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The History of Valentine’s Day
By Chad Upton | Editor Where did Valentine’s Day come from? I’d like to say that some marketing genius at Hallmark was looking for a good reason to sell cards between Christmas and Easter, but that’s...
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The History of St. Patrick’s Day
March 17th is the big day. I’m giving you some notice so you can dig to the bottom of your laundry pile, find your green shirt from last year and put it in the washing machine. If you can’t find a...
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The Origin of April Fools’ Day
Tomorrow is Tom Foolery’s birthday. Well, not exactly, but you should be suspicious if someone is serving cake. Your spouse or roommate may hide your keys, unscrew all the light bulbs or take the...
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Michelangelo Hid Images in Sistine Chapel Paintings
The most amazing work of art I’ve ever seen is David by Michelangelo. At 17 feet tall, bulging veins and muscles render an immaculate representation of human anatomy and the flaccid pose captures the...
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How Does Information Get On a CARFAX Report?
By Chad Upton | Editor It’s not unusual for somebody to completely destroy their car and walk away unharmed. This happens because newer cars are designed to crumple on impact, just like a bike helmet...
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The History of Halloween
By Kaye Nemec Although Halloween has religious roots in Celtic, Roman and Catholic celebrations, it became a more secular holiday in the 19th century. Two thousand years ago, Celts celebrated New Years...
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Design and History of the Northface Logo
By Kaye Nemec Northface is a performance apparel, equipment and footwear company that started over 40 years ago. Although most of their products are geared towards mountaineers, climbers and hikers,...
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Why It Is Called a Swan Song
By Kaye Nemec If you’ve been watching NBC’s The Sing Off, you’re probably familiar with the term “swan song.” At the end of each episode, the group that gets voted off leaves the stage as they perform...
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Magazine Mastheads Have a Nautical History
By Kaye Nemec At the beginning of most magazines and newspapers, somewhere near the editorial page, you’ll find the masthead — the page of a publication that lists who is responsible for the magazine...
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The Word “Nerd” Was First Written by Dr. Seuss
By Kaye Nemec Although many of us know Dr. Seuss as a children’s author, it was his 15 year career in advertising that really made him famous. He started working as a freelance writer and illustrator...
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Where the Phrase “Face the Music” Came From
By Kaye Nemec Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, you better face the music?” Face the music? What does that mean – where did that phrase come from? The phrase “face the music” has a military...
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Eight US Presidents Were Born British
By Chad Upton | Editor The United States declared its independence from the Kindgom of Great Britian on July 4, 1776. Eight of the first nine Presidents were born before the United States even...
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The First IBM ThinkPad Was a Paper Notebook
By Chad Upton | Editor IBM’s first notebook computer went on sale in 1992. The name ThinkPad was borrowed from a notebook they already made — a paper notebook. In the 1920s, IBM’s corporate slogan was...
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Carrots Do Not Improve Eyesight
By Chad Upton | Editor Like many kids, I didn’t like vegetables — especially carrots and broccoli. Adults frequently told me that carrots would improve my eyesight, so that seemed like a good reason to...
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Halloween Secrets
By Chad Upton | Editor Trick or treating can be traced back to European “guising” traditions where children would travel from home to home, reciting songs, jokes or poems. They didn’t say “trick or...
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