Up until the early 1900’s, it was completely normal for children of both sexes in America to wear dresses until the age of 6 or 7. Gendered clothing didn’t arrive until just before WWI, when pink was recommended for boys and the more ‘delicate and dainty blue’ was recommended for girls.
During the 1950s, the U.S. military tested nuclear weapons so close…
During the 1950s, the U.S. military tested nuclear weapons so close to Las Vegas, that you could clearly see the mushroom clouds from downtown Hotels. This became a temporary tourist attraction.
A drunk North Korean man passed out on a wooden board to find himself in…
A drunk North Korean man passed out on a wooden board to find himself in South Korea the next day as a flood washed him and the board to an island controlled by South Korea.
The Radium Girls were factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning…
The Radium Girls were factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. The women were told the paint was harmless, and ingested deadly amounts by licking their paintbrushes; some painted their fingernails and teeth with the glowing paint.
In 1950, a German farmer told police that some of his chickens…
In 1950, a German farmer told police that some of his chickens “exploded with a loud bang while running around the barnyard.” An investigation showed that the chickens ate bits of carbide left behind by allied soldiers during fall maneuvers, later drank some water and the resulting gas blew them to bits.
During the Spanish American war, the USS Charleston fired 13 rounds at the Spanish…
During the Spanish American war, the USS Charleston fired 13 rounds at the Spanish fort on Guam which all missed. The Spanish, unaware that war had been declared, believed the Americans must be firing a salute and rowed out to apologize for their lack of gunpowder to return the salute.
Scientists in Florida plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes into…
Scientists in Florida plan to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. The males still mate with females, but the hatchlings die before adulthood due to the presence of the new genes.
Paper cuts hurt so much because the cut often bleeds very…
Paper cuts hurt so much because the cut often bleeds very little or not at all, leaving the skins pain receptors open to the air. This is exacerbated by irritation caused by the fibers in the paper itself, which may be coated in chemicals such as bleach. Additionally, most paper cuts occur in the fingers, […]
In 1953 a newspaper boy was paid with a coin which he found…
In 1953 a newspaper boy was paid with a coin which he found to be hollow and contain a coded message. He gave it to authorities but the code could not be deciphered. Years later, a Russian spy in the U.S. defected and during his interrogation was shown the coin and code. The message was […]
In the US being clean shaven became popular after troops returned…
In the US being clean shaven became popular after troops returned as heroes from WWI–they had been required to shave so gas masks would securely fit.