How Benjamin Banneker, a Black Mathematician, Helped Design Washington D.C.
There’s a fairly commonplace saying, that history is written by the victors. Well, as a historian in another life, I can tell you that not only is it written by the victors, but it’s also almost always written by the rich and the European (in the case of Western history) – the traditionally educated, basically....
Doctors During the Black Plague Didn’t Wear Those Creepy, Beaked Masks at All
It may sometimes seem like scientists and health officials can still be caught behind the 8-ball when it comes to new and emerging diseases, but let me tell you, that’s nothing compared to what doctors were dealing with before the invention of the microscope. There were people in the scientific community who believed that “bad...
How Trapper Keepers Won the Hearts of Every Last Kid in the 80s and 90s
Look, you either know about Trapper Keepers or you don’t. You’re one of us, and we can discuss all day about how they smelled and the sound the velcro made when you first pried it open, and how you agonized for weeks before picking your new one before a new school year, or you don’t...
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Sara Little Turnbull’s Bra Cup Design Turned into the Popular N95 Mask
Sometimes, the best innovations come out of something unintended. In the case of the N95 mask, that’s exactly what happened. This particle-filtering mask has become even more popular due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to its ability to block out 95 percent of airborne particles, it’s a staple in surgeries and other medical areas. However,...
10 Facts That We Think You’ll Give Two Big Thumbs Up!
Remember the good old days of Siskel and Ebert? Okay, if you’re too young to remember them, they were a pair of very popular film critics and if they loved a film, it would get “Two Thumbs Up!” It was their catchphrase and everyone in the country used to do it. Sadly, both Roger Ebert...
Victorian Women Somehow Wore Corsets While Working Out
The next time you’re doing cardio, consider yourself lucky. Today’s gymgoers have a multitude of clothing options that maximize performance and style. That wasn’t the case years ago. In fact, women in the 1800s exercised in corsets and flow dresses. Talk about making life difficult! According to Atlas Obscura, women in that era exercised in...
Renovations at Auschwitz Revealed Tools Hidden Beneath a Chimney
Auschwitz and similar concentration (or death) camps have remained largely untouched aside from readying them to put their horrors on display for the public. Recently, historians and other researchers have been working to turn part of Auschwitz into a new exhibition, and they’ve made quite a discovery beneath the flue of a crumbled chimney. Knives,...