In 1920, The New York Times ridiculed Robert H. Goddard and claimed that rockets could not function in space. On July 17, 1969, a day after the Apollo 11 launch, NYT formally acknowledged their error. 00
In 1920, The New York Times ridiculed Robert…
In 1948 in the US, pregnant women…
In 1948 in the US, pregnant women were not allowed to be teachers in 57% of public school districts because “the sight of pregnant women would unfavorably influence students” and because “pregnant teachers’ minds would not be on their work.” 00
When his music career famously sank…
When his music career famously sank, Vanilla Ice has kept himself afloat nicely with his home improvment “The Vanilla Ice Project,” with an estimated net worth of $18 million. 00
In 1967 a man appeared on Jeopardy!…
In 1967 a man appeared on Jeopardy! intending to win just enough money to buy an engagement ring. He won that amount halfway through and kept his mouth shut from there on. To prevent a recurrence, the rules were changed shortly thereafter, allowing only the winner to keep all his/her winnings. 00
There were at least seven…
There were at least seven types of alcoholic beverages in the Americas before European contact. One of them is made from pineapple, and another is made from the honey of a domesticated stingless bee. 00
A small town in West Virginia asked…
A small town in West Virginia asked the Soviet Union and East Germany for help with replacing a bridge after being ignored by the West Virginian goverment. The Soviets sent a journalist to investigate and within one hour the state finally agreed to pay for it. 00
“Breaker boys” between age 8-12 were…
“Breaker boys” between age 8-12 were employed to work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week to separate impurities from coal. Despite public disapproval, the practice of employing children in this line of work lasted for decades, only finally ending in the US in the 1920s. 00
A company offered to mail your enemies…
A company offered to mail your enemies glitter, but was so overwhelmed by success, it closed down. 00
In Canada it is illegal to pretend…
In Canada it is illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft. However, completely legal to practice witchcraft. 00
Scientists have unexpectedly found…
Scientists have unexpectedly found that the bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea, an extremophile, can survive at -196 Celsius degrees, the temperature of liquid nitrogen. They’re not sure how this is possible. 00