Category Archives: Featured Facts

Who is McDonald in McDonald’s Restaurant

Mark R. asks: Was there a real “McDonald” that started McDonald’s or is it like the fictitious Betty Crocker? McDonald’s is, without question, the most successful, popular, and influential fast-food restaurant chain in recorded history. The name most commonly associated with McDonald’s is Ray Kroc.  Kroc was the entrepreneur who founded the McDonald’s corporation.  So how did it come to […]

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Al Jolson- Misunderstood Hero or Villain?

Ask most movie fans, “What was the first ‘talkie’?” The most frequent reply tends to be “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson. This is a “sort of” correct answer, but not really. The earliest “sound” movies were made by synchronizing motion pictures to phonograph records. In 1926, (a year before “The Jazz Singer”) Warner Brothers re-released the previously silent film […]

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Who Invented the TASER?

Tom R. asks: Who invented tasers? Early use of an electronic control device, like the TASER, by law enforcement occurred in the 1960s when American police officers used electric cattle prods to disperse Civil Rights activists. As for the earliest cattle prods, this came about when inventor John Burton of Wichita, Kansas received a patent (US427549 A) in the late […]

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Is There Any Difference at all Between Men’s and Women’s Razors and Shaving Creams?

Katy E. asks: Are there any differences between razors and shaving cream for men and women beyond cosmetic? Shaving companies almost universally put out both a men’s and women’s version of each of their products, with the women’s version generally costing quite a bit more. But is there actually any difference between the so-called “gendered razors” and shaving cream or […]

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A Brief History of the “Happiest Place on Earth”

On November 15, 1965, at approximately 2:00 pm in the Grand Ballroom of the Cherry Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida, Governor Haydon Burns sat between the brothers Disney, Walt and Roy during a press conference. Opening the remarks, Governor Burns stated, “Walt Disney will bring a new world of entertainment, pleasure, and economic development to the state of Florida.” This […]

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Why Are Pitchers’ Mounds Standard, But Baseball Ballparks Different Sizes?

John B. asks: Why are things like the distance and height of a pitchers mound always uniform, but outfield dimensions are allowed to be whatever the stadium designers want? From Boston’s Green Monster, to San Francisco’s McCovey Cove and Houston’s absurd Tal’s Hill, Major League Ballparks can vary greatly in design and depth. Yet despite all of their differences, the […]

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Who Invented the Internet?

Jeremy D. asks: Who invented the internet? While the World Wide Web was initially invented by one person (see: What was the First Website?), the genesis of the internet itself was a group effort by numerous individuals, sometimes working in concert, and other times independently.  Its birth takes us back to the extremely competitive technological contest between the US and […]

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Who was Cunningham of Cunningham’s Law?- “The best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong answer.”

Cunningham’s Law is an internet adage that states “The best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong answer.” It’s an interesting hypothesis for sure. And, if you’ve spent any time on the internet whatsoever, you’re likely well aware that posting something incorrect online is a sure-fire way […]

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Why Port and Starboard Indicate the Left and Right Side of a Ship

Happy “Talk Like a Pirate” day! Besides learning about port and starboard in the video below, you can also learn the origin and meaning of things like “Avast,” “Arrrr,” “Scuttlebutt,” and many more in our video, The Origin and Meaning of 9 Pirate Words and Expressions. If you liked this video, be sure and subscribe to our YouTube channel here. […]

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