Celebrating Sesame Street
The first episode of Sesame Street aired on November 10, 1969. However, the idea for Sesame Street goes back to a dinner party three years earlier. When television producer Joan Ganz Cooney sat at the dinner table with her guests, their attention turned to new ideas for television programs. One of her guests was Lloyd... Read More
Pumpkin Spice Origins
Most Americans associate the fall season and holiday meals with the scent of warm pumpkin pie or rich pumpkin bread fresh from the oven. The candle and scented oil industries profit from offering the scent of warm pumpkin spice wafting throughout the home. The history of pumpkin spice will surprise many, especially upon learning that... Read More
The Origin Of Women’s Rights Declaration In The U.S.
After the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the country was finally free of English rule. The Preamble declares “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal…” Women essentially had no rights, however. Women asking to be included in legal affairs or any important decision-making process were largely ignored. Such... Read More
What Happened With The Alcatraz Escape?
Inmates Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin created a well-constructed plot to escape Alcatraz. The inmates disappeared into the San Francisco Bay and drowned. Did they really drown as alleged by law enforcement officials? The mystery of what actually happened to the three inmates who escaped “The Rock” continues, decades after their escape.... Read More
What Happened With The Amityville Murders?
The DeFeo family occupied the home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York for nine years prior to the fateful day when six family members were murdered execution style. Ronnie, “Butch” DeFeo, 23 years old, murdered his parents, Ronald and Louise. Also murdered on November 13, 1974 were children Dawn, 18, Allison, 13, Mark,... Read More
Recounting The Great Chicago Fire Of 1871
The Cause Of The Great Chicago Fire Chicago experienced a very dry summer in 1871 that left the ground arid and the wooden city exposed. It was on October 8, 1871, on a Sunday evening just after nine o’clock, when a fire broke out at 137 De Koven Street (on Chicago’s West Side) in Patrick... Read More
Sing The Happy Birthday Song–for Free!
Happy birthday to you,Happy birthday to you,Happy birthday, dear John,Happy birthday to you. Considered the most recognized song worldwide, “Happy Birthday to You” is attributed (with some historians disputing that attribution) to siblings Mildred and Patty Hill in the early 1890s. A principle in Kentucky who developed teaching methods innovative for the time, Patty and... Read More
How Oktoberfest Became A Popular Beer Festival
While Oktoberfest celebrations take on the atmosphere of a huge beer party with food such as grilled sausages, large pretzels and Bavarian Crème Puffs, beer was not the focus of the original festival. Now celebrated around the world, many celebrants may look confused if informed that Oktoberfest actually celebrates a wedding. The Original Oktoberfest The... Read More
Why Did The Roman Empire Fall?
The empire of Rome is one that, even today, we look to when considering great empires and the best possible ways to improve our own. Characterized by a strong government and even stronger military (and well known for gladiators and the Colosseum), Rome lasted for centuries before finally succumbing to … well no one really... Read More
5 Worst Strikes In American History
These 5 Worst Strikes in American History are not necessarily the ones with the largest number of striking workers. Factors taken into consideration include the impact of the strike on that particular industry, impact on other industries, impact on people and outcome of the strike. Industry Related Strikes 1. 1912 Bread and Roses Strike The... Read More