Tom Carvel: King of Soft-Serve
Tom Carvel was a self-made success story whose name is synonymous with the product he created—soft-serve ice cream. Carvel (1906-1990) was among the early adopters of using a franchise system …
Entrepreneurs & Inventors
Marjorie Stewart Joyner: Permanent Hair-Wave Machine Inventor
Invented a permanent wave machine that added curl to straight hair and could be used to straighten curly hair Became national supervisor for more than 200 beauty colleges owned by …
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1909 Transcontinental Automobile Race
Automobile travel in the early 1900s was very difficult. Roads were largely unpaved, maps were few, and cars were for the very rich. Mining heir Robert Guggenheim, 24, loved to …
Lincoln Logs, Madame Alexander, & Monopoly
Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. John did not plan to be a toy inventor. But in so many ways, creating …
Black Friday, Holiday Windows & Santa
“Black Friday” has come to describe what is generally the busiest in-person shopping day of the year. Many assume that it refers to the season when retailers “move into the …
Gas Station to Gas Empire: Gilmore
In the 1870s, Arthur Gilmore and Julius Carter first met in Southern California where they were both prospecting for gold. As it became clear that their “get rich quick” plan …
