Category: World Culture

Posted on

The First-Ever Customer at Disneyland Has Gone Back Every Year Since It Opened in 1955

Going to Disneyland is a feat that requires months of pre-planning and budgeting. But one man gets to go every single year for free, and he has been since 1955.

Dave MacPherson has a lifetime pass to Disneyland for a very special reason: he was the park’s first-ever customer.

On July 17, 1955, Dave was a 22-year-old college student in Long Beach, California. He was at home watching Disneyland’s opening festivities on television when he got the idea to be the first person to enter the park on opening day. He switched off the T.V. and traveled 10 miles by motorbike to get to the park. He arrived at 2 a.m., and sure enough, he was first in line. Over the course of the night, 6000 other people joined the line behind him.

Photo Credit: Thisdayindisneyhistory

After Disney’s family members and celebrities entered, Dave became the first actual customer to buy a ticket and set foot inside the park.

Image taken from a newscast in 2005 celebrating Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. This is color footage from 1955 of Dave MacPherson and his original ticket
Photo Credit: Thisdayindisneyhistory

Dave doesn’t know what happened to his historic admission ticket. He did, however, keep a copy of the complimentary card that came with it. The complimentary card allowed Dave to enter the park for free on July 18, 1955. He didn’t get to use that card because he had to ride his motorbike back home to Long Beach.

Image taken from the same newscast, showing Dave MacPherson at Disneyland in 2005.
Photo Credit: Thisdayindisneyhistory

But thankfully, he was also awarded with a lifetime pass to the legendary amusement park, which he has taken advantage of every single year since—and Dave’s still going strong!

MacPherson says about his luck, “”You might say that 1955 was a very good year for a youthful Scotsman!”

The post The First-Ever Customer at Disneyland Has Gone Back Every Year Since It Opened in 1955 appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

The First-Ever Customer at Disneyland Has Gone Back Every Year Since It Opened in 1955

Going to Disneyland is a feat that requires months of pre-planning and budgeting. But one man gets to go every single year for free, and he has been since 1955.

Dave MacPherson has a lifetime pass to Disneyland for a very special reason: he was the park’s first-ever customer.

On July 17, 1955, Dave was a 22-year-old college student in Long Beach, California. He was at home watching Disneyland’s opening festivities on television when he got the idea to be the first person to enter the park on opening day. He switched off the T.V. and traveled 10 miles by motorbike to get to the park. He arrived at 2 a.m., and sure enough, he was first in line. Over the course of the night, 6000 other people joined the line behind him.

Photo Credit: Thisdayindisneyhistory

After Disney’s family members and celebrities entered, Dave became the first actual customer to buy a ticket and set foot inside the park.

Image taken from a newscast in 2005 celebrating Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. This is color footage from 1955 of Dave MacPherson and his original ticket
Photo Credit: Thisdayindisneyhistory

Dave doesn’t know what happened to his historic admission ticket. He did, however, keep a copy of the complimentary card that came with it. The complimentary card allowed Dave to enter the park for free on July 18, 1955. He didn’t get to use that card because he had to ride his motorbike back home to Long Beach.

Image taken from the same newscast, showing Dave MacPherson at Disneyland in 2005.
Photo Credit: Thisdayindisneyhistory

But thankfully, he was also awarded with a lifetime pass to the legendary amusement park, which he has taken advantage of every single year since—and Dave’s still going strong!

MacPherson says about his luck, “”You might say that 1955 was a very good year for a youthful Scotsman!”

The post The First-Ever Customer at Disneyland Has Gone Back Every Year Since It Opened in 1955 appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

The Queen Shut down Her Staff’s Private Bar Because They Were Getting Too Drunk All the Time

Buckingham Palace seems like the epitome of class and high society. The property’s staff enjoys its own swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, choir and more. One thing that they don’t have, though, is a private bar — at least not anymore.

The staff of Buckingham Palace apparently enjoyed their private bar a little too much. The Queen’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, revealed that the Queen had to shut the private bar down because people were getting too drunk.

Dickie said the staff ended up “too worse for wear” and “they had to get rid,” Insider reports. He revealed the juicy info in a new documentary, Secrets of the Royal Palaces, which premiered on the UK’s Channel 5.

It’s not clear when, exactly, the bar was removed, nor whether there were any specific incidents that led to its shutdown. Dickie kept his comments rather vague and concise, which is understandable. You don’t get to be the Queen’s press secretary by having loose lips!

Did the Queen ever stop in for a drink and see the debauchery for herself? It’s not completely out of the question. Some reports claimed that the Queen enjoys four cocktails daily, but those turned out to be just hearsay. She does, however, enjoy a cocktail before dinner (a gin and Dubonett, thank you very much), along with the occasional glass of sweet wine or champagne.

