Kangaroo Feathers: The Australian Military Tradition That Started as a Joke
Discover the strange history of “kangaroo feathers,” the emu plumes worn by Australian Light Horse soldiers and the military tradition behind the joke.
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Kangaroo Feathers: The Australian Military Tradition That Started as a Joke
Read more: Kangaroo Feathers: The Australian Military Tradition That Started as a JokeDiscover the strange history of “kangaroo feathers,” the emu plumes worn by Australian Light Horse soldiers and the military tradition behind the joke.
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The Two Boys Named Leslie Who Grew Up to Become American Icons
Read more: The Two Boys Named Leslie Who Grew Up to Become American IconsTwo boys named Leslie, born 10 years apart, changed their names, and became American icons. Follow their remarkably different lives and see if you can identify them.
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The Priceless JFK Photo Archive That Was Destroyed on September 11
Read more: The Priceless JFK Photo Archive That Was Destroyed on September 11Discover how 40,000 irreplaceable photo negatives of the JFK photo archive stored for safekeeping at the World Trade Center were destroyed on September 11, 2001.
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Ancient Rome’s Urine Tax: Why Vespasian Taxed Pee and Said “Money Doesn’t Stink”
Read more: Ancient Rome’s Urine Tax: Why Vespasian Taxed Pee and Said “Money Doesn’t Stink”Ancient Rome taxed urine because it was valuable to textile workers. Meet Vespasian, the urine tax, and the origin of “money doesn’t stink.”
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How to Write the Commonplace Fun Facts Way: 12 Steps for 12 Years
Read more: How to Write the Commonplace Fun Facts Way: 12 Steps for 12 YearsCelebrate 12 years of Commonplace Fun Facts with a behind-the-scenes look at how to write with curiosity, skepticism, research, and rabbit trails.
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William Painter Invented the Bottle Cap. Did He Also Invent a Train Ejection Seat?
Read more: William Painter Invented the Bottle Cap. Did He Also Invent a Train Ejection Seat?William Painter invented the modern bottle cap in 1892. Explore the crown cork, his unusual patents, and the strange myth of a train ejection seat.
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A Very Special Episode: How 1980s Sitcoms Tried to Save America One Traumatized Child at a Time
Read more: A Very Special Episode: How 1980s Sitcoms Tried to Save America One Traumatized Child at a TimeThe 1980s very special episode turned sitcoms into public-service announcements about drugs, abuse, AIDS, grief, and refrigerator danger.
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The 1896 Automatic Hat-Tipping Device That Made Good Manners Effortless
Read more: The 1896 Automatic Hat-Tipping Device That Made Good Manners EffortlessIn 1896, James C. Boyle patented an automatic hat-tipping device that tipped, spun, and reset itself—and he even planned to put advertising on it.
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Benjamin Franklin’s Rules for Making Oneself a Disagreeable Companion
Read more: Benjamin Franklin’s Rules for Making Oneself a Disagreeable CompanionBenjamin Franklin’s 1750 satire explains how to become a truly disagreeable companion—and why his advice remains painfully relevant today.
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Florenz Ziegfeld, Eddie Cantor, and the Fine Art of Saying Too Much
Read more: Florenz Ziegfeld, Eddie Cantor, and the Fine Art of Saying Too MuchFlorenz Ziegfeld loved elaborate notes. Eddie Cantor preferred brevity. Their clash produced one of Broadway’s funniest lessons in overcommunication.
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10 Unusual Patron Saints and the Surprising Stories Behind Them
Read more: 10 Unusual Patron Saints and the Surprising Stories Behind ThemDiscover the surprising stories behind unusual patron saints associated with television, pilots, dentists, taxi drivers, the Internet, and more.
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London Necropolis Railway: The Victorian Train Where the Dead Rode First Class
Read more: London Necropolis Railway: The Victorian Train Where the Dead Rode First ClassDiscover the London Necropolis Railway, the Victorian funeral train that carried coffins, mourners, and even first-class dead passengers to Brookwood.
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Martin Van Buren Was Arguing Cases in Court Before He Was 16
Read more: Martin Van Buren Was Arguing Cases in Court Before He Was 16Before he was 16, Martin Van Buren was already arguing cases in court—and once had to stand on a table so the jury could see him.
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Dagen H: Sweden Changed Which Side of the Road an Entire Country Drove On—in 10 Minutes
Read more: Dagen H: Sweden Changed Which Side of the Road an Entire Country Drove On—in 10 MinutesDiscover how Dagen H switched Sweden from left- to right-hand traffic in ten minutes—after voters overwhelmingly rejected the idea.
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The Surprising Truth About How Much of Helen Keller’s Writing Was Really Her Own
Read more: The Surprising Truth About How Much of Helen Keller’s Writing Was Really Her OwnHow much of Helen Keller’s writing and success was really her own? Explore Anne Sullivan’s role, Keller’s talent, and the truth behind the legend.
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