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Department Stores: Everything in One Place
On this date in 1902, James Cash Penney opened his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. Here are some things you may not have known about J.C. Penney and department stores in general. James Cash Penney Jr. was born in 1875 in Missouri. In 1898 he started working for a chain called the Golden Rule stores.…
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Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space
55 years ago today, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into outer space. Here are some things you may not have known about Gagarin and his flight. Yuri Gagarin was born in 1934 near the border between Russia and Belarus. During World War II, his family was displaced from their home and forced…
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Stone of Scone: Scotland’s Seat of Kings
On this date in 1951, the Stone of Scone, also known as the the Stone of Destiny and the Coronation Stone was returned to the British government after it was taken to Scotland. Here are some things you may not have known about the stone and the plot to steal it. The stone is a…
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Celebrities in Politics: Stars in Office
Today is the 30th anniversary of actor and director Clint Eastwood being elected as mayor of Carmel, California. Here are some things you may not have known about celebrities in politics. The state of California, rather obviously, has had a disproportionate share of celebrity politicians. Actor and dancer George Murphy was among the first notable…
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Beer: America’s Tipple of Choice
Today is National Beer Day in the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about the history of beer in the United States. • The unofficial holiday is celebrated today to mark the anniversary of the 1933 partial repeal of prohibition. It allowed beer to be sold and consumed legally for…
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Eurovision Song Contest: A Musical Spectacle
On this date in 1974, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Waterloo.” Here are some things you might not known about the contest. In the years following World War II, European broadcasting leaders were searching for a unifying entertainment icon that would bring the continent together. In 1955, the idea of an…
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Easter Island: More Than Just Stone Statues
On this date in 1722, a Dutch explorer became the first European to land on Easter Island. Here are some things you may not have known about Easter Island. It is located at the southeastern corner of the Polynesian Triangle, about 2,000 miles west of South America. It’s a special territory of Chile. It’s best…
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World Trade Center: Before 9/11
On this date in 1973, the World Trade Center in New York was dedicated. Here are some things you may not have known about the building, besides its destruction on Sept. 11, 2001. The site of the World Trade Center was originally under the Hudson River. The river was filled in the area starting in…
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Archive: First Handheld Mobile Phone Call
(Originally published April 3, 2015) On April 3, 1973, the first handheld mobile phone call was made. Here are some things you might not know about early cellular phones: First, Martin Cooper of Motorola made that first call to his counterpart at AT&T and said, “Joel, this is Marty. I’m calling you from a cell…
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Archive: Falklands Islands War
(Originally published April 2, 2015) Today is the 33rd anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory also claimed by Argentina. The invasion sparked the Falklands War. Here are three things you may not have known about the Falklands War: One: 904 troops were killed and 2,432 were wounded during…