The post The Queen Shut down Her Staff’s Private Bar Because They Were Getting Too Drunk All the Time appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

The Queen Shut down Her Staff’s Private Bar Because They Were Getting Too Drunk All the Time

Buckingham Palace seems like the epitome of class and high society. The property’s staff enjoys its own swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, choir and more. One thing that they don’t have, though, is a private bar — at least not anymore.

The staff of Buckingham Palace apparently enjoyed their private bar a little too much. The Queen’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, revealed that the Queen had to shut the private bar down because people were getting too drunk.

Dickie said the staff ended up “too worse for wear” and “they had to get rid,” Insider reports. He revealed the juicy info in a new documentary, Secrets of the Royal Palaces, which premiered on the UK’s Channel 5.

It’s not clear when, exactly, the bar was removed, nor whether there were any specific incidents that led to its shutdown. Dickie kept his comments rather vague and concise, which is understandable. You don’t get to be the Queen’s press secretary by having loose lips!

Did the Queen ever stop in for a drink and see the debauchery for herself? It’s not completely out of the question. Some reports claimed that the Queen enjoys four cocktails daily, but those turned out to be just hearsay. She does, however, enjoy a cocktail before dinner (a gin and Dubonett, thank you very much), along with the occasional glass of sweet wine or champagne.

The post The Queen Shut down Her Staff’s Private Bar Because They Were Getting Too Drunk All the Time appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

The Famous ‘Lovers of Modena’ Skeletons Turned out to Be Men

This is a very interesting story.

The “Lovers of Modena” are a pair of ancient skeletons that were buried holding hands thousands of years ago. Recently, archaeologists discovered that both of the skeletons were actually male, leading them to conclude that they couldn’t possibly be lovers — because homosexuality isn’t a thing, right? Right.

Study author Federico Lugli said that the pair could be “siblings, cousins or soldiers who died together in battle,” the BBC reports.

“There are currently no other examples of this type,” Federico added. “Many tombs have been found in the past with couples holding hands, but in all cases there was a man and a woman. What might have been the bond between the two individuals in the burial in Modena remains a mystery.”

A mystery indeed.

But people on Twitter have some, uh, theories.

You know, just wild guesses.

Because it’s not totally obvious or anything.

Nobody has ever been gay in the history of mankind!

To be fair, these skeletons were buried between the 4th and 6th century AD in northern Italy. Homosexuality was illegal there at that time, and these two received a proper burial.

Still, it’s quite possible that this couple had some loved ones who secretly honored their relationship despite the cultural taboo.

Technically, we’ll never know whether the Lovers of Modena were really lovers or not. Either way, though, they’re basically icons of gay culture now.

The post The Famous ‘Lovers of Modena’ Skeletons Turned out to Be Men appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

15 Photos That Prove Humans Are Addicted to Plastic

If one thing is for certain in this world, it’s that humans are pretty bad at mitigating long term detrimental effects in exchange for short term benefit…

Also, we don’t take good care of our planet. We’re getting better, but we still have a LOOOOOONG way to go.

We careless and wasteful, especially when it comes to harmful products. Plastic is King and we treat it as such. For now, at least.

Let’s take a look at 15 photos that prove we are totally, hopelessly addicted to plastic.

1. Seems a bit wasteful.

I’ll see your peeled oranges in plastic containers and do you one better. from mildlyinfuriating

2. Wow. Not cool.

If theres one thing the world needs its more disposable plastic packaging from mildlyinfuriating

3. Individually wrapped bananas.

This banana is in a wrapper… from mildlyinfuriating

4. Three layers of protection.

The three layers of plastic protection for these oranges. How is this even allowed? from mildlyinfuriating

5. Not necessary.

This store individually wraps eggplants in plastic from mildlyinfuriating

6. What about the natural packaging?

If only this mango had some sort of natural packaging… from mildlyinfuriating

7. Such a huge waste.

This useless packaging / waste of plastic from mildlyinfuriating

8. Looks fancy, but is really dumb.

Unncessary plastic. Again. from mildlyinfuriating

9. That is absolutely ridiculous.

This is getting ridiculous. from mildlyinfuriating

10. All cans need to be wrapped!

The unnecessary plastic wrapping on this single tin of tuna fish from mildlyinfuriating

11. That is absurd.

These vitamin gummies come in a jar, individually wrapped from mildlyinfuriating

12. I’m sorry, what?!

your coke needs that plastic from mildlyinfuriating

13. Just let them be free.

We have enough plastic waste already from mildlyinfuriating

14. Ugh. Here we go again.

These potatoes individually wrapped in plastic from mildlyinfuriating

15. Last one is kind of insane.

Individually wrapped jelly beans from mildlyinfuriating

Those pics are kind of infuriating, aren’t they?

