A lottery scratcher in England was cancelled because too many customers could not figure out which is the higher of two negative numbers. 00
A lottery scratcher in England…
Before he was a famous musician…
Before he was a famous musician Johnny Cash was a military code breaker for the US Air Force. He worked as a as a Morse Intercept Operator in Germany, handling the hardest jobs, intercepting Russian intelligence & deciphering code transmissions. He copied the 1st news of Stalin’s death. 00
An 18-month-old German Shepherd
An 18-month-old German shepherd named Luna fell off a boat in the Pacific Ocean, swam 2 miles to a nearby island, and survived for 5 weeks by eating mice before she was rescued by a team of Navy staffers. She was found to be slightly under-nourished, but in perfect condition otherwise. 00
In 1920, The New York Times ridiculed Robert…
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 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