This Day In History: February 27, 1907 On February 27, 1907, the two leading theorists in the field of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, met in person for the first time after corresponding for almost a year. Their first conversation reportedly lasted for over 13 hours, so it’s safe to say the two men hit it off. At first. […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn a lot of interesting facts about the woman who inspired the moniker “blonde bombshell,” as well as the platinum blonde hair craze that led to many other actresses, like Marilyn Monroe, adopting the hair color. You’re also going to learn how the “blonde bombshell” expression came about and how it was popularized. [TRANSCRIPT] […]
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Amar F. asks: Why are green cards called that when they aren’t green? A Permanent Resident Card from the United States government allows immigrants to legally work, live, and study inside the country. Despite the name “Permanent Resident Card”, it expires after ten years. But those legal residents may apply for citizenship after five years. It is more commonly known […]
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Byron H. asks: Why is it sometimes catsup and other times ketchup? The two distinct spellings for what today is essentially the same condiment are simply the reflection of the evolution of nearly everyone’s favorite French fry topper. (Well, in certain regions of the world.) Today often disdained as low-brow, when it was first conceived, ketchup was revered for the […]
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This Day In History: February 26, 1932 “He is what the land and country is all about, the heart and soul of it personified and what it means to be here; and he said it all in plain English. Listen to him, and he will always bring you to your senses.” – Bob Dylan Born on February 26, 1932, John […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn who the real first African American to play in Major League Baseball was. And even if you knew it wasn’t Jackie Robinson, it probably still isn’t the person you’re thinking. 🙂 [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: […]
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Gerry D. asks: Why do nats swarm in a ball in the air? A common sight in the spring and summer, the seemingly unprofitable and pointless habit of gnats to hover in a cloud is, in fact, the single most productive thing they’ll ever do with their short lives. Although there are a wide variety of non-biting, but eminently annoying, […]
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Immobile and silent, those who suffer from the severest forms of akinetic mutism either lack the ability or the will to move or to speak. Caused by any of a number of conditions, diseases and injuries, under certain circumstances the disorder can be treated. One of the most remarkable stories of recovery from this devastating condition happened in 1941, when […]
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On December 22, 1849, members of a Russian intellectual literary group known as the Petrashevsky Circle were sent to Semyonov Square to meet their fate – death by firing squad. With the men pointing their rifles and fingers resting on the trigger, a messenger from the Tsar rode into the square waving a white flag. Like something out of a […]
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This Day In History: February 25, 1601 On February 25, 1601, the last great favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, the 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, was beheaded at the Tower of London on Tower Green for high treason. His inevitable trip to the block had been brewing for quite some time. Queen Elizabeth first met the tall, handsome and […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the origin of the idea that the Moon is made of cheese. You’re also going to learn a boatload of fascinating facts related to the Moon and why a 72 year old Buzz Aldrin punched Bart Sibrel in the face in 2002. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes […]
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In March of 2008, the world lost one of the most fearless soldiers to have served during WWII; a man who single-handedly cleared five heavily fortified positions with nothing more than a knife, a few grenades, a rock, and a complete disregard for the bullets flying around him the whole time. This is the story of Bhanbhagta Gurung. First thing first, […]
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In this video, produced by the very talented Brady Haran over at Numberphile, which you can subscribe to here, Dr. James Grime and Professor Roger Bowley answer the question of whether or not zero is an even number, along with talking about a lot of other interesting things about the history of zero. This is my new favorite video so […]
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This Day In History: February 24, 1807 Just a few days before Christmas 1806, a 34 year-old woman named Elizabeth Godfrey rented a room in a house of ill-repute (tsk-tsk) in the Marylebone section of London. Living next door was a coachman named Richard Price, who resided with a woman named Emily Bisset. Elizabeth was very angry at Richard, apparently […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the fascinating story behind how the “temporary insanity” defense became established in U.S. law, and what all this has to do with the creator of the Star Spangled Banner’s son. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily […]
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Jeremy R. asks: Is it true that more words break the I before E rule than follow it? If so, how come this is taught at all? If you ever want to start a fight among a group of linguists and orthographers, bring up the grammar school rule: “I before E, except after C,” which has been around since at […]
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On a field about fifty miles from Boston, Strawberry Hill, on the evening of September 3, 1880, history was made. It is unlikely the department store employees who were tossing around a ball knew that this game would still be talked about 135 years later. As the crowd took their seats, the ball players took their positions; the Sun dipped […]
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This Day In History: February 23, 1954 On February 23, 1954, a group of children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania helped make history by being the first inoculated with the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. The children were first, second, and third grade students attending local public and parochial schools. In the 1950s, Poliomyelitis was still an extremely contagious disease. […]
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