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Topsy: The Electrocution of an Elephant
On this date in 1903, Topsy, an Asian elephant was euthanized by electrocution at Coney Island, New York. Here are some things you may not have known about the incident. Topsy was brought to the United States and performed in the Forepaugh Circus, where she gained a reputation as a bad elephant after killing a…
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Times Square: A New Year’s Tradition
Today is New Year’s Day, which is marked in New York City by the ball drop in Times Square. Here are some things you may not have known about the Times Square Ball. The first ball drop was held on New Year’s Eve 1907. It was organized by Adolph Ochs, the owner of the New…
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Soviet Union: The Rapid Collapse
Today is the 24th anniversary of the final winding down of the USSR. Here are some things you may not have known about the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet Union began in earnest in 1985 with the election of Mikhail Gorbachev as general secretary of the Communist Party. He…
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Stan Lee: A 93-Year-Old Marvel
Today is the 93rd birthday of comic book legend Stan Lee. Here are a few things you may not have known about him. He was born Stanley Martin Lieber in his parents’ apartment in New York. As a child he enjoyed writing and found work writing obituaries and press releases. He also worked as a…
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Christmas: Why Is It Celebrated on December 25?
Here are some things you may not have known about the history of Christmas. Christmas is, of course, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In addition to being a religious holiday, it’s also a public holiday in many parts of the world and is celebrated by many non-Christians. There is not much agreement…
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Crossword Puzzles: Looking for Answers Since 1913
On this date in 1913, the first crossword puzzle was printed in the New York World newspaper. Here are some things you may not have known about crossword puzzles. The first puzzle was actually called a word-cross puzzle. It was created by Arthur Wynne, who was a journalist from Liverpool, England. It was based on…
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Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Schemes: What’s the Difference?
On this date in 2008, Bernard Madoff was arrested and charged with running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Here are some facts about Ponzi schemes, their history and how they work. A Ponzi scheme is a scam where a person or organization pays returns to investors using funds from new investors, rather than from profit…
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Death of John Lennon
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. Here are some things you may not have known about that horrible day. John Lennon and Yoko Ono had spent the day participating in a photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Following the photo shoot, Lennon gave a…