Today in 1964, Elvis Presley donated a historic ship to help a Memphis hospital raise money. That ship had once been a favorite hangout for President Franklin Roosevelt. Plus: today in 2018, authorities in Australia found a very odd situation involving a man, a pipe organ, and "remnants of a cheeseburger." USS Potomac History Former Brisbane Freema…

A team at the University of Guelph has developed a substance that can generate electricity and could help in a multitude of medical situations. What is it? High-tech slime. Plus: tarting Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona, it’s the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest. Walking could soon generate electricity with new slime that powers up when stepped on…

Today in 1809, the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President has been called the Great Emancipator, Honest Abe, The Railsplitter… and if you go far enough into his backstory, you could call him "Bartender In Chief." Plus: this Saturday in Clear Lake, Iowa, it’s the Color The Wind Kite Festival. Bartender-In-Chief: Abraham Lincoln Owned A Tave…

Today in 1833, the birthday of Melville Fuller. He would eventually become Chief Justice of the United States, but not before the country asked whether a member of the US Supreme Court could be fair and objective if he has a mustache (!) Plus: this Saturday in Devils Lake, North Dakota, it’s ShiverFest. Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller and the …

This week in 1945, a fascinating fact for anyone who didn’t have to live it firsthand: wartime airplane mechanic Margaret Horton accidentally ended up airborne on the tail of a plane. Plus: today is National Umbrella Day, so you could head to Portland, Maine and the Umbrella Cover Museum. Riding a Spitfire: the story of Margaret Horton (Royal Air F…

Football fans will be watching this weekend for some of those spectacular passes that can change the course of a game. Amazingly, there was a time when the forward pass was against the rules of the sport. Plus: tomorrow in Morristown, New Jersey, it’s Mac & Cheese Mayhem. How the Forward Pass Saved Football (History.com) Mac & Cheese Mayhem Don’t p…

There’s new research that shows just how powerful music can be: it found that classical music can have a positive physical effect on a baby before it’s born. Plus: a guy lost his watch, but four years later another guy found it and got it back to him. Music can touch the heart, even inside the womb (EurekAlert) Fratello Exclusive: Rolex Submariner …

Today in 1969 was the premiere of Turn-On, a show that the ABC network more or less turned off during its first episode. Plus: today in 1974, a really big game for a teenage basketball player in Sweden. Turn-On’s Turning Point (Tedium) Facts, Oddments for the Book (Los Angeles Times) Keep our show running far into the future as a backer on Patreon…

Today in 2004, an important historic designation for a historic district in Wichita Falls, Texas. One of the buildings that makes that district so historic is the Newby-McMahon Building, also known as the "world’s littlest skyscraper." Plus: the story of an 18-foot tall statue of a hand holding a Cheeto. Legend of the World’s Littlest Skyscraper (T…

Today in 1932, the start of a road trip you don’t see too often: a nine year old and his horse set off through Australia by themselves for more than 600 miles. Plus: around this time in 2020, an artist in Berlin decided to do a high-tech trick of sorts on Google Maps. The nine-year-old who rode a pony 1000km to Sydney (Sydney Morning Herald) Man Us…

The birth of André-Jacques Garnerin, a man who helped bring about the modern parachute. And his vision came to him at a very unusual time. Plus: tomorrow in Scottsdale, Arizona, it’s the Parada del Sol Parade & Trail’s End Festival. 1797 - The modern world's first parachute jump (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) Scottsdale Parada del Sol Jum…

This week in 1819 was probably the first European sighting of Antarctica. It’s different from all the other continents in so many ways - including how, from a certain point of view, a big chunk of Antarctica is “ruled” by a guy who’s never even been there. Plus: today in Tomah, Wisconsin, it’s the annual Freeze Fest. How a Pennsylvania man started …

