We’ve run articles before about demographic standouts in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey, and it’s been one of our most popular features. In advance of the Summer Olympics in Rio, here are some Olympics notables. Tallest: Paulo César da Silva Paulo César da Silva played for the Brazilian national basketball team at the 1988 Olympics. He […]
Baseball movies? Football movies? Seen ’em. But have you seen these films, based on sports that are a little outside the mainstream…or don’t exist at all? Rollerball (1975) Sport: Rollerball, a combination of roller derby, basketball, and rioting, in which two teams skate (some players ride motorcycles) around a banked track and score points by […]
It’s a bizarre Internet phenomenon: Old pictures or videos pop up, and somebody in them looks like they’re using modern-day technology. Are we just seeing things wrong…or are these time-travelers caught on camera? If you could go back in time, what would you do? Warn people about coming tragedies? Invest in the stock market? Or […]
Muhammad Ali was a towering presence in sports and society. As a boxer he was “The Greatest,” and was equally well known as a social crusader and activist. The world loved Ali, and he crossed over into pop culture a number of times. The Greatest More than two decades before Will Smith was nominated for […]
Songs that made the whole world sing…or at least sit up and take notice. The Song: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Recorded by: Band Aid Story: In November 1984, Irish rock musician Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats saw a TV news report about the millions of people suffering from a famine in Ethiopia. He […]
Before the days of instant interaction via the Internet and social media, the way to tell a celebrity you liked their work was to write them a fan letter. In return, you might get a signed headshot and a form letter. Here are some celebrities, from then and now, with creative responses to fans. Steve […]
What kind of person would think you can learn and have fun at the same time? (Uh-oh—don’t tell Uncle John we said that.) STACKING RINGS Cornelius Holgate started a small family carpentry business outside Philadelphia in 1789. It thrived over the years, but in 1929, the Holgates finally found their niche: wooden toys. Child psychologist […]
Today most video games are played in the home, but in the 1970s and 1980s, if you wanted to play the newest, hottest games, you went to an arcade. Here are the stories of a few of the classics we played back in the golden age of arcade games. SPACE INVADERS (Taito, 1978) Object: Using […]
GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Welcome to another amazing June is Bathroom Reading Month giveaway. It’s true that we have a love for reading in the bathroom year-round. But, June is when we can celebrate it with all of our fans. For our grand prize this year, we are thrilled to offer an entire set of Uncle John’s Bathroom […]
Father’s Day will be here before you know it. Is your dad a beer guy? Get your shopping done early and order up Beer-Topia in our store. It’s full of stories and pieces like this one.
Lots of celebrities have endorsed products. Sometimes it helps sales. The George Foreman Grill, for example, has sold millions. Sometimes, on the other hand, it’s just a weird idea. (1) Wrestler Hulk Hogan lent his image to a line of cameras for kids. His face was painted on the lens, inserting Hulk into the corner […]
Here, ladies and gentlemen, are the stories behind some well-known products (and one character) who prefer to be addressed as “Mister.” Mr. COFFEE In the 1968, Vincent Marotta and Sam Glazer, highschool friends who became partners in a small construction company, decided to start a coffee delivery service. Obsessed with finding a way for people […]
Hairstyles can define a time period as much as music or clothes. Here are the stories behind some iconic styles of yesteryear. Beehive Margaret Vinci Heldt, who owned Margaret Vinci Coiffures in Chicago, won the National Coiffure Championship—a tournament for hairdressers to introduce and invent new hairstyles—in 1954. A few years later, a hairdresser trade […]
In our quest to not cook up a bland book, our seasoned researchers spiced things up with a dash of tasty origins. ALLSPICE Allspice grows naturally in the West Indies and Central America, where Spanish explorers discovered it in the 16th century. They thought the shrubby tree’s fruit looked like peppercorns, so they called the […]
You probably know that red roses symbolize love and passion, but you may not know that the color, number, and how roses are combined have coded meanings dating to the Victorian era. Here’s a guide to sending the perfect bouquet. 1 red rose: “I like you.” 6 red roses: “I adore you.” A dozen red […]
While Uncle John was listening to Prince’s eight-minute-long “Purple Rain” on a loop over the weekend, he got to thinking about long songs. Really long songs. The Longest Hit Songs Before the late ‘60s, radio stations rarely played songs over four minutes long. It took a band as powerful as the Beatles to change that. […]
Our favorite childhood classics make us feel as snug as a bunny in bed. Here’s a look at what’s down the rabbit hole. GOODNIGHT MOON “Goodnight light and the red balloon…” Margaret Wise Brown wrote more than 100 books for children, but her most famous is Goodnight Moon, published in 1947. It was a revolutionary […]
We were driven to write this post on unusual cars. PHILION ROAD CARRIAGE: One of the oldest American automobiles, patented in 1892 by showman Achille Philion. It had a 2-cylinder, 1 horsepower, steam-powered engine; had a movable steering wheel (it could go on the front or back of the car); and could reach 8 mph. The […]
