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Why We “Drop” the Ball on New Year’s Eve
Jeremy asks: Why do we drop the ball on New Year’s eve in Times Square? When Adolph Ochs purchased the floundering New York Times in 1896, he made it his mission to make the
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The Soviet Superman: Red Son
If you’ve ever sat around thinking, “What if Superman was a communist?” (Who hasn’t, right?) Well, wonder no more. The answer was masterfully provided in Superman: Red Son written by famed comic book writer
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The Origin of the “Slipping on a Banana Peel” Comedy Gag
Mark asks: Who was the first comedian to do the slippery banana peel routine? There are some things in this world that are just inherently funny; a pie in the face, an unexpected squirting
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FACT OR FICTION?: A Young Bill Murray Was Arrested for Carrying 10 Pounds of Marijuana
Among those who use recreational drugs, Bill Murray is something of an icon, having played several pot-smoking characters over the years, including the cannabis-loving sea captain Steve Zissou from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,
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The Men Inside of R2-D2 and C-3PO
In 1975, George Lucas was casting for his upcoming sci-fi film The Star Wars (name later changed to simply Star Wars). After a joint casting session with Brian De Palma, who was looking to
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The Superhero Who Powers Up By Smoking, and Other Bizarre Comic Characters
While there are a million plotlines and hundreds of explanations of how various superheroes got their special powers, there was one superhero in the 1960s who maintained his powers to fight evil by lighting up.
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The Invention of the Electric Guitar
For as far back as we are able to look into the prehistory of the human race, music has been a crucial part of the life of humans. Some scholars even speculate that human
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The Origin of the Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is aptly named, as the series has truly become a legend within the gaming industry. Every new generation of gamers have been given the opportunity to fall in love with
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When Star Wars and Indiana Jones Collide: Attack of the Easter Eggs
From a young age I was introduced to what are still two of my favourite movie franchises of all time – Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I suppose it was inevitable, really. With parents
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What Happened to Actor Rick Moranis?
Janet Jackson and wardrobe malfunction. Peanut butter and jelly. Sonny and Cher. Some things just go together. Sort of how I feel about Canadian-American actor Rick Moranis and the movies Honey, I Shrunk the
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The Movie That Killed Elvis Presley
It was March of 1960. The teenagers of the world were rejoicing. Why? Because Elvis was getting out of the army. Yes, Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley, Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest rebel iconoclast, was finally
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The Surprisingly Long History of Nintendo
Believe it or not, the history of Nintendo goes all the way back to 1889. And before you ask- no, they were not selling Mario figures carved from wood. Originally named “Nintendo Koppai”, the
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How One of the Most Beautiful Women in 1940s’ Hollywood Helped Make Certain Wireless Technologies Possible
Did an exotic actress from Vienna, considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood in the 1940s, really invent wireless? Not exactly, but the non-sensationalized facts of the matter are no less fascinating,
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The Origin of “Where’s Waldo”
Today I Found Out about the history of Where’s Wally (known in the US and Canada as Where’s Waldo). The iconic, elusive man in the red-and-white striped shirt was first hidden away in 1987
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What Star of a TV Series was Written Out of the Show’s Final Episode?
“The Brady Bunch” was a hugely successful sitcom which ran for 5 seasons (117 episodes) from 1969 to 1974. One of the show’s stars was Robert Reed, a Shakespearean trained stage actor. Previous to
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When Pinball was Illegal
“Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve played the silver ball. From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all. But I ain’t seen nothing like him, In any amusement hall…
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Did Groucho Marx Really Say It- The Cigar Quip
It is, without question, one of the most oft-quoted anecdotes in the history of comedy. It goes, pretty much, like this: A woman with 10 (or 12 or 14 or 16 or whatever) children
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Christopher Lee: Acclaimed Actor and Metal Head
While many seniors celebrate their birthdays playing Bingo, followed by a late dinner at the Denny’s at 3pm, actor Christopher Lee had other plans this year- he was busy rocking out. Lee partnered with
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