First responders in Kent, England have a powerful new tool: a remote-controlled robot for fighting fires. This is a slowly growing trend in firefighting, sending devices into a fire scene so there are fewer human firefighters at risk. Plus: starting tomorrow in Richmond, Indiana, it’s the Meltdown Winter Ice Festival. Britain’s firefighting robot t…

We’re learning more about how bees do what they do, and it’s thanks to a new study from Penn State that used bee-friendly QR codes. Plus: today in 1957, TIME Magazine reported on a newspaper in Ontario that put typos in the copy on purpose. Scientists Strapped QR Codes Onto Thousands of Bees to Learn How Far They Actually Fly (Gizmodo) Miscellany, …

This week in 1837, Michigan became the 26th state in the Union. Michigan is famous for having an upper peninsula and a lower peninsula, but it also has a Lost Peninsula. Plus: a soupmaker is now offering the flavor of chicken noodle soup in the form of a cough drop. The story of Michigan's Lost Peninsula (Michigan Radio) ‘Progresso Soup Drops’, The…

Today in 1999, a moment in the golf world that you don’t see everyday: a bunch of people moving a boulder for golf star Tiger Woods in the middle of a tournament. Plus: a movie star's new marriage comes apart in just days because of breakfast foods? Throwback Thursday: That time Tiger Woods had his gallery perform manual labor and move a boulder (G…

Today in 2011, Rebecca Sharrock of Brisbane, Australia got a medical diagnosis: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. It's a rare condition in which people can vividly remember virtually everything they've ever experienced. Plus: this Saturday in Florida, the Dade City Kumquat Festival. The woman who can’t forget (BBC) Dade City’s Kumquat Festiv…

Today in 1925, a telegram sets off one of the most remarkable crossings of its time: the famous Serum Run to Nome, Alaska. Plus: this Saturday in New York, the Downtown Schenectady Soup Stroll. The 1925 Serum Run To Nome (AlaskaWeb) Downtown Schenectady Soup Stroll Why not travel over to our Patreon page and back the show…

For Squirrel Appreciation Day, we visit a town in northeastern Kansas where black squirrels are number one. It's the law. Plus: Cedar Creek, Texas, is home to Ms. Pearl, a 14 foot tall squirrel statue. From circus attraction to protected mascot to art project: How black squirrels took over a small Kansas town (Roadtrippers) Ms. Pearl (Atlas Obscura…

There are lots of ceremonies and events in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, and there are lots of monuments you can visit too. Though some of Dr. King’s biggest fans might steer you away from some of those monuments. In the city where the Kings met, ‘The Embrace’ memorializes their love and struggle (Boston Globe) A Stunning New …

AirFarm is an inflatable container farm that could help people grow crops where there’s not a lot of water. The idea - pun intended- blew up at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Plus: today in 1931, the birthday of James Earl Jones. He did a little bit of everything in his long and distinguished career, though one of his most famous roles…

This week in 1964, the US Atomic Energy Commission presented a report to Congress on an eye-opening idea: clearing land for a highway in southeast California with nuclear bombs. Plus: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan release their annual list of the weirdest reasons people have called 911 there. America Almost Made a New Route 66 W…

This month in 1920, the start of a slightly strange criminal case in which the jury didn’t just weigh the evidence… they drank it. Plus: a contractor in Illinois gets a very late Christmas present during a renovation project at his parents' house. Prohibition: The jury tasted the evidence and found defendant not guilty (Delmarva Now) 46-year-old Ch…

Today in 2020, Wausau, Wisconsin's long-running and notorious ban on snowball fights was finally off the books! Though there was actually more to the story than the uproar suggested. Plus: The Public Domain Review looks back through the history of snowball fights in art, going all the way to the year 1400! Snowball fights are legal in Wausau after …

