History »
Laminated Safety Glass was Invented by Accident
Today I found out laminated glass, also known as “Safety Glass”, was invented by accident. Laminated glass can be found in car windshields, bank teller protective barriers, and a variety of other places where
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Silly Putty was Invented by Accident
Today I found out Silly Putty was invented by accident. Silly Putty was originally invented by James Wright, working at General Electric’s New Haven, Connecticut lab in 1943. At the time, the Allies
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The Bluetooth Standard is Named After a 10th Century Scandinavian King
Today I found out the Bluetooth standard is named after a 10th century Scandinavian king. The man was Harald I of Denmark. “Bluetooth” is the English translation of “Blåtand”, which was an epithet of
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One of the Great Practical Jokes of the 19th Century, the Berners Street Hoax
Today I found out about one of the great practical jokes of the 19th century, the Berners Street Hoax. The year was 1809. Famed English author, Theodore Hook, made a bet with one of
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Lighters Were Invented Before The Match
Note: This is a guest article contributed by frequent TIFO visitor and owner of DumpADay.com, Jon. If you’re interested in contributing to TIFO click here to read our article submission guidelines. Today I found
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Jimmy Stewart Was a Two Star General in the U.S. Military
Today I found out Jimmy Stewart was a two star general in the United States military. In 1940, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the United States Army, but ended up being rejected due to
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Velcro Was Modeled After Burrs of the Burdock Plant that Stuck to Velcro’s Inventor’s Pants After a Hunting Trip
Today I found out Velcro was modeled after burrs of the burdock plant that stuck to Velcro’s creator’s pants after a hunting trip. The inventor of Velcro, more generically known as a “hook and
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Origins of the Jolly Roger
Today I found out the origins of the Jolly Roger flags. Ships throughout history typically stocked a variety of different flags used for sending a message, signaling other ships, and for identifying themselves. For
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Mexico is Really Called the United Mexican States
Today I found out that Mexico is really called the United Mexican States or Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Specifically, there are thirty one states in the UMS, with 111 million people making it the 11th
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Teflon was Invented by Accident
Today I found out Teflon was invented by accident. The man who accidentally invented it was Dr. Roy Plunkett. After receiving his BA, MS, and eventually PhD in organic chemistry, Dr. Plunkett took a
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