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A Brief History of Pay Toilets in the U.S.
In 1910, a small town in Indiana installed the first pay toilet in the United States. Since then businesses have continued to install these pay to use toilets until they were outright banned in the 1970s.
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A Brief History of the Boar Sword
Once an elegant weapon, the French Estoc was modified my Germans to create the brutal Boar Sword. Although the Boar Sword was not seen in combat it was still a sight to see while hunting in medieval Europe.
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The Forever Ringing Bell
Originally an experiment set up in 1840 the Oxford Electric Bell has continued to ring since it was created. It is currently the world record holder for the longest ringing bell and oldest active battery. So what are the details and secrets of Oxford's forever ringing electric bell?
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The Oldest and Most Fascinating Clock in the World
Many old clocks from the middle ages have either stopped working or have been maintained to the bare minimum. This clock, however, is an exception. This clock in Prague is the oldest active clock in the world and has moving parts, including moving statues and an automatic calendar.
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The History of the Wooden Nickel
What is a wooden nickel and what was it used for? Learn more about this odd American currency from the early 1930s.
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The Legend of Tarrare, the Hungriest Man
Tarrare was a bizarre Frenchman from the 18th century. What made him so bizarre was his insatiable appetite. This appetite put him in an amazing amount of odd situation, that made up his very odd life. From performing on the streets to his military service, nothing was ever normal with Tarrare.
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Why the Great Gatsby is Set During Prohibition
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", every character except Gatsby himself, is shown drinking or getting drunk at one time or another. These drunken fits even push the story forwards. So why is it that Fitzgerald placed the setting right in the middle of prohibition when alcohol was banned?
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Why the Dark Ages Aren't a Real Thing
To many people, the Middle Ages and the Dark Ages are interchangeable terms. But during the Middle Ages, ideas of philosophy, science, and engineering were being made every day—just not in Europe.
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How Edgar Allan Poe Invented the Detective Genre
When discussing the genre of Detective novels the first to come to mind is Sir Author Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie, What many may find surprising, however, is the fact that both of these authors were inspired by the great horror writer Edgar Allan Poe and his short stories.