History
Every year, the city of Boston gets its official municipal Christmas tree from the Canadian coastal city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Why? Because Boston helped when Halifax needed it the most. On Dec. 6, 1917, the Mont-Blanc, a cargo ship out of France was heading out from a stop in Halifax en route to Bordeaux, […]
Since 1997, millions have tuned in weekly to the PBS series Antiques Roadshow to see what treasures lie hidden in America’s attics, pawn shops, and yard sales. Here are some of the most valuable items the show has ever discovered. A Navajo Blanket A man walked into a 2001 Antiques Roadshow taping in Tucson, Arizona, […]
Three Things Named for Caesar Some namesakes of the Roman general Julius Caesar (100–44 B.C.)—or GAIVS IVLIVS CÆSAR, as it was spelled in his day. July Before Caesar, the Roman calendar year was too short and no longer synced with the seasons, so the Roman leader implemented the Julian calendar: For the first time, every […]
What happens when a few brave warriors refuse to quit, even when the cause seems lost? Victory…or doom. SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT One of history’s greatest last stands took place in the 16th century when Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent sought to expand his Ottoman Empire eastward into Europe. In 1552, after more than 30 years […]
Keep digging for answers, because these historical finds make zero sense. Cocaine in Ancient Egypt? How could Egyptian mummies—ranging from 800 to 3,000 years old—have traces of cocaine and tobacco in their hair, skin, and bones? Cocaine and tobacco come from plants that grew only in the still-undiscovered New World and weren’t accessible to Egyptians. […]
Cuban dictator Fidel Castro died over the weekend at age 90 of natural causes. That’s a remarkable achievement in and of itself—the Communist leader was a long-time declared enemy of the American government, which tried to kill him lots of times. He thwarted and survived them all. The ol’ poisoned seashell Castro enjoyed scuba diving […]
Perhaps the breakout character on Netflix’s Queen Elizabeth II series The Crown is the one who isn’t a royal: Winston Churchill. His slow, post-World War II fade from prominence is depicted in the show by a heavily made-up John Lithgow (one of the few non-British actors in the cast). Here are a few things you may not have known about “The British Bulldog.”
Every state has a motto, a nickname, and even a traditional dish. But many states also have a few more “official” items. The official neckware of Arizona is the bolo tie. The official possum of Georgia is Pogo, the possum from Walt Kelly’s long-running comic strip of the same name. The official state beverage of […]
It’s arguably the world’s top prize for writers. But for every Nobel Prize for Literature that understandably went to a luminary like Toni Morrison or Samuel Beckett, the award has a few head-scratchers in its history. The 2016 recipient, iconic folk-rocker Bob Dylan came as a surprise to many—in part because he’s the first musician […]
And here’s one more: Those four presidential heads carved into a mountain in South Dakota are not naturally occurring. It could have been carved into a different formation It was the idea of South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson to carve faces of iconic historical figures into the side of a mountain in the Black […]
Twice a year, the English monarch bestows “honours” upon notable Britons who have made major contributions to the world, including scientists, entertainers, and politicians. But not everybody who is named “Sir” or “Dame” or an “Officer of the British Empire” wants to be one. Here are a few who told the Crown, “Thanks, but no […]
Here’s a look at how much money Americans made in the year just before the Civil War started…and what they had to spend that money on. Nickel and Dimed There were few labor laws in the United States at the time. The average work week was 60 hours (10 hours a day, six days a […]
Today marks the approximate date in 1492 that Christopher Columbus…discovered America? Not exactly. Here’s a rundown on a bunch of the misconceptions that have persisted regarding Columbus’s landmark voyage that started out as a way to find a faster trade route to Asia.
Tattoos are nothing new. Even some historical figures had them. This article was first published in our brand-new, 29th annual edition, Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) The rugged president was a pioneer of modern masculinity, including tattoos. As a young man, he had the Roosevelt family crest inked onto his chest. Andrew […]
Fads come and go. But it is hard to believe that these strange fads ever existed! First published in Strange History. Goldfish Swallowing On March 3, 1939, Harvard University student Lothrop Withington Jr. swallowed a live goldfish to win a $10 bet. Days later, not to be outdone, a college student in Pennsylvania downed three […]
If pirating separated the men from the boys, how come one of the best pirates was a woman? Here’s the story of Anne Bonny. Story first published in Uncle John’s Plunges into History. Pirate Benjamin If ever there was an old boys’ club it was under the Jolly Roger. Pirating was a man’s world, and most […]
There are a lot of rich and famous writers of course, but not every writer that became famous became rich. Here are some well-known writers who kept at the daily grind, either because they wanted to or to make ends meet. Herman Melville Melville gained popularity through the 1840s for a series of sea-based adventure […]
There sure were strange toys out there! Do you remember the strangest toy you ever had? Witch Doctor Head Shrinker’s Kit The Product: As it says—a (plastic) head-shrinking kit The Pitch: “Into the deepest jungle went Pressman Toymakers, looking for something new. The secret they brought back for you is incredible! The Pressman Witch Doctor […]