Today in 1997, the commissioners of Kleberg County, Texas voted to do away with the word “hello,” and replace it with a more positive alternative. Plus: today in 1931, an unforgettable night for some of the country's leading architects. Say Goodbye to ‘Hello’ and Hello to ‘Heaven-o’ (Los Angeles Times) Famous Architects Dress as Their Famous New Yo…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from June 2021, a look at the Niesen Stairway Run, a run up a world record staircase built into a mountain nicknamed the Swiss Pyramid. Plus: decades before Zoom and Skype meetings, Sony sold a Face to Face video phone. Niesen flight of stairs (Niesen) …

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from June 2023, a dog in New Hampshire takes up a popular Granite State challenge, climbing all 48 of the state’s 4,000 foot high mountains. Plus: a handy invention will send your phone a notification if your pants zipper is down. Pug deemed ‘too hyper’…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from August 2021, a strange story from 1947, when two climbers woke up at the summit of Oregon's Mount Hood and found a quart of milk and the morning newspaper, dropped off by a friend. Plus: a study out of the University of Greenwich finds that bees ma…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from November 2019, Mount Chimborazo, in central Ecuador. It’s not nearly as tall as Mount Everest, but it's actually higher than the tallest mountain on Earth. Plus: why the community of New Baltimore, New York showed up in map searches with a spooky p…

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about fascinating peaks. In this episode from September 2022, the story of a 10 month old cat that somehow showed up at the top of a mountain that’s over 14,000 feet high. Plus: the time in 1968 a group then known as the New Yardbirds played their first-ever show in Denmark. The cat that climb…

The new year tradition of Mitaarfik in Greenland features a bunch of people in masks hanging out in your house without saying a word. Plus: Today in 2022, Preet Chandi became the first woman of color to successfully make a solo expedition to the South Pole. Mitaartut – The silent masked performances (Visit Greenland) Preet Chandi is the first woman…

About this time in 1910, a member of Congress thought the next big food trend would be hippo meat. Plus: Williams Lake, British Columbia designates every January 2 as Wrestling Day, but it's not related to a sport. Lake Bacon: The Story of The Man Who Wanted Us to Eat Mississippi Hippos (The Daily Beast) A city in B.C. has an actual civic holiday c…

We’re ringing in the new year (as well as marking National Ring a Bell Day) with the story of a bell that’s been ringing year in and year out for almost two centuries. Plus: a new year’s tradition on US Navy ships is to write up the first deck watch of a new year in verse. This Battery Has Lasted 175 Years and No One Knows How (VICE) Midwatch In Ve…

Watching TV on the last night of the year? That's fine; in fact, there’s a tradition on German TV of showing a classic comedy sketch every December 31. Plus: today in 2023, a Connecticut family has a baby a minute before midnight... and another shortly after. How An Obscure British Comedy Sketch Became The World’s Most Repeated TV Program (Mental F…

Today in 1952, a double decker bus driver in London had to make a split second decision to protect his passengers… and realized the safest option was to gun it and jump a city landmark. Plus: today in 1999, the passing of Sarah Knauss, who at age 119 was the longest-lived American ever. The day a bus jumped Tower Bridge (TowerBridge.org) World's ol…

There’s a tradition around this time of year in Wales called Mari Lwyd. It starts with a knock at the door in the winter night, and it only gets spookier from there. Plus: feeling harried after the holidays? Tree.fm features the sounds of forests from around the world so you can commune with nature wherever you are. The midwinter majesty of the Mar…

Happy Hanukkah! The eight day Festival of Lights takes place toward the end of each year, but due to some unusual circumstances, there won't be a Hanukkah at all in 3031 (!) Plus: Untapped New York has some recommendations for NYC menorahs you might want to check out. This Year's Dates for Celebrating Hanukkah are Odd—Here's Why (Newsweek) 9 GIANT …

Merry Christmas! On this day of giving, you deserve a treat: a holiday favorite in Caribbean countries known as black cake. Plus: Christmastime in Budapest, Hungary means a chance to ride the Light Tram. In the Caribbean, It's Not Christmas Without Black Cake (HowStuffWorks) Long Exposure Photos of Budapest Trams Lit Up with 30,000 LED Lights (Colo…

