There used to be rat fishing…

There used to be rat fishing tournaments in an alley behind a saloon in Baltimore. Men would rig fishing poles with traps and bait, cast them down the ally and try and catch the largest rat. 00

Nutraloaf is a food served…

Nutraloaf is a food served in prisons in the United States and Canada to prisoners who have misbehaved. Due to its lack of flavor, it has been banned in several states where food cannot be used as punishment. 00

Between 1907 and 1922, American…

Between 1907 and 1922, American-born women who married non-citizens automatically lost American citizenship. In 1917, hundreds of American women who had married German men were forced to register with the government as ‘enemy aliens’. 00

“The” was originally written as…

“The” was originally written as “þe” in old english. It was eventually abbreviated to “þͤ”. Since “þ” looked similar to “y” in old english blackletter script, they were both mixed up. So, in old english, “Ye olde” was simply pronounced “The olde.” 00

The Miwok (N California) played…

The Miwok (North California) played a game similar to soccer. Played by both sexes, girls were allowed to do anything, including kicking the ball & picking it up & running with it, while boys were only allowed to use their feet, but if a girl was holding the ball he could pick her up and […]

A Queens man, Raffi Stepanian…

A Queens man, Raffi Stepanian, has mined the cracks in the sidewalks in Midtown’s Diamond District, New York City, for bits of diamonds, rubies, platinum and gold to make a living. Over six days, he says he collected enough gold for two sales totaling $819. 00