1Alcohol Taxes and Prohibition
Prior to the income tax being enacted in 1913, the U.S. government received up to 40% of its revenue from alcohol taxes. Without the income tax in place, it's unlikely that the Senate would have proposed the Prohibition Amendment in 1917.
2. Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball effectively created syndication and reruns in the TV industry. Prior to "I LOVE LUCY," TV shows were broadcast live and recorded on low-quality kinescopes. Desi and Lucy produced the show, recorded it on 35mm film, and were able to sell the show nationally through syndication.
3. Ordering and eating food in courses is called Russian service, or Service à la Russe. The Russian ambassador introduced it to France in 1810. Prior to this, 'French service' was the norm in most countries, with all food placed on the table and diners serving themselves.
4. Indigenous South Americans had advanced metallurgy and worked with platinum using the sintering method prior to contact with European settlers. Platinum, with a melting point of 3218°F, was beyond the capability of Europeans until the 19th century.
5. Before the 1990s, Super Bowl halftime shows consisted mostly of marching bands and show choir performances.
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6Seminole Tribe's Formation
The Seminole Tribe did not exist prior to the 1700s. Members of other tribes who had fled the English colonies to settle in Spanish Florida formed it. Florida's original indigenous population had become extinct by then due to diseases and enslavement brought by the Spanish.
7. Before 1987, babies underwent major surgery, such as open-heart surgery, entirely without anesthesia and post-operative pain management. It was honestly believed that infants couldn't feel pain.
8. Certain medical equipment requires steel produced before the first atomic bomb tests due to atmospheric radiation, usually from ships sunk before World War II.
9. Before the first nuclear bomb detonation in July 1945, isotopes such as strontium-90 and cesium-137 simply did not exist in nature. Pieces of art and bottles of wine created before 1945 can be tested for cesium, and if they contain traces of cesium, they would almost certainly be fake.
10. New Mexico was the original Sunshine State, unofficially using the slogan before statehood in 1912 and eventually adding it to their state license plates in 1932. However, they never made it official, and Florida managed to adopt an official resolution and claim the slogan in 1970.
11Christmas Changes in England
In England before the mid-17th century, Christmas was a 12-day festival involving the burning of the Yule log and playing traditional games. The Cromwellian Revolt abolished Christmas, and the Industrial Revolution eroded the customs in communities that tried to hold onto them.
12. The term "grandfathered in" originated from Jim Crow laws, allowing men to be exempt from literacy tests and poll taxes if their grandfather was eligible to vote before 1866. This ensured many illiterate white men could still vote while black men couldn't.
13. In the 1880s, the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park was utilized for laundry. Clothes were placed in the geyser before an eruption, and the force of the water would thoroughly clean them.
14. The first can opener was patented on January 5, 1858, fifty years after the can was invented. Before its invention, people used hammers and chisels to open cans.
15. Ed Lowe, the inventor of modern cat litter in 1947, amassed a fortune approaching 1 billion in today's dollars. Before that, people used ashes and sand. He also collaborated with Jane Goodall to develop chimpanzee litter, but the effort was unsuccessful.
16Pre-Photography Horse Art
Before the invention of photography, artists struggled to depict how horses' legs moved in a gallop, resulting in inaccurate portrayals of horses in paintings.
17. Knighthood in Normandy had little social status before the Crusades. Knights were poor and "land-hungry." The title only represented professional warriors who were able to own a war horse.
18. Before 1963, it was not uncommon for students in the US to be required to read from the Bible as part of their elementary education. A lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court ended the practice that year.
19. Before the 1920s, up to 70% of children in parts of the United States had goiters due to iodine deficiency.
20. Prior to 1999, the mythical American Express Black Card was just that: a myth. The myth became so pervasive that AmEx decided to capitalize on it and actually create a black, ultra-exclusive credit card.
21Japan's Red Meat Ban
Before Westerners came to Japan, there was a ban on red meat. The emperor repealed the ban because he believed it was responsible for Westerners' greater size.
22. Before the enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1972, rivers in the US were prone to catching fire. The most notable instance is the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, which caught fire 13 times between 1868 and 1969. The hulls of tugboats disintegrated due to the river's severe pollution by refinery waste.
23. Until the 1970s, movies were only copyrighted for 56 years. This means all movies released in 1966 (and earlier) should be in the public domain by now. Instead, copyright was extended to 95 years, and one must now wait until 2062.
24. Across the US, large concrete arrows from the Transcontinental Airway System still exist. These arrows, funded by the federal government in 1924, were constructed approximately every 10 miles along established airmail routes. Their purpose was to assist pilots in navigating across America, especially in adverse weather conditions and during nighttime flights, which were more efficient.
25. Theodore Roosevelt was the first sitting U.S. president to take an international trip (to Panama). Prior to this, it was considered taboo, as citizens did not want the president mingling with royalty. Changes in America's foreign policy and barriers to travel have made international trips a valuable part of the modern presidency.
