You’re a true TV buff if you can remember these short-lived offshoots of popular TV shows. The humorous X-Files spinoff Amidst the spooky aliens and supernatural investigations, three characters (ironically) called “the Lone Gunmen” provided comic relief throughout the run of The X-Files. They appeared from time to time to point out to agents Mulder […]
Ever wanted to be “privy” to what goes on behind closed doors at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute? Well, here’s a story about how we printed one of our biggest ever goofs. It wasn’t an error when it started. When we make a Bathroom Reader, we research our work very carefully to ensure that it’s true. If, […]
Historical records date the first ancient Olympic games to 776 BCE. The games were originally held every four years in Olympia, in southwestern Greece, with competitors traveling from across the region’s various states. The very first Olympics lasted just one day and had a single event—a sprint race. (This article was first published in Who […]
If Uncle John were ever nominated for an Oscar, you can be sure he’d be seated in that auditorium on the night of the ceremony to hit the stage in case they called his name. Then there are these actors—they couldn’t make it, and then they won. Here’s why. Michael Caine Michael Caine won Best […]
Over the last two years, three NFL teams announced relocation plans: the St. Louis Rams returned to Los Angeles, the San Diego Chargers also went back to Los Angeles, and the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas. Before this, the last NFL team to move was the Houston Oilers, who left for Tennessee in 1997. […]
Some musicians are so associated with a certain style of music, it’s hard to believe that they wrote these very out-of-character songs for other people. “Stand Back” Stevie Nicks took a break from Fleetwood Mac in the early ’80s to record some spooky folk pop by herself for a while. One of her biggest hits, […]
We heard a lot of these words thrown around during the Olympics, and we had to wonder—what do they actually mean? Curling This sport, originating in Scotland and dominated by Canadians, involves sliding a stone across ice toward a target while other players sweep the ice in front of the stone to help the stone […]
When the star of a hugely popular, long-running TV show leaves, it’s a little hard to get used to their replacement, but what else can producers do? Eventually, fans warm to, say Kelly Ripa instead of Katie Lee Gifford, or Kirstie Alley instead of Shelley Long. But then here are some TV star replacements that […]
Today’s political climate may be contentious, but it’s nothing new. The presidential election of 1876 just might still be the wildest in American history. Tilden vs. Hayes There were two major candidates: Democratic banking magnate Samuel J. Tilden, governor of New York for a little over a year, and Republican congressman and Ohio governor Rutherford […]
Spinoffs have long been a part of TV and the movies. The Simpsons and Frasier launched off from The Tracey Ullman Show and Cheers, respectively, while Minions is a spinoff of the Despicable Me movies, to name some examples. The phenomenon happens in video games, too, although those spinoffs seem to be a bit on […]
It’s Presidents Day, a time to celebrate our nation’s former leaders…and to acknowledge that some of them were just as strange as the rest of us…if not stranger. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) …had a bit of a stealing problem. When he visited William Shakespeare’s birthplace in England (with fellow future president John Adams) in 1786, he […]
Neil Armstrong was the first person to step foot on the moon, and Russian dog Laika was the first animal in space. Big deal. First Cat in Space Seeking to catch up with the American and Soviet Union’s ambitious space programs, France sent the first cat into space in October 1963. But the chosen astro-kitty, […]
Here in the U.S., we celebrate Valentine’s Day by exchanging heart-shaped pieces of paper, giving roses and chocolate, and professing our love. In other counties, they do it a little bit differently. South Korea In the place where the Olympics are being held right now, women romance their special someone by giving them candy and […]
The Winter Olympics are getting underway in Pyeongchang, South Korea. There might be just a little bit of jealousy coming from these other cities, all of whom wanted to host the winter games…and didn’t get to. Winter and Summer Locations The first modern Olympics were held in 1896, but those were for “summer” sports. Things […]
You’ve probably stared at a few of these covers while you listened to the music with your headphones on and grooved, man. If you ever thought there was more than meets the eye to these pieces of classic album artwork…you were right. The one with the dancing witch and the dangling balls Just about everybody […]
Four Winter Olympic events will be contested for the first time at the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, South Korea: big air in snowboarding, big air in freestyle skiing, mass start speedskating, and mixed doubles curling. Not being contested: these sports, which have been discontinued or never approved by the IOC. Snowshoeing It’s like hiking…in incredibly […]
While athletes make Winter Olympic history as we speak, can you answer these
questions about Winter Olympians of the past?
Even if you’ve never read J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books or seen the film adaptations, you’ve still probably heard of quidditch, the broomstick-brandishing sport that forms an integral part of her wizarding world. (This article was first published in Who Knew?) Not Just for Wizards In Rowling’s novels, it’s a sport that’s been played […]
