History

Category Archives: History

The Famous “HOLLYWOOD” Sign Originally Read “HOLLYWOODLAND” and Was Lit By About 4,000 Light Bulbs Embedded in the Letters

July 22, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the Hollywood sign originally read “HOLLYWOODLAND” and was lit with about 4,000, 20 watt light bulbs, which would flash “HOLLY” then “WOOD” then “LAND” then “HOLLYWOODLAND” repeatedly. The sign was originally put up in 1923 to promote a housing development. The owner of Crescent Sign Company, Thomas Fisk Goff, designed the sign itself, making the letters […]

The Current Version of the U.S. Flag was Proposed by a High School Student Who Initially Received Only a B- for His Design

July 11, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the most recent version of the United States’ flag was designed by a high school student who initially received only a B- for his proposed design. In his own words shortly before he died on Dec 12, 2009, Bob Heft recounted to StoryCorps the tale of his design being chosen among about 1,500 submitted to become […]

The Melody for the Star Spangled Banner was Taken From a Drinking Song

July 4, 2012 Daven Hiskey

The melody that would be borrowed for the Star Spangled Banner was extremely popular and well known at the time the future U.S. national anthem was penned. It is known to have been used for at least 84 popular songs in the United States alone, including Adams and Liberty – The Boston Patriotic Song and the subsequent tune Jefferson and […]

The Female Prostitute That Rose to Become One of the Most Powerful Pirates in History and Whose Armada Took on the Chinese, British, and Portuguese Navies… and Won

June 13, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out about the prostitute that rose to command a huge armada that controlled the South Chinese Sea and the Guangdong province. While female pirates weren’t uncommon off the coast of Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries, one woman stood above them all. Her birth name isn’t known, but this Cantonese pirate went by the name Ching […]

The Can Opener Wasn’t Invented Until 48 Years After the Invention of the Can

June 4, 2012 Scott

Today I found out the can opener wasn’t invented until 48 years after the invention of the can. In 1795, Napoleon Bonaparte was having problems with his supply lines. Specifically, they were too long for the food preservation methods at the time, making it difficult to adequately supply his troops with needed food. Thus, he offered a 12,000 franc prize […]

Ben Franklin’s Proposal of Something Like Daylight Saving Time was Written as a Joke

May 10, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out Ben Franklin’s proposal of something like daylight saving time was written as a joke. In a comedic letter he wrote, An Economical Project (published in 1784), “to the authors of the journal of Paris”, Franklin mentions something like daylight saving time. Although, instead of changing clocks, he suggested ringing church bells and firing cannons, among other things, as […]

John F. Kennedy’s Statement “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” was Not Interpreted as “I am a Jelly-Filled Doughnut”

April 25, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Myth: John F. Kennedy blundered in one of his most famous speeches, saying in German “I am a jelly-filled doughnut” instead of what he meant (in the figurative sense) “I am a person from Berlin”. As German professor Reinhold Aman stated about this: “Ich bin ein Berliner means ‘I am a Berliner’ or ‘a male person/native of Berlin’ and absolutely […]

Mississippi Didn’t Officially Outlaw Slavery Until 1995

April 18, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out Mississippi didn’t officially outlaw slavery until 1995. While the Thirteenth Amendment was set into law, thus outlawing slavery anywhere in the United States, on December 6, 1865 when it secured the needed 27 of 36 states’ approval (3/4), it wasn’t until 130 years later on March 16, 1995 that Mississippi finally got around to ratifying the […]

There Once was a Little Person Who Played in Major League Baseball

March 28, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out there once was a little person who played in Major League Baseball. This man was 26 year old, 3 feet, 7 inch tall Eddie Gaedel. Gaedel was signed by Bill Veeck to a Major League contract of $15,400 ($100 per game), which was the set minimum one could pay a little person performance act, per event. […]

Who Invented Baseball?

March 20, 2012 Daven Hiskey

The myth that baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday has been widely spread since 1907 and even today is sometimes stated by such people as former Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig. For instance, in 2010 he stated: “As a student of history, I know there is a great debate whether Abner Doubleday or Alexander Cartwright really founded the game […]

There Was Once a One Man Invasion Attempt of the Island Nation of Sark

March 10, 2012 Scott

Today I found out there was once a one man invasion attempt of the island of Sark. Andre Gardes was an unemployed nuclear physicist from France. Mr. Gardes believed himself the rightful heir and “Seigneur” of the small formerly feudal state of Sark. In August of 1990, Gardes decided to stage an invasion to forcefully set himself up as the […]

The Origin of the Green, Yellow, and Red Color Scheme for Traffic Lights

March 8, 2012 Scott

Today I found out the origin of the green, yellow, and red color scheme for traffic lights. While some of the specifics have been lost to history, it is known that this color scheme derives from a system used by the railroad industry since the 1830s. At this time, railroad companies developed a lighted means to let train engineers know […]

The Pharmaceutical Company Bayer Coined the Name “Heroin” and Marketed the Drug as a Non-Addictive Cough Medicine

February 17, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the pharmaceutical company Bayer coined the name “Heroin” and marketed the drug as a non-addictive cough medicine, among other uses. While opium itself has been commonly used since at least 3400 BC, heroin is a relatively new invention, derived from opium. Heroin, more technically known as diacetylmorphine, was first synthesized in 1874 by chemist Charles Romley […]

What Grog was Originally Made From

February 11, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out what grog was originally made from. Although today the word “grog” has more or less turned into a slang term to refer to just about any alcoholic beverage in many parts of the world, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, grog was originally just a mixture of rum with water, sometimes with a bit of lemon […]

The Cincinnati Reds were Once Renamed the “Redlegs” Due to the Second Red Scare

February 6, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the Cincinnati Reds were once renamed the “Redlegs” due to the second “Red Scare”. The Cincinnati Reds name was originally inspired by a previously existing team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, which was the first fully professional baseball team. This former team had ten men on salary for eight months to play baseball for the Red Stockings. […]

Why America was Named America

January 31, 2012 Scott

Today I found out how the Americas got their name. Like most, I’ve known that the Americas were named after Amerigo Vespucci since my early education. However, the story behind why this is the case is somewhat more interesting and quite a bit less well known. Vespucci was a navigator that traveled to “the new world” in 1499 and 1502. […]

Julius Caesar was Once Kidnapped by Pirates Who Demanded a Ransom of 20 Talents of Silver, Caesar Insisted They Ask for 50

January 14, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates and convinced them to up their ransom demand. A 25 year old Julius Caesar was sailing the Aegean Sea when he was kidnapped by Sicilian pirates. The pirates who captured him initially asked for a ransom of 20 talents of silver (which is about 620 kg of silver or […]

The Origin of the QWERTY Keyboard

January 7, 2012 Samantha

Today I found out the origin of the QWERTY keyboard. The first typewriter was introduced to the United States in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes. His first attempt to build a typing device consisted of a crude and sluggish machine that was far from perfect. The design used letters and characters on the ends of rods which were called typebars. […]

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