There are lots of different kinds of celebrations on Christmas Eve. In Iceland, book lovers take part in Jólabókaflóð , which means "the Christmas flood of books." And they're not exaggerating. Plus: Iceland may have a flood of books at Christmas, but New York City’s got a whole lot of unique outdoor Christmas trees. Jólabókaflóð: the Christmas flo…

Today in 1814, the incorporation of the city of Cleveland, Ohio. There’s a famous sign on top of a building so that people flying in airplanes can see the message “Welcome to Cleveland," though that sign’s not actually anywhere near Cleveland. Plus: Today in 2021, an acrobat from Vietnam set a world record for most consecutive stairs climbed while …

Today in 1988, a report in the New York Times noted that restaurant chain Denny's was shutting its doors for Christmas Day, only to run into a little hiccup around those doors. Plus: Kazumasa Yamashita’s Face House was an attraction in Kyoto that looked exactly like what its name suggested. Diner Chain Has to Buy Locks for First Holiday Closing (Ne…

Cuetlaxochitl, flor de Noche Buena, poinsettia, estrella federal… here’s the story of a plant with a lot of names. Plus: today in 1997, the US release of the movie “Titanic,” and there’s a guy in Florida who’s trying to collect a titanic number of VHS copies of the film. The checkered history of the poinsettia’s namesake and the flower’s origins ge…

Today in 1966 CBS first broadcast a holiday classic, “Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” It came to the small screen largely because a giant in the cartoon industry happened to be an old friend of the author. Plus: today in 1998, rocker Alice Cooper opened a rock and sports-themed restaurant and club in Phoenix, Arizona he called Coopers’…

Today in 1960, Chas Newby of Liverpool got a temp job that would give him a story he could dine out on for the rest of his life: for two weeks, he played bass for the Beatles. Plus: today in 1985, a radio DJ in Iowa tried to ward off the holiday blues in an extremely repetitive way. When Chas Newby Was With the Beatles for Two Weeks (Ultimate Class…

Today in 1901, a newspaper article proclaimed 16 year old May Kaarlus as perhaps the greatest trick shot billiard player in the whole world. And she really could play that well, though the career of this pool table prodigy went on to take a surprise turn. Plus: around this time in 2020, a baker sent a friend some hot chocolate bombs as gifts, thoug…

If you’re doing an Advent calendar this month, you’re just over halfway finished opening up those little windows to see what’s inside. So let’s open up a few windows into where they came from. Plus: engineering students at ETH Zurich are trying to build robots that can drop little presents down scale model chimneys. Advent calendars, explained: Whe…

Today in 1986, a newspaper column by film critic Gene Siskel helped to turn a local snack favorite in Chicago into a signature of the city. Plus: if you like holiday displays, there’s a pretty unusual one in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, a family of plywood moose. Chicago’s love affair with popcorn goes back 150 years, from Cracker Jack to Garrett Mix (C…

Today in 1972, Apollo 17 landed on the moon. So far, it’s the last mission that put human beings on the lunar surface. And it was the only Apollo mission where the dust all over that surface gave an astronaut a strong allergic reaction. Plus: around this time in 2011, a cat in Italy named Tommasso kind of inherited a multi-million dollar estate. Th…

Kids have been writing letters to Santa for well over a century. Those letters are a fascinating, hilarious and sometimes jaw-dropping window into our own history. Plus: iIf you’re looking for an attraction worthy of the holiday season, you might head to Williams Bay, Wisconsin, to see the World’s Tallest Glass Tree. A Brief History of Sending a Le…

Today in 1965, CBS broadcast “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It's one of the iconic TV holiday specials today, but pretty much everyone who put the TV special together thought it was going to be a failure. Plus: today in 2004, a basketball comeback for the books, courtesy of Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady. Life After Snoopy (Stanford Magazine via …