Let’s all pitch in to do our parts and treat Mother Earth a little bit better, okay?

Thank you!

The post 15 Photos That Prove Humans Are Addicted to Plastic appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Researchers Discovered the Worst Time to Be Alive in All of Human History

We have issues currently but let’s be honest, we have it pretty good as humans in 2019. If this is not the actual best time to be alive, the 2010s make a good argument for being in contention.

When, do you suppose, was life quite the opposite?

The question seems to have been answered on accident by researchers attempting to figure out how the European monetary system changed after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

An article published in Antiquity states that while looking for evidence of pollution from silver processing in ice cores, they found all kind of insights into natural disasters and climate change going back centuries.

And it turns out the 100 years following the year 536 C.E. were literally as bad as it gets, says study author Michael McCormick.

“It was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year.”

A number of extreme weather events that year led to widespread and sustained famine, probably due to a volcanic eruption large enough to obscure the sun.

The effects of the unknown eruption proliferated all across the continent, into China, and as far away as Peru. It was basically a small Ice Age, causing crop failure and famine across the globe.

Social problems followed, bringing down empires (the collapse of the Sasanian Empire, the decline of the Eastern Roman Empire), inciting political upheaval, and dragging bloody turmoil all across the map.

Bottom line? People were starving, they were dying, they were killing each other and probably migrating in the hopes that they would find somewhere less crappy to live. Times were uncertain, bloody, cold, and bare…none of which makes much of a recipe for happiness.

View this post on Instagram

One more picture of impressive Bourscheid Castle in Luxembourg – this time in morning mist. Read about this beautiful hilltop castle in one of my previous posts👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 Photo by @marcmarchal 😍😍😍🙏🏻👍 . Еще одно фото замка Буршайд в Люксембурге – на этот раз замок окутан утренним туманом. Об истории этой средневековой крепости читайте в одном из предыдущих постов в ленте 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 . burgbourscheid #bourscheid #bourscheidcastle #буршайд #chateaudebourscheid #luxembourg🇱🇺 #luxemburgo #instacastles #instacastle #люксембург #medievaltimes #medievalcastle #medievaleurope #medievalarchitecture #middleages #замкимира #замкиевропы #europeancastles #castlesofeurope #средниевека #средневековье #средневековыйзамок #castlesofinstagram #castlearchitecture #luxembourgcastle #castlesofluxembourg #luxembourgcastles #gothiccastle #dronepicture #renaissancecastle

A post shared by Castles and Palaces (@castles_and_palaces) on

Looking at things through that lens kind of makes you appreciate our issues right now, doesn’t it?

At least for now.

The post Researchers Discovered the Worst Time to Be Alive in All of Human History appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

These 10 Halloween Traditions Have Interesting Origins

It’s that spooky time of year again! Yes, Halloween is just around the corner. But even if you love the season and the day, there are probably at least a couple of traditions you participate in but aren’t sure why.

We’re looking to clear that up with some background and origins of 10 common Halloween traditions.

10. Carving Jack-O’-Lanterns

Jack-O’-Lanterns originated in Ireland, though people there carved turnips instead of pumpkins. They’re based on a legend about one Stingy Jack, a man who trapped the Devil and then let him go – after he agreed never to drag Jack to Hell.

It turned out that Jack wasn’t good enough to go to Heaven, either, so instead he wandered the earth with a lump of burning coal inside a carved-out turnip to light his way.

Locals began the tradition of copying him in order to ward off evil spirits.

9. Bobbing for apples.

The game’s roots trace back to a Roman courting ritual that honored the goddess Pomona (agriculture and abundance). The idea was that young men and women could glimpse their future romantic life in the apples, and after the Romans conquered the British Isles, the tradition got mixed up in Samhain, a local festival that led to modern Halloween.

8. Seeing ghosts.

During Samhain, the Celtic festival that marked the transition between the end of the harvest season and winter, spirits were believed to walk the earth. The later introduction of All Souls Day (Nov 2.) by Christian missionaries further pushed the idea that the living and dead could mingle around this time of year.

7. Using black and orange to decorate.

During Samhain, black represented the death of summer, while the orange hailed the autumn harvest.

6. Wearing costumes.

With all of the ghosts and spirits wandering around during Samhain (or All Souls Day), people decided they needed a way to avoid being terrorized. So they decided dressing up as something scary themselves seemed a good way to encourage spirits to leave them alone.

