Month: June 2015

  Today is the 78th anniversary of the debut of the first emergency telephone number. Here are some things you might not know about the history of emergency telephone numbers. First, the service was originally offered in the greater London area of Great Britain. The number, 999, was selected because it is easy to remember and could be dialed on […]

On June 29, 1956, the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act was signed into law by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. Here are a few things you may not have known about the Act and the Interstate Highway system it funded. First, Eisenhower had two inspirations for the Interstate system. The first was the 1919 Army Convoy on the Lincoln Highway, […]

On June 26, 1974, the first product with a UPC code was scanned by a cash register. Here are some things you may not know about the system. First, early ideas for methods to quickly scan items involved punch cards, bulls-eye symbols and color codes. Eventually a grocery industry group agreed on a proposal from IBM which uses the lines of varying […]

  On June 25, 1967, the first live global satellite television show was aired. Here are a few facts you might not know about “Our World.” First, it’s best known for its finale, which featured the Beatles premiere performance of “All You Need is Love.” Performing with the Beatles were the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Graham Nash. Second, the […]

On June 24, 1880, “O Canada” was performed for the first time. Here are some things you may not have known about the Canadian national anthem. First: The lyrics were originally written in French to celebrate Saint Jean-Baptiste Day. A version in English was written in 1906, with more-popular lyrics written in 1908. The current lyrics were adopted in 1980, […]

On June 23, 1926, the first SAT exam was given by the College Board. Here are a few things you may not have known about the American college entrance exam. First: SAT was an acronym for Scholastic Aptitude Test until 1990 when it was changed to Scholastic Assessment Test. In 1997, the College Board announced that the letters SAT no […]

On June 22, 1633, Galileo Galilei was forced to recant his theory that the sun, and not the earth, is the center of the universe. Here are a few facts about Galileo that you may not have known: First, Galileo was born in 1564 in Pisa, Italy. He invented the thermometer, improved the telescope and made several advances in astronomy […]

Today is Father’s Day in the United States and many other countries around the world. Here are a few facts you may not have known about the holiday. First, it was started in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd in Spokane, Washington. Second, the idea didn’t spread quickly as legislators were concerned that the holiday would become too commercialized. Eventually, those […]

On June 20, 1948, “Toast of the Town” hosted by Ed Sullivan premiered on CBS television in the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about Ed Sullivan and his show. First: Sullivan was born in Harlem, New York in 1901. He started in media as a sportswriter for the New York Evening Graphic. He later […]

June 19th is the 150th anniversary of the news of the end of the American Civil War reaching Texas and the effective end of slavery in the United States. Here are a few things you may not have known about what is now called Juneteenth. First: On the balcony of Ashton Villa in Galveston, Texas, General Gordon Granger read General […]