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1926: Book of the Month Club Starts Delivering
On this date in 1926, the first Book of the Month Club selection was published. Here are some things you might not have known about it. The Book of the Month Club was founded by Harry Scherman in New York. Scherman had earlier success selling a collection of 30 leather-bound books for just under $3.…
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1985: “We Are The World” Helps Fight Famine in Ethiopia
On this date in 1985, the charity song “We Are The World” was released. Here are some things you may not have known about it. More than a million people died as a result of a widespread famine in Ethiopia between 1983 and 1985, in the midst of more than two decades of insurrection and…
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1899: The History of Aspirin
On this date in 1899, Bayer registered the name “Aspirin” as a trademark. Here are some things you might not have known about aspirin. Aspirin is also known as acetylsalicylic acid. People have been using willow and myrtle trees, both rich in salicylate for thousands of years to treat pain and fever. Aspirin is a…
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Australia Act of 1986: Full Independence Down Under
On this date in 1986, the Australia Act of 1986 came into effect. Here are some things you may not have known about Australia’s independence from the United Kingdom. The Australia Act of 1986 cut the last constitutional ties between Australia and the UK. The process began in 1901 with the creation of the Dominion…
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1933: “King Kong” Premieres in New York
On this date in 1933, the film “King Kong” premiered in New York. Here are some things you may not have known about it. “King Kong” is the tale of a wildlife filmmaker and his crew, who stumble upon an enormous gorilla-like ape on an uncharted island off of Indonesia. The ape falls in love…
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1954: Five Congressmen Shot by Puerto Rican Nationalists
On this date in 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire in the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol building. Here are some things you may not have known about it. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded in the 1920s in an attempt to secure the island’s independence from the United…
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Battle of Los Angeles: Fear and Anxiety
On this date in 1942, anti-aircraft guns blazed over the city of Los Angeles during what was eventually determined to be a false alarm. Here are some things you might not have known about “The Battle of Los Angeles.” The United States was three months into its involvement in World War II following the Japanese…
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Aluminum: The Modern Metal
On this date in 1886, Charles Martin Hall used an economical method to produce aluminum for the first time. Here are some things you may not have known about it. Aluminum is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust, and the most common metal. Aluminum compounds occur naturally, and have been used in…
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Daytona 500: Stock Car Racing’s Biggest Spectacle
On this date in 1959, Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500. Here are some things you may not have known about stock car racing’s crown jewel. The Daytona 500 is the direct descendant of earlier races held on the Daytona Beach Road Course. Stock car races were held on a stretch of Daytona Beach…
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Polaroid Cameras: Photos in an Instant
On this date in 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated the first instant camera. Here are some things you may not have known about the Polaroid Land Camera. Edwin Land was born in 1909 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After one year of studying chemistry at Harvard, he dropped out to move to New York and work on his…