January 2012
61 posts
The Oldest Trees in the World
Joe Burbank/MCT/Landov
Roughly 3,500 years ago, a tiny cypress tree sprouted in the swamplands of Central Florida. Earlier this month, that cypress burned to the ground. As a tribute, here’s a look at some of the world’s oldest and most amazing remaining trees.
Punxsutawney Phil May Not Be the Magic...
Image credit: Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce
According to the Stormfax Almanac, Punxsutawney Phil’s winter prognostications are only accurate 39% of the time.
[Read More: Where Did Groundhog Day Come From?]
Rest in Peace, Mr. Pitt
Sad to hear Ian Abercrombie, the actor who played Mr. Pitt on Seinfeld, has passed away. Here’s his LA Times obituary, and here’s some advice on how to see those Magic Eye pictures (and why some people just can’t).
Clara Peller, the “Where’s the Beef?” lady, lost her Wendy’s gig in 1985 after appearing in an ad for Prego spaghetti sauce in which she said, ”I found it. I really found it.” Wendy’s argued that statement “infers she found the beef at somewhere other than Wendy’s restaurants.”
Hogwarts Headache
A few years ago, any cool kid who could read was suffering from Hogwarts Headache. The prestigious New England Journal of Medicine actually ran a letter from a physician noting the unfortunate side effect of children reading more, and for longer periods, than they ever had in their lives.
Yes, thanks to a couple extremely long (ostensibly children’s) books, an increasing number of parents...
Saying Goodbye to Mr. Hooper
On Thanksgiving Day in 1983, Sesame Street aired one of its most memorable episodes, acknowledging the passing of actor Will Lee. For many kids of the ’80s, it was their first lesson about death. Here’s the full episode with commentary.
How Apple's '1984' Ad Almost Never Aired (Except...
Here’s the story of the Super Bowl commercial that rocked the world of advertising, even though Apple’s Board of Directors didn’t want to run it.
Blunch Tomorrow?
In its earlier years, the word “brunch” didn’t have a monopoly on describing midmorning meals. In 1896, the English magazine Punch warned readers, “The combination-meal, when nearer the usual breakfast hour, is ‘brunch,’ and when nearer luncheon, is ‘blunch.’ Please don’t forget this.”
Blunch image via Shutterstock
6 Extremely Rare National Animals
Here are six of the coolest, strangest, and most endangered animals repping countries today.
Quiz: Cheesy 80s Movie Songs
Take the quiz.
The Name '3 Musketeers' Used to Make Sense
These are our two favorite pieces of trivia:
1. John Tyler’s grandsons are still alive.
2. The 3 Musketeers originally included three smaller bars: one vanilla, one chocolate and one strawberry. When the ingredients became too costly during World War II, the 3 Musketeers became a single chocolate bar.
Now that the whole world knows about the first, it’s time to work on spreading the...
Fun With Flags
.
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
On Thursday night’s episode of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon wowed us with some flag knowledge during Sheldon Cooper Presents Fun With Flags.
“The flags of Liechtenstein and Haiti were identical by coincidence — a fact that wasn’t discovered until they competed against each other at the 1936 Olympics.”
I love vexillology.
In 1989, Wal-mart pulled Listerine from shelves...
After tests, the mouthwash was restocked. That’s just how Listerine tastes.
5 Ripped-from-the-Headlines Doctor Who Stories
From its start in 1963, Doctor Who has heavily featured the future and the past — but stories based on current events have also been part of the series. While it isn’t quite Law & Order, sometimes we do get to see Doctor Who: Ripped from the Headlines!
Scott Wade takes “wash me” to a whole new level.
More here.
This Tortoise Is Older Than the United States
Even with the long life expectancy of giant tortoises, an Aldabra Giant Tortoise named Adwaita blows all others away with a life lasting around 255 years. Estimates put his birth date around 1750, making him an entire generation older than the United States of America.
The tortoise was originally owned by a man named General Robert Clive, an important member of the East India Company, who...
Judge Judy makes $45 million a year.
Here’s a look at what legal authority comes with that fat paycheck.
John Tyler's Grandsons Are Still Alive!
Born in 1790, John Tyler was our 10th President. He took office in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died. And he has two living grandchildren!
Not great-great-great-grandchildren. Their dad was Tyler’s son.
How is this possible? The Tyler men have a habit of having kids very late in life. Lyon Gardiner Tyler, one of President Tyler’s 15 kids, was born in 1853. He fathered Lyon...
Who Were Fisher and Price?
Their names have been plastered on iconic toys for decades, but who exactly were Herman Fisher and Irving Price? Here’s some background on the toy giants.
5 Crazy Ways People Amused Themselves Before...
The first escalators completely blew people’s minds. Nothing remotely similar had ever been seen before. Jesse W. Reno patented his idea for an “Endless Conveyor or Elevator” (later called the “inclined elevator”) in 1892, and by 1896 the first working example had been installed…as a ride at the popular Coney Island amusement park. It differed from modern elevators in that you sat on...
