In 1949, the “Man-from-Mars Radio Hat” hit stores across the United States. Developed by Victor Hoeflich of the American Merri-Lei Corporation, it placed a fully functional AM radio into a pith helmet.
Wearing the News: The Short Life of the Radio Hat Read More »
On April 6, 1966, just before morning recess, students and teachers at Westall High School in Melbourne, Australia, saw something unexpected in the sky.
The Day a Flying Object Disrupted Class Read More »
Auto-brewery syndrome (ABS) is a rare medical condition where bacteria or fungi in the digestive system convert carbohydrates into ethanol. Patients experience actual intoxication without consuming alcohol.
The Condition That Made People Drunk Without Drinking Read More »
In the late Middle Kingdom of Egypt, around 1860 BC, Pharaoh Amenemhat III commissioned a pyramid unlike any before. Known today as the Black Pyramid for its dark, ruined appearance, it was the first intended to bury both a king and his queens.
The Black Pyramid: Egypt’s Sinking Tomb Read More »
In 1989, Jason Everman joined Nirvana as a second guitarist and paid the $606.17 recording fee for their debut album Bleach. Though he didn’t play on the tracks, he was credited and toured with the band.
From Grunge to Green Beret: The Unusual Journey of Jason Everman Read More »
From Silent Films to Snack Bars In 1926, brothers Maurice “Mac” and Richard “Dick” McDonald left Manchester, New Hampshire, for Southern California, aiming to make it in Hollywood. They hauled sets at Columbia Studios, but dreams of producing films faded. In 1930, they opened a movie theater in Glendora. The venture failed during the Depression.
How Two Brothers Built the Blueprint for McDonald’s Read More »
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14168, requiring all federal agencies to adopt a definition of sex based on reproductive roles “at conception.”
Did Executive Order 14168 Accidentally Redefine Everyone as Female? Read More »
Before he ever stood on a stage, Johnny Cash served as a radio intercept operator for the U.S. Air Force. In 1950, at age 18, he enlisted and was stationed in Landsberg, West Germany, during the peak of Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union.
The Night Johnny Cash Heard Stalin Die Read More »
In a private collection, a preserved human head and shoulders stunned researchers. The skull was cut open, the brain removed, and the arteries filled with a red mixture of beeswax, lime, and cinnabar mercury. Radiocarbon dating revealed the specimen dated to A.D. 1200–1280.
The Preserved Head That Rewrote Medieval Medical History Read More »
On March 5, 1960, Cuban photographer Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez—known as Korda—took a portrait of Ernesto “Che” Guevara during a funeral for victims of a ship explosion in Havana.
Half a Minute in Havana: The Photo of Che That Went Everywhere Read More »
