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Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On this date in 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris. Here are some things you may not have known about the events of that night. Diana had spent the previous nine days with her companion Dodi Fayed on Fayed’s father’s yacht in the Mediterranean. His Father, Mohamed Al-Fayed,…
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Gene Wilder: Behind the Scenes of “Blazing Saddles”
On Monday, actor Gene Wilder died at the age of 83 of complications from Alzheimer’s Disease. Here are a few things you may not have known about one of his most memorable movies, “Blazing Saddles.” Wilder played Jim, a gunfighter who was known as The Waco Kid. Jim has become an alcoholic after years of…
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Goodyear: Where the Rubber Hits the Road
On this date in 1898, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded. Here are some things you may not have known about Goodyear. The company was not founded by Charles Goodyear, who was credited with inventing vulcanized rubber. The company was founded almost four decades after Goodyear died. It was named after him by…
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Kindergarten: A Learning Experience
On this date in 1876, the school board of St. Louis, Missouri, authorized the first kindergarten at a public school in the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about kindergarten. You probably solved this one on your own, but kindergarten is German for children’s garden. It was originally intended to…
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100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service
On this date in 1916, the U.S. National Park Service was formed. Here are some things you may not have known about the national parks of the United States. If you remember our first, episode, back in March 2015, you’ll know that the first national park in the world was Yellowstone. The idea of national…
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Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
On this date in the year 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying several towns, most notably Pompeii. Here are some things you may not know about Vesuvius. There is disagreement over the exact date of the eruption. Some archaeologists argue that the evidence buried in Pompeii puts the eruption date as October 24, but traditionally the…
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Presidential Cars: White House on Wheels
On this date in 1902, Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile in public. Here are some things you may not know about presidential cars. Roosevelt’s predecessor William McKinley was the first president to ride in a car, but apparently he did so in private. Roosevelt’s excursion took place during…
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Indianapolis: The World’s First Speedway
On this date in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway played host to its first auto race. Here are some things you may not have known about the Brickyard. The track is located inside Indianapolis, but not in Indianapolis. It’s located in a suburb called Speedway, Indiana, that is completely surrounded by the city of Indianapolis.…
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19th Amendment: Women’s Gain the Right to Vote
Today is the 96th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which gave women the right to vote. Here are some things you may not have known about the amendment. The first U.S. territory to grant women the right to vote was Wyoming in 1869, followed by…
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Campaign Memorabilia: Buttons, Bumper Stickers and More
Campaign memorabilia in the United States dates back to the beginning of American democracy. The first campaign buttons were actual buttons sewed on to clothing. Buttons were given out for George Washington’s first inauguration in 1789. In 1828, Andrew Jackson became the first presidential candidate to aggressively use memorabilia as part of his campaign. Jackson,…