WEIRD HISTORY
By Mike Hanlon – The first car to reach Rouen was a De Dion-Bouton steam tractor and single-axle passenger trailer driven by Count Jules-Albert de Dion himself, but was disqualified because it needed someone to tend the boiler. (Credit: Mercedes-Benz). This week …
In a new exhibition, the overlooked contribution of Chinese workers is being brought to light for the 150th anniversary of the railroad’s completion. By Nadja Sayej – Tea carrier at tunnel, about 1867. Photograph: Courtesy of Library of Congress When one thinks of …
By Loz Blain – This restored 1908 Laurin & Klement BSC is a 110-year-old piece of sports car history. (Credit: Škoda). Czech automaker Škoda is a surprisingly old company: 122 years old, in fact. In its early days, it was called Laurin & Klement, …
By Peter Stark – The Founding Father whom Americans revere as the incarnation of steady, selfless leadership – George Washington – was, in his early twenties, a remarkably self-centered young man. This poses an interesting question: Can today’s leaders – beginning at the top …
By David Szondy – Aerial view of islet in Loch Langabhat. (Credit: University of Southampton/Fraser Sturt). Archaeologists from the Universities of Southampton and Reading have determined that some of Scotland’s famous lake dwellings are older than Stonehenge. Called “crannogs,” the little artificial …
By Rich Haridy – One of the wooden burners found in the Pamir region and analyzed in the current study to reveal the earliest known evidence of burning cannabis with high-THC content. (Credit: Xinhua Wu). A new study has revealed cannabis residue with …
On the 30th anniversary of the massacre, commemorations to those who were killed will show the Chinese government we will not be silenced. By Rowena Xiaoqing He – Tiananmen Square on 2 June 1989, two days before the massacre. Photograph: Catherine Henriette/AFP/Getty Images. …
By David Szondy – The Colossus Mark II was the second of 10 Colossus computers. (Credit: The National Museum of Computing). The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, UK is marking the 75th anniversary of the Colossus Mark II computer …
By Rich Haridy – Fifteen new sites have been discovered, revealing 137 previously undiscovered stone jars, deepening the mystery of Laos Plain of Jars. (Credit: ANU). A team of archaeologists from the Australian National University has discovered over 100 ancient stone jars across …
by Juliette Fay – Mary Pickford, best known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was the most successful and highest paid actor of her time. She was also a shrewd business woman. Hold on. When did women—who produced only 18 percent of the 100 top-grossing movies …
