Here’s a look at the origins, history, and accuracy rates of Groundhog Day, the most important meteorologically psychic animal-based holiday on the calendar. It’s obviously not the most scientific barometer to predict six weeks of weather patterns based on what a giant rodent does (or at least what a giant rodent does on one morning), […]
It’s a new year, so the new world record books are out. Here are some people who in the last days of 2016 and the early days of 2017 set some very impressive (and very weird) world records.
Today is one of those silly holidays we all love. Sort of like how September 19 is “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” make sure to talk like an old timey prospector each January 24. Here’s a primer.
Well, the Inauguration has happened, so the long election of 2016 is now officially over. Time to start looking ahead to 2020! A handful of candidates have already at least sort of declared their intention to make a run for the White House in four years’ time.
For the person who has more money than they know what to do with. Chanel Segway EXPLANATION: If a no-frills Segway isn’t expensive enough (around $5,000), now you can get a super-deluxe Chanel Edition Segway. It’s the same as a regular Segway, but with quilted leather mudflaps and a Chanel handbag mounted on the front. […]
Bathrooms, toilets, and toilet paper should only be used as a force for good. But sometimes people end up using the facilities for more nefarious deeds. It is for these people that Uncle John created the “Stall of Shame.” Ralph Curry of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Claim to Fame: Putting Mr. Potato in the head True […]
It’s a pretty big day at BRI headquarters: It’s Trivia Day, an internationally recognized fun holiday. On that note, here’s some trivia about, well, trivia! Trivia doesn’t necessarily mean “trivial.” It actually originally meant something more like “common” or “basic.” In ancient Rome, the word triviae meant a road that forked into two or three […]
So many beloved celebrities left us this year that it really did seem like 2016 had a chip on its shoulder. Here are some words of wisdom from the dearly departed to remind us why they were so beloved. “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” –Muhammad Ali […]
We might assume that the common names we have for things are accurate descriptions of them, but that’s not always true. Birthday Party You can only have one birth day—the day you were born. After that, every time you celebrate your birthday you’re really throwing an anniversary party. Killer Whale They’re neither killers nor whales. […]
Not every kid in the world leaves out milk and cookies for Santa. That makes sense, because that treat is a very American pairing. Also, it’s nice that Santa gets to try a variety of snacks on his big night. Here’s a look at what kids around the world (and their parents) leave out on […]
Christmas crackers are a classic holiday tradition in the U.K., but in recent years a wide variety of the party favor have begun to show up in American stores. Not familiar? They resembled a piece of wrapped candy, but it’s a paper tube inside of fancy paper. You then pull both ends until it makes […]
In the days when smoking was a bigger part of American culture, matches were everywhere. Hotels and restaurants gave matchbooks away; people carried them in their pockets and purses. Well, you’ll never believe where the stuff in the match head came from. Blue Genie Ever heard of alchemy? It was a medieval “science” and philosophy, […]
Hobos were American migratory workers from a century ago. Some experts think the word hobo comes from “hoe boys,” what farmers in the 1880s called their seasonal migrant workers. It may also be shorthand for the phrase “homeward bound,” used to describe destitute Civil War veterans who took years to work their way home. If […]
December 8th is “Take it in the Ear Day,” one of those weird, silly “holidays” that float around the Internet. We don’t really know what this one is supposed to mean…so here are just some interesting facts about the ear and hearing. Your ear isn’t really your ear. Well, not totally. Medically speaking, your ear, […]
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why do poodles get their haircut […]
You probably remember the Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy of ’83, or the Tickle Me Elmo craze of ’96. But do you recall these other hot toys of yesteryear? 1934 A doll made in the likeness of extremely popular child star Shirley Temple was one of the first designed in the image of a celebrity, and […]
With the often brutal winter winds and giant things filled with helium, it’s a wonder there aren’t more balloon mishaps at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Here are a few notable fiascos from parades past. When the parade began in the 1920s, the used-up balloons were released into the sky, where they would eventually pop, […]
It’s the holiday with the silly name…and an extremely serious message. There are a lot of silly holidays out there—Plush Animal Lovers Day or International Bacon Day, for example. They mainly exist as fun, viral marketing. That’s not the case with World Toilet Day. November 19th was officially established as the day of action in […]
