In total darkness, many people report seeing a uniform dark gray field. This phenomenon, called Eigengrau—from German, meaning “intrinsic gray”—is not produced by light, but by internal processes in the eye. It’s a constant, ever-present backdrop even when no light enters the eyes.

In ancient Pompeii, engineers used bronze water valves welded into lead piping to regulate flow through the city’s supply system. These plug-style valves, controlled by a rotating insert, functioned much like modern hardware-store models, and were manufactured with consistent standards.

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.

On April 6, 1966, just before morning recess, students and teachers at Westall High School in Melbourne, Australia, saw something unexpected in the sky.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.”

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.