March 26, 1850: Birth of a Socialist Sci-Fi Writer
Edward Bellamy is born. He's the American socialist and visionary author best known for penning the forward-looking utopian novel, Looking Backward.
View ArticleAug. 18, 1990: B.F. Skinner Goes in a Box
1990: American psychologist B.F. Skinner dies. He is known for transforming — for better or for worse — the study of animal and human behavior, Burrhus Frederick Skinner embarked on his career in the...
View ArticleSept. 27, 1822: Deciphering the Rosetta Stone Unlocks Egyptian History
Jean-François Champollion shows a draft translation of the mysterious Rosetta stone and demonstrates to the world how to read the voluminous hieroglyphics left behind by the scribes of ancient Egypt.
View ArticleDec. 17, 1790: Accurate Calendar Requires Sacrifice, You Dig?
1790: Workers doing repairs in Mexico City unearth a massive stone bearing ancient symbols. It turns out to be a representation of the Aztec calendar and will eventually become a national treasure. The...
View ArticleJan. 21, 2008: Chief Marie Dies; So Does Her Language
2008: Marie Smith Jones, a chief of the Eyak Indian tribe in Alaska, dies. With her dies the Eyak language. Chief Marie, 89, was the last person to speak this tribal tongue, which she learned from her...
View ArticleMarch 25, 1916: Ishi Dies, a World Ends
1916: Ishi, the last survivor of the Yahi tribe of American Indians, dies of tuberculosis in San Francisco. His story lives on. The California Gold Rush of 1849 to 1850 attracted 90,000 new settlers to...
View ArticleMay 17, 1970: The Boat Is Seaworthy and, Yes, We Can All Get Along
1970: Thor Heyerdahl sets sail with his crew from Safi, Morocco, aboard Ra II. He will attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a boat built of reeds and succeed where the previous expedition aboard Ra I...
View ArticleMarch 21, 1963: The Rock
In its day, the federal prison at Alcatraz was where they kept the rottenest apples in the barrel. But time, and the weather, have taken their toll.
View ArticleApril 5, 1956: Disneyland’s Bathroom of the Future, Conveniently Available Today
The Crane Company Bathroom of Tomorrow opens in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, promising visitors the lavish lavatory of the future, which was actually “Available Today!” from -- you guessed it -- the...
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