5. Candy corn.

Love it or hate it, candy corn seems here to stay – it was invented way back in the 1880s by the Wunderlee Candy Company of Philadelphia.

It was originally called Chicken Feed (“something worth crowing for”), but didn’t really catch on until trick-or-treating became a common U.S. practice in the 1950s.

4. Trick-or-treating.

There’s a bunch of debate among historians over where exactly the practice of trick-or-treating came from, but here are the three most common theories.

  1. During Samhain, the Celts left out food for the wandering souls and ghosts once again trekking the mortal plain, and in time, people began to dress up as the ghouls in order to snag some delish food and drink.
  2. In Scotland, people practice guising (a secular version of souling), in which children and underprivileged adults went to local homes to collect food and money in return for prayers for the dead. In Scotland, guisers didn’t offer prayers, but instead performed jokes, songs, or other “tricks” for the people who opened their doors.
  3. Belsnickling is a German-American tradition where children dressed up and then challenged their neighbors to guess their disguise. If no one guessed correctly, the child was rewarded with food or other treats.

3. Eating candy.

Until the middle of the 20th century, children could receive many kinds of treats – anything from toys and coins to fruits and nuts might find their way into open palms. As trick-or-treating rose in popularity, though, candy companies smelled a marketing opportunity and began producing small, individually-wrapped candies.

The rest is history!

2. Avoiding black cats.

Black cats and their association with the spooky dates back to the Middle Ages, when they were considered to be a symbol of the Devil. That morphed into an association with witches a few centuries later, and black cats have really not managed to shake their link to dark magic, dark beings, and darkness in general to this very day.

1. Burning candles and bonfires.

Open flames were meant to light the way for souls making their way back to the afterlife – after all, if they couldn’t find their way, they might stay and haunt you all year long.

 

I can’t wait for the cooler weather to stick around for good!

What’s your favorite tradition? Is it on the list? Share in the comments!

The post These 10 Halloween Traditions Have Interesting Origins appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

10 Weird Facts That Might Surprise You

These facts are very solid and they might just throw you for a major loop.

But that’s a good thing. It’s important to keep working out that brain of yours! Let’s get started!

1. Good advice for all of us.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

2. Stop doing that!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

3. I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t *meow*.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

4. No need to put it out there.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

5. Some parents might disagree…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

6. Matt the male stripper.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

7. That makes sense.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

8. I knew I liked him for some reason.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

9. Get all the sleep you can.

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

10. What kind do you get?

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

Surprised? Impressed? I know I sure am…

The post 10 Weird Facts That Might Surprise You appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

15 Historic Newspaper Front Pages That Will Help You Relive the past

Whether it’s online, actually holding the paper, or even scanning through microfiche for hours on end, I love seeing what was going on throughout history and how it was reported.

It’s endlessly fascinating! To me, at least.

Here are 15 newspaper covers from historic days throughout American history.

One note: the dates listed are the day the newspaper published, which don’t always match the day the incident took place.

Enjoy.

1. April 17, 1912: The Titanic sinks.

2. October 1, 1955: James Dean killed in a car wreck.

3. September 25, 1957: Troops escort nine African-American students into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

View this post on Instagram

On September 25, 1957, nine African American students entered the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, escorted by military troops ordered by President Eisenhower. The Arkansas governor had previously refused to enforce integration of the school, and the troops were to protect the students from the crowd of protesting white segregationists outside the school. The highly charged situation made newspaper front pages around the United States, including this paper from Ohio. (Mansfield News-Journal, 09.25.1957). . . . . . @mansfieldnewsjournal #LittleRockNine #BlackHistory #ArkansasHistory #historybuff #historylover #historygeek #historynerd #historylesson #ushistory #historygram #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperclipping #newspaperarticle #historicalnewspapers #otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

4. September 16, 1963: Four little girls are killed in a church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

5. September 6, 1901: President William McKinley is shot by an assassin in Buffalo, New York.

View this post on Instagram

You know about the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations, but did you know President William McKinley was also killed in office? He was shot in the chest and abdomen on September 6, 1901, while shaking hands at a public reception at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. After the shooting, McKinley at first appeared to be recovering but took a turn for the worse and died on the 14th. .. The shooting happened around 4 p.m. on the 6th, but evening edition newspapers–like this issue of New York's Evening World–were able to publish the news that same day. (The Evening World, 09.06.1901). . . . . . #newyorkhistory #historybuff #historylover #historygeek #historynerd #historylesson #ushistory #historygram #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperhistory #newspaperclipping #newspaperarticle #historicalnewspapers #otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

