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Quiz Show Scandal: The Fix Is In
On this date in 1957, Charles Van Doren ended his four-month run as champion of the quiz show “Twenty One.” It was later discovered that the show was fixed. Here are some things you may not have known about Van Doren and the quiz-show scandal. The game show “Twenty One” premiered on September 10, 1956…
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Louisiana Purchase: What a Bargain!
On this date in 1804, France officially turned over the Louisiana territory to the United States during a ceremony in St. Louis. Here are some things you may not have known about the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase consisted of 828,000 square miles, including parts of 15 current states and parts of two Canadian provinces.…
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Compact Discs: High Quality, Small Space
On this date in 1983, compact discs and their players were released in the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about CDs. They trace their roots to the LaserDisc player, which was a video format using a disc that looked like a vinyl record-sized CD. It was invented in the…
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Lindbergh Kidnapping: Crime of the Century
On this date in 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family’s home in East Amwell, New Jersey. Here are some things you may not have known about the kidnapping. Charles Lindbergh became a national hero in 1927 when he was the first person to fly…
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Leap Day: March Will Wait Another Day
Today is not March 1st, in case you’re just waking up, It’s still February, at least according to the Gregorian calendar. Every four years, with some exceptions, February has an extra day to help account for the difference between a calendar year and the time it actually takes the Earth to orbit the sun or…
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Clam Chowder: Say it Right
Today is National Clam Chowder Day in the United States. Here are a few facts about clam chowder that you may not have known. First, chowder is a soup, but not all soups are chowders. Chowder is a type of soup made with dairy products and is usually thickened. Most chowders are seafood based, although…
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Iwo Jima: Raising the Flag in Victory
On this date in 1945, five United States Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. Here are some things you may not have known about the battle, the moment and the iconic photograph. Iwo Jima is located halfway between…
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Legend of Zelda: Link’s 30-Year Quest
30 years ago today, the video game “The Legend of Zelda” was released in Japan. Here are some things you may not have known about the game. First off, the playable character is named Link, not Zelda. Link is a boy who ends up on a quest to gather eight pieces of the Triforce of…
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Dale Earnhardt: A NASCAR Champion
On this date in 2001, seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a final-lap crash during the Daytona 500. Here are some things you may not have known about Earnhardt and that fateful day. Dale Earnhardt was born in 1951 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He was the third of four children of…