Today I found out Al Capone’s brother was a police officer who at one point was also a prohibition enforcement officer. James Vincenzo Capone, born in 1892, was 7 years old when his infamous brother Al was born. Growing up in Brooklyn, he felt the city life didn’t suit him and decided to head out west. As such, he left […]
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In 1896, there was a group called the “Society for the Prevention of People Being Buried Alive” started by Victorian Americans. Among other things they attempted, they tried to get a law established making it so you could only bury someone after strong smell and putrefaction were evident. Source
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In a marketing effort to boost jewelry sales, the American National Retail Jeweler Association in 1937 revised the system by which certain wedding anniversaries are to be marked by giving various jewels, precious metals, and other artifacts on certain anniversaries. Prior to their marketing scheme, it was traditional only to give standardized gifts on the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, […]
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This Day In History: November 24, 1971 An unidentified man referred to as D.B. Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727 airplane between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. Cooper bought a one-way ticket on a Northwest Orient Airlines, Flight 305 to Seattle, Washington leaving Portland, Oregon at 2:50 p.m. He brought with him aboard the plane a black suit-case supposedly containing a […]
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Olivia Wilde’s real name is Olivia Cockburn. She took the professional name “Wilde” in high school in homage to famed writer Oscar Wilde. Olivia Wilde’s mother is 60 Minutes producer and award winning journalist, Leslie Cockburn. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, is also an award winning journalist. In addition to that, her aunt and her grandfather were also professional writers. Source
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Today I found out bubble wrap was originally designed to be used as wallpaper. Bubble Wrap was invented by two engineers Al Fielding and Swiss inventor Marc Chavannes in Hawthorne, N.J. in 1957. The two were not, however, trying to make a product to be used as packaging material. Rather, they were trying to create a textured wallpaper. They started […]
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This Day In History: November 23, 534 BC November 23 marks the traditional date when the first ever human being to take the stage and portray someone else other than himself took place. This person, according to various sources, most notably Aristotle, was a man named Thespis of Icaria. (which is also where we get the word “thespian”, meaning “actor”) […]
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Today I found out how Gecko’s feet stick to almost anything. It has been observed since the 4th century BC that geckos have the ability to climb walls, hang upside down, and apparently “stick” to anything. Aristotle was the first known to have commented on the phenomenon, stating gecko’s have the ability to “run up and down a tree in […]
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Many of Mr. Rogers’ famous sweaters he wore on the show were made by his mother. Source
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This Day In History: November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was shot first in the back and next in the head while traveling through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas on this day in 1963. Two other people were also accidentally shot due to their proximity to the President. One was the governor of Texas, John Connally, sustaining a serious chest […]
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This Day In History: November 21, 1783 In Paris, France, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes made the first untethered manned flight in a Montgolfier hot air balloon. After several practice runs to get the feel for how to work the balloon, de Rozier and d’Arlandes finally made their first untethered flight leaving at 2:00 p.m. from the […]
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Today I found out what the company name “3M” stands for. While today 3M makes a variety of products from medical and office supplies to electronic circuitry, in 1902 they started out as a mining company, who, as it turned out, wasn’t very good at mining. Specifically, they started out with the intention of mining the necessary types of stone […]
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The term “baker” dates back to around the year 1000. Another term that meant the same thing from that time was “bakester”. This latter word referred to female bakers; this is similar to how a “webster” was a female weaver, with the “-ster” ending implying a woman. “Bakester” is also where the surname “Baxter” comes from. Source
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Today I found out dog mouths are not cleaner than human mouths. If this were the case, I’m pretty sure a dog’s mouth would be some sort of medical miracle, considering: they rarely if ever have their teeth brushed or mouths cleaned; they literally put their mouth on everything; and they use their tongue as toilet paper for not only […]
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Menthol can be used in solid form as mineral ice, a substitute for real ice. As far as your brain is concerned, the drink you drink with the menthol is cold, even though it might actually be warm. This makes for handy “icing” of your drinks on camping trips. Source
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This Date in History: November 20, 1820 On this date in 1820, an estimated 80 ton sperm whale attacked and destroyed the whaling ship, Essex, an event that partly inspired the novel Moby Dick. Sailing around 2,000 miles west of South America, the crew of the Essex encountered a huge whale, which they claimed was around 85 feet long, though […]
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Applying Super Glue (cyanoacrylate) to cotton or wool results in a rapid chemical reaction that releases enough heat to cause minor burns, so typically this should be avoided. However, if enough cyanoacrylate is added to the cotton or wool, the fabric will catch on fire, making this a great trick to keep in mind in survival situations. Generally, cotton and […]
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This Day In History: November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln was invited to the dedication ceremony of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, not as the primary speaker, but simply to follow famed orator and U.S. Senator Edward Everett. Everett first gave a well received speech that lasted around two hours; Lincoln then got up and gave his now famous address which was […]
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