The First African American Governor in the U.S. Takes Office

This Day In History: December 9, 1872 On this day in history, 1872, Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback became the first person of African American descent to serve as the governor of a U.S. state.  Pinchback was born the son of a freed slave (African-Cherokee-Welsh-German descent) and her former white owner (Scottish-Irish-Welsh-German descent), who married her. His father was reasonably well […]

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This Day in History: December 8

This Day In History: December 8, 2010 On this day just two years ago, SpaceX became the first privately held entity to successfully launch a spacecraft into orbit and then subsequently recover it (they were also the first private company to launch something in orbit with a liquid-fueled vehicle around a year earlier when their Falcon 1 rocket put a […]

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What Does Gangnam Style Mean?

L. Stevens asks: What does “Gangnam Style” actually mean? “Gangnam” is an area in South Korea, specifically a small area in Seoul, South Korea, home to about 1% of the population of Seoul and is about the size of Manhattan.  It is known for its wealthy, “new money”, inhabitants.  (The region has only very recently become extremely upscale, with a […]

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The History of Dentistry

This is a guest post by Shoshana Davis Brushing your teeth after every meal, visiting the dentist for cleanings, and having a relatively painless mouth is not just desired but expected in the year 2012. However, that was not always the case. Dentistry has come a long way since its inception and is often overlooked for other scientific advancements. The […]

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Bigger Than Jesus

It seems only appropriate that the single most controversial quote from the Beatles, by any Beatle, was uttered by John Lennon, the group’s unspoken leader and most colorful member. On March 4, 1966, the following was said by Lennon: Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and I will be proved right. […]

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Brenda Lee was Just 13 Years Old When She Recorded the Christmas Staple “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

Brenda Mae Tarpley (a.k.a. Brenda Lee and “Little Miss Dynamite”) was born to an extremely poor family in December of 1944.  Things took a turn for the worse when her father, a onetime semi-pro baseball player and carpenter, died in a construction accident in May of 1953 when she was 8 years old. Within two years of this happening, the […]

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Where Did the Word “Assassin” Come From?

Chris Klick asks: Why is someone who murders a prominent person called an “assassin”. Where did this word “assassin” come from? The word “assassin” derives from a secretive murder cult in the 11th and 12th centuries called the “Hashishin”, meaning “hashish eaters”.  While much of the origin of this cult has been lost, the original leader was Hasan Ben Sabah, […]

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5 Bizarre Christmas Traditions

Guest post by Jennie Reedy: holiday decorating consultant, author, and blogger. She recommends Charlotte Holiday Lighting Installation for residents of Charlotte, NC looking for professional holiday lighting installation. Christmas around the globe is celebrated with many customs and traditions. Often the traditions are similar with only slight variations from country to country, but some Christmas traditions are truly bizarre. (Note: […]

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13 Interesting Popeye the Sailorman Facts

1) Popeye the sailor made his comic strip debut in January of 1929.  Popeye was originally just one of the many characters in a comic series drawn by Elzie Segar called Thimble Theater, which had been around for about 10 years before Popeye showed up.  Popeye was a one-eyed, 34-year-old (born in a typhoon in Santa Monica, California), semi-deformed-looking sailor […]

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