Archive for the ‘History’
The Signers of The Declaration of Independence Did So On August 2nd, 1776 Not July 4th
Today I found out most the signers of the Declaration of Independence did so on August 2nd, 1776, not July 4th; in fact, nobody signed it on the 4th. This is contradictory to Thomas Jefferson’s, John Adams’, and Benjamin Franklin’s account of events. However, as you’ll see, their accounts have been shown to have been [...]
UPS Was Founded By Two Teenagers With One Bicycle and $100 Borrowed from a Friend
Today I found out UPS was started by two teenagers with one bicycle and $100 borrowed from a friend. The date was August 28, 1907 and the two kids were 18 year old Claude Ryan and 19 year old Jim Casey. The two had one bike between them and $100 borrowed from a friend to [...]
Why Some Countries Drive on the Right and Some Countries Drive on the Left
Today I found out why some countries drive on the right and some countries drive on the left. The origin of this varies based on the time period and country, but primarily throughout history people used the “keep-left” rule. It has only been very recently that the world has predominately switched to the “keep-right” rule. [...]
An Encyclopedia Finished in 1408 That Contained Nearly One Million Pages
Today I found out about an encyclopedia finished in 1408 that contained nearly one million pages. This particular encyclopedia was called the “永樂大典”, which translates to “The Great Canon of the Yongle Era”; today it’s just called, in English, the “Yongle Encyclopedia”. This encyclopedia was originally commissioned by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty in [...]
In 1899 Ninety Percent of New York City’s Taxi Cabs Were Electric Vehicles
Today I found out in 1899 ninety percent of New York City’s taxi cabs were electric vehicles. This fleet of electric cars was built by the Electric Carriage and Wagon Company of Philadelphia. Not only that, but in 1899 and 1900, electric cars outsold all other types of cars, such as gas and steam powered [...]
Where the Dollar Sign Comes From
Today I found out where the dollar sign ($) comes from. This symbol first showed up in the 1770s, appearing in documents of English-Americans who had business dealings with Spanish-Americans. However, it wasn’t until the very early 1800s that it became popularized, around the same time as the first official U.S. dollars were being minted. [...]
The First Website Ever Made
Today I found out what the first website ever made was. Simply put, it was a website made by the World Wide Web’s creator Tim Berners-Lee, who was working for CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). The first ever website was published on August 6, 1991 and served up a page explaining the World Wide [...]
What the M’s stand for in “M&Ms”
Today I found out what the M’s stand for in “M&Ms”. In 1941, Forrest Mars Sr., of the Mars candy company, struck a deal with Bruce Murrie, son of famed Hershey president William Murrie, to develop a hard shelled candy with chocolate at the center. Mars needed Hershey’s chocolate because he anticipated there would be [...]
No One Knows Why Maine is Called Maine
Today I found out no one really knows why Maine is called Maine. One of the most popular theories is that it is derived from the nautical term “the main” or “Main Land”. Maine has an incredible number of islands off it’s coast, so perhaps sailors referred to it as “Maine”, as in “Main Land”, [...]
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 most populated country in the world. The United Mexican States was originally called “New Spain” around the time they won their [...]