6. September 1, 1939: German troops invade Poland, marking the beginning of World War II.

7. August 6, 1962: Marilyn Monroe found dead in her home in Los Angeles.

View this post on Instagram

Actress and cultural icon Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her LA home on August 5, 1962. The toxicology report revealed she had died from a barbiturate overdose–commonly believed to have been suicide. However, conspiracy theories about the cause of her death abound. .. Because of Monroe's level of fame, her sudden death made newspaper front pages both inside and outside the United States. In fact, the circulation levels of many newspapers increased that month, attributed to the public's fascination with Monroe's death. (Los Angeles Times, 08.06.1962). . . . . . @latimes #marilynmonroe #hollywood #historybuff #historylover #historygeek #historynerd #historylesson #ushistory #historygram #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperclipping #newspaperarticle #historicalnewspapers #doyouremember #otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

8. July 28, 1945: A plane crashes into the Empire State Building in New York City. 14 people eventually died.

View this post on Instagram

On July 28, 1945, a plane crashed into the Empire State Building in a deadly accident. The B-25 Mitchell bomber was flying low in heavy fog with poor visibility when it struck the building near the 79th floor, killing 14 people. .. This Brooklyn newspaper quoted an eye-witness as saying, "The plane hit and I saw it silhouetted against the flames. The engines had jettisoned forward into the building. For a second the plane was outlined, then the whole thing burst into a livid pillar of flame. Then there was the explosion which shook me like nothing has shaken me before." (Brooklyn Eagle, 07.29.1945). . . . . . #nychistory #newyorkhistory #empirestatebuilding #historybuff #historylover #historygeek #historynerd #historylesson #ushistory #historygram #historical #historicalphotos #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperclipping #newspaperarticle #historicalnewspapers#otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

9. July 23, 1934: “Public Enemy #1”, gangster John Dillinger is killed by police outside a movie theater in Chicago.

View this post on Instagram

85 years ago today, on July 22, 1934, John Dillinger was killed by federal agents in Chicago. At the time of his death age 31, Dillinger was America’s Public Enemy Number 1 and the most infamous bank robber of his era. .. The news of his slaying made nearly every newspaper front page in the United States–and made Canadian front pages as well, as shown by this paper from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 07.23.1934) . . . . . #chicagohistory #historybuff #historylover #historygeek #historynerd #historylesson #ushistory #historygram #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperhistory #newspaperclipping #newspaperarticle #historicalnewspapers #otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

10. November 22, 1963: President John F. Kennedy shot dead in Dallas

Kennedy Assassinated

11. July 21, 1969: Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin become the first men to walk on the moon.

12. July 12, 1914: Babe Ruth makes his big league baseball debut.

View this post on Instagram

Babe Ruth played his first major league baseball game on July 11, 1914, with the Boston Red Sox. He was just 19 years old at the time. This photo comes from the Boston Globe's coverage of his debut, which described Ruth as having "a natural delivery, fine control and a curve ball that bothers the batsmen, but has room for improvement and will, undoubtedly, become a fine pitcher." (Boston Globe, 07.12.1914). . . . . . @bostonglobe #baberuth #baseball #baseballhistory #sportshistory #historyiscool #historyisfun #vintagepics #vintagephotography #vintagephotos #oldphoto #oldpic #historical #historicalphotos #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperhistory #newspaperclipping #historicalnewspapers #otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

13. July 3, 1937: Pilot Amelia Earhart goes missing at sea.

14. April 19, 1906: San Francisco is rocked by a massive earthquake that kills up to 3,000 people.

View this post on Instagram

This historic San Francisco newspaper front page tells of the destructive 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, which struck on April 18 and killed 3,000 people. .. The destruction of the city from earthquake and fire was widespread. So three of San Francisco's newspapers–the Call, the Chronicle, and the Examiner–joined forces to print a combined edition (pictured here) the day after the disaster using the presses of the Oakland Tribune. (The Call-Chronicle-Examiner, 04.19.1906) . . . . . #sanfranciscohistory #californiahistory #historybuff #historylover #historygeek #historynerd #historylesson #ushistory #historygram #oldnewspaper #newspaper #newspapers #newspaperhistory #newspaperclipping #newspaperarticle #historicalnewspapers #otd #onthisday #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory

A post shared by Newspapers.com (@newspaperscom) on

15. August 9, 1974: President Richard M. Nixon resigns.

That’s what I call a trip down memory lane.

The post 15 Historic Newspaper Front Pages That Will Help You Relive the past appeared first on UberFacts.