Month: September 2016

  • Mexican Independence Day Isn’t On May 5th

    Today is Mexican Independence Day. Here are some things you may not have known about it. As you’re hopefully aware, today is not the 5th of May. Cinco de Mayo is frequently confused for Mexican Independence Day, but it’s actually a celebration of the Mexican victory over French troops in the Battle of Puebla. Mexican…

  • Khrushchev Visits the United States

    On this date in 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began a two-week tour of the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about it. Khrushchev’s visit was preceded by American Vice President Richard Nixon’s visit to Moscow in July of 1959. During Nixon’s visit, he engaged in a wide-ranging debate with…

  • Hoagies, Heroes, Subs and Grinders

    Today is National Eat a Hoagie Day. Here are some things you may not have known about the sandwiches. “Hoagie” is a term used mainly in the Philadelphia region for a submarine sandwich. Regionally in the U.S., they’re also known as heroes, grinders, torpedoes, wedges, zeppelins, spuckies, blimpies, bombers, Italians, and spiedies. The origin of…

  • Phineas Gage: A Story of Survival

    On this date in 1848, Phineas Gage survived an accident in which an iron rod was driven through his head. Here are some things you may not have known about him. Gage was a railroad construction foreman, who was working as part of a blasting crew near Cavendish, Vermont. The crew’s job consisted of drilling…

  • “Bonanza”: The Old West in Living Color

    On this date in 1959, the television show “Bonanza” premiered. Here are some things you may not have known about the landmark Western program. The series focused on Ben Cartwright and his three sons. Each of the sons was by a different wife. The oldest son was Adam, whose mother died in childbirth. He was…

  • Traffic Safety: An American Success Story

    On this date in 1966, the U.S. National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was signed into law. Here are some things you may not have known about traffic safety. Between 1925 and 1965, the annual number of motor vehicle deaths more than doubled. There were some obvious reasons for this increase: The nation’s population…

  • Scotch Tape: 5 Things You Didn’t Know

    On this date in 1930, the 3M company introduced Scotch Tape. Here are some things you may not have known about the adhesive tapes. Until 2002, 3M stood for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. The company was founded in 1902 and its first profitable product was sandpaper. In 1925, the company introduced masking tape. According to…

  • Pro Football Hall of Fame: Five Things You Didn’t Know

    On this date in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio. Here are some things you may not have known about it. Canton was chosen as the site of the Hall of Fame because the predecessor of the NFL, the American Professional Football Association, was founded there in 1920. The city…

  • Grocery Stores: Everything In One Place

    On this date in 1916, Piggly Wiggly, the first self-service grocery store in the United States, opened its doors in Memphis, Tennessee. Here are a few things you may not have known about the history of grocery stores. Before 1916, customers would give a list of items to a clerk behind a counter, who would…

  • Labor Day: Celebrating Workers Since 1894

    Put away your white clothes and seersucker, today is Labor Day in the United States and Canada. Here are some things you may not have known about the holiday. In the U.S. the holiday was created to honor the American labor movement and workers’ contributions to the country. The originator of the idea is disputed,…