved a design for a giant metal wheel that could give rides to passengers. Here's the story of the Ferris wheel and how it was partly intended to one-up a certain iconic structure from the previous World's Fair.
The Birth Of The Blinking Cursor
Today in 1930, the inventor of the computer cursor was born. It’s one of those creations that’s so small and common that it’s easy to forget what a big deal it really is.