The concept of using a card for purchases was described in 1887 by Edward Bellamy in his utopian novel Looking Backward. Bellamy used the term credit card eleven times in this novel, although this referred to a card for spending a citizen’s dividend from the government, rather than borrowing.
Sending an all female crew to Mars would…
Sending an all female crew to Mars would be significantly cheaper than sending men. Women are smaller and lighter, taking up less space and burning less fuel and they burn less calories so less food is needed.
Because of Texas’s 3-strikes law, a man was sentenced…
Because of Texas’s 3-strikes law, a man was sentenced to life in prison for refusing to return a refund after an air conditioner repair, ending a criminal career that had cost society $230 dollars.
A Japanese Officer in WW2 killed himself…
A Japanese Officer in WW2 killed himself rather than order his 2000 subordinates to conduct a kamikaze attack.
A Florida man tossed an alligator through…
A Florida man tossed an alligator through a drive-thru window. He was charged with “assault with a deadly weapon.”
The slogan for Winston cigarettes, “Winston tastes good…
The slogan for Winston cigarettes, “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should”, was controversial throughout the 50s & 60s, because saying “like” instead of “as” was considered ungrammatical.
When Jimi Hendrix was born, his father was in the US Army…
When Jimi Hendrix was born, his father was in the US Army and stationed in another state. He requested a furlough to go and meet his newborn son, but was denied. The next day, he was arrested on no charge and imprisoned for two months with no trial to prevent him from going AWOL.
Some police departments in the U.S. are starting…
Some police departments in the U.S. are starting to create Internet Purchase Exchange Locations so that Craigslist or similar transactions can be conducted in an area with video surveillance and police presence and keep participating parties safe.
Chicken was considered a luxury food in the United…
Chicken was considered a luxury food in the United States until the discovery of vitamin D in 1922, allowing chickens to thrive indoors and during the winter season.
The Chinese word for “contradiction”, 矛盾, consisting…
The Chinese word for “contradiction”, 矛盾, consisting of the characters for “spear” and “shield” respectively, is said to derive from an old tale in which a Chinese merchant proclaimed to sell “spears that could pierce any shield” and “shields that could defend from all spear attacks”.