Willie Nelson Once Recorded An Album To Pay Back Taxes To The IRS
Today in 1933 the birthday of Willie Nelson, a country music legend who once put out an album so that he could send royalties to the IRS to pay some overdue taxes.
Irna Phillips Brought The World Of Soap Operas To Life
Today in 1952, the first TV episode of the soap opera Guiding Light. It was one of many hit shows led by a writer and producer sometimes called the “queen of soaps,” Irna Phillips.
If It Had Been Up To Billie Jean King, Astronaut Sally Ride Might Have Been A Pro Tennis Player
Today in 1951, Sally Ride was born. She was a worldwide sensation in the 1980s as the first American woman in space, but before that, she was a talented youth tennis player who once caught the attention of the legendary Billie Jean King.
Meet ESTHER, A Robot That Plays Wheelchair Tennis
We’ve talked a lot on the show about the many different skills robots are learning. Now we can tell you about Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot, which is learning to play tennis.
Ora Washington, The “Queen Of Two Courts,” Ruled Tennis And Basketball Alike
For National Play Tennis Day, the story of Ora Washington, one of the great early stars of women's tennis who also happened to be one of the great early stars of women's basketball.
How Did U.S. Dollars Get Their Name?
Today in 1785, the US Congress decided that the name of our country’s currency would be the dollar. Getting to that point was kind of a trek.
Helen Keller Once Flew A Plane, No Matter What People On The Internet Think
Today in 1880, the birthday of Helen Keller, the activist, author, speaker, and, on one occasion, a pilot. Never mind what randos on social media have claimed, here's the real story.
Two Tennis Greats Played A Match On A Half-Grass, Half-Clay Court
Today in 2007, the king of grass court tennis, Roger Federer, played an exhibition match against his rival, clay court great Rafael Nadal. Not their only matchup, but for this one, the court was half grass and half clay, making it a so-called "battle of the surfaces."
William Mumler, The Photographer Who Had “Spirits” In His Pictures
Today in 1865, Abraham Lincoln went to Ford's Theater, and we all know how badly that ended. But five years later, William Mumler "photographed" the spirit of Honest Abe comforting his widow Mary Todd Lincoln. Here's the story of Mumler and his very controversial "spirit photography."
Tennis Balls Are Optic Yellow Thanks To David Attenborough
In the old days, tennis balls were white, but when documentary film legend David Attenborough pushed the BBC to carry the Wimbledon tournament in color, the tennis world realized those balls weren't showing up very well for home viewers.