Today in History: December 26, 1610 If contemporary accounts are to be believed, the Countess Elizabeth Bathory is one of the most prolific serial killers of all time. She makes Ted Bundy look like a chump, and Jeffrey Dahmer a mere dabbler in torture and perversion. In a word, this lady was a real whack-job, and on this day in […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the humorously unromantic origin of the name “Mistletoe” and the origin of the practice of kissing under this parasitic plant. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Today I found out that the British once planned to construct a massive aircraft carrier during World War II… made of ice. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as crazy as it sounds at first glance. Britain was taking a beating from the German ships and submarines and were looking for something to build a ship out of that couldn’t be destroyed by […]
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Today in History: December 25, 1941 “White Christmas,” one of the most instantly recognizable songs in history, was introduced to the world on Christmas Day 1941. Composed by famed songwriter Irving Berlin, the song was performed on NBC radio during Bing Crosby’s weekly radio program. It went on to become the top-selling single of all time, with an estimated 50 […]
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For four hot, humid July days, 56 delegates of the Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia with one purpose – to ratify the Declaration of Independence. The document, originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson with the help of Ben Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, ad Robert Livingston, declared that the thirteen American colonies were now independent and free of the tyranny […]
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When most of us think of secret groups, religious societies that flourished in the Middle Ages, like the Illuminati and Knights Templar, often come to mind. We shouldn’t forget that secret societies live among us today. Anonymous Back in 2008, without any clear central direction or control, individuals from across the globe, each vehemently against the idea of internet censorship, […]
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In today’s episode, you’ll learn about one of the most remarkable events in WWI- when soldiers on both sides decided to defy orders and, instead of continuing to try to kill one another, got up out of the trenches and threw a spontaneous Christmas party together. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You […]
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Today in History: December 24, 1923 The first national Christmas tree lighting occurred on Christmas Eve 1923, the result of an idea first put forth by President Woodrow Wilson ten years earlier. In part, the president lighting a national Christmas tree was also a way for the electrical industry trade group The Society for Electrical Development to coax consumers into […]
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Recently I’ve been getting emails from people saying the ad unit to the left of the content is sometimes covering part of the content (as seen in the picture there to your right). Despite my sincerest efforts, I’ve not been able to replicate this issue on any computer / device and browser combination I’ve tried (and I’ve tried many). From […]
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In this episode, you’ll learn about an amazing tiny creature that can survive incredible environmental circumstances all across the spectrum, including for a time in the near vacuum of space. Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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When younger generations hear the word ‘dominoes,’ they usually associate it with the famous board game, while others–especially food lovers–might connect it with a delicious pizza. For those who are more politically aware, the word probably brings thoughts of the Cold War and the threat of the spread of communism. In addition, most economists today love to use the word […]
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When John Lennon and Yoko Ono stepped into New York’s “The Hit Factory” on August 7, 1980, it was quite the occasion. John was returning to the music-making game after a five year absence. After being “under contract” since he was 21, John had walked away from making music in 1975 to become a “househusband”- instead of being a musician, […]
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A former teammate of Babe Ruth’s once recalled the Bambino by saying, “You’ve got to remember, this guy wasn’t born. He fell out of a tree.” Ruth grabbed life by the throat (or maybe it was another part of life’s anatomy) and shook it up… frequently. Ruth spent a good portion of his youth cooped up in St. Mary’s industrial […]
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Today in History: December 23, 1888 Most everyone knows the official story of how Vincent van Gogh, the epitome of the tortured artist, on this day in history, 1888, supposedly cut off his left earlobe during a bout of madness and then presented it to a prostitute as a gift. The recipient promptly fainted, and the heavily bleeding Van Gogh […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Man Who was Stuck in the 1950s Henry Gustav Molaison, who came to be known by his initials, H.M., was studied from 1957 until his death in 2008. From an early age, H.M. suffered from severe epilepsy that was blamed on […]
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In this episode, you’ll learn the fascinating history behind one of the most popular toys in history, the Slinky. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Since the dawn of the Internet age and the oft-lamented readily available pictures of naked ladies, today’s youth will never know the heart-stopping risk of hiding under the covers with a flashlight and your older brother’s well-worn copy of Playboy. The world was a much different place when Playboy magazine began – funded in part with a $1,000 loan from […]
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Whether it’s busting or breaking, balls or stones, this expression has long been used by young men (and not a few women) to express a wide range of emotions brought about by the words or actions of another. Although the phrase usually accompanies laughter, it arose out of a truly painful, yet common practice among beef cattle operators where they […]
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