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On this date in 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos of the United States won gold and bronze medals respectively in the 200 meters at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. During the medal ceremony, the Americans raised their black-gloved fists above their bowed heads during the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner.” All three…

Today is the birthday of English author P.G. Wodehouse, the creator of the character “Jeeves” the quintessential English butler, who actually wasn’t a butler at all. Here are some things you may not have known about Wodehouse, Jeeves and the difference between a butler and a valet or — more properly pronounced — valet (with…

On this date in 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the speed of sound in an airplane. Here are some facts you may not have known about Yeager and supersonic flight. Charles Elwood Yeager was born in West Virginia in 1923. He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces at the age of…

On this date in 1958, Paddington Bear made his debut in the children’s book “A Bear Called Paddington.” Here are some facts you may not have known about Paddington. Paddington was created by Michael Bond, who saw a single teddy bear for sale on a shelf in a shop near Paddington Station in London. He…

On this date in 1936, what is now called Hoover Dam began producing electricity. Here are some things you may not have known about the dam. The Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936 on the Colorado River at Black Canyon on the state line between Nevada and Arizona, about 30 miles southeast of…

On this date in 1956, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series. Here are a few facts about Larsen and the only perfect game in World Series history. Larsen was born in 1929 in Michigan City, Indiana. His family moved to San Diego, California…

On this date in 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore, Maryland. Here are some facts you may not have known about Poe and his death. Edgar Poe was born in 1809 in Boston. At the age of two, he was orphaned when his mother died of tuberculosis. He was taken in by John Allan…

70 years ago today, a man and his goat were kicked out of a World Series baseball game, which some believe led to one of the great curses in sports history. Here are a few facts you may not have known about the Curse of the Billy Goat. Chicago bar owner Billy Sianis , who…

On this date in 1969, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” premiered on BBC 1 in the United Kingdom. Here are a few facts you may not have known about the show and its creators. The six members of the troupe worked together on several British television shows before creating their own show in 1969. Five of…

On this date in 1959, “The Twilight Zone” premiered on CBS television in the United States. Here are some facts you may not have known about the show and its creator, Rod Serling. Rod Serling was born in Syracuse, New York in 1924 and grew up in Binghamton, New York. He enlisted in the army…