The First Top Hat Got Its Inventor Arrested
Today in 1797, haberdasher John Hetherington reportedly walked onto the streets of London wearing the first top hat, which caused so much hubbub that he was arrested and fined for disturbing the peace!
The People Of 1921 Had A Good Feeling About 2021
I certainly did not expect 2021 to be what it is, but what did people back in the day predict our world would be like now? Entrepreneur Magazine looked back at predictions from a hundred years ago, and some of them were surprisingly close to the mark.
What Kool-Aid Was Like Before Kool-Aid Man Started Busting Through Walls
Today is the birthday of Edwin Perkins, who invented a sweet drink known the world over as Kool-Aid. It's the only drink with a mascot that can smash through walls and shout "OH YEAH!"
A Three Minute Audio Tour Of The U.S. Capitol
After yesterday's stunning, discouraging events at the U.S. Capitol, we decided to make today's show a chance to get to know our Capitol building a little better.
When Czechoslovakia Split, The Two New Countries Also Split The National Anthem
On this day in 1993, two new countries were born out of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia spent months negotiating all of the old country's assets, even which side got which verses of the national anthem.
A Misdialed Phone Number Got Santa Airspace Clearance From The US Military
Why does NORAD watch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, while watching for missiles and bombers the rest of the time? It all started when an ad for a Santa Claus hotline accidentally published a military hotline number during the Cold War.
Meet The Inventor Of The Christmas Card
In 1843, British civil servant Henry Cole wanted a way to send holiday greetings to friends, colleagues and loved ones without having to write letter after letter. And that's where commercial Christmas cards began.
The Slightly Wordy History of Crossword Puzzles
It was today in 1913 that the first modern crossword puzzle was published in the New York World newspaper, eventually leading to a craze that cruciverbalists all over the world have been enjoying ever since.
Ada Lovelace Was The First Computer Programmer, And Almost The First Computer Musician
Today's the birthday of Ada Lovelace, known as the first computer programmer. She also dreamed up the idea of generating music through a computer program, so if you've ever made music with a synthesizer, you're following in her footsteps.
It’s The Birthday Of The Jukebox, The Old-School System For On-Demand Music
Today in 1889, inventor Louis Glass moved his "nickel-in-a-slot" into a saloon in San Francisco, beginning the age of the jukebox and giving the generations without smartphones and streaming services the chance to push a button and listen to a song.