April Fool’s Day in the U.S.
April Fool’s Day has been a part of American life for a very long time. During the late 19th century food pranks were popular. Because our cooking and eating habits […]
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Inventions for Entertainment
Before the Rose Bowl There was the Tournament of Roses
The parade dates to 1890 and was conceived by the Valley Hunt Club of Pasadena. Members used flowers to decorate wagons, carriages, and their horses to celebrate a good citrus harvest. The parade quickly outgrew what the club could sponsor, so a Tournament of Roses organization developed to run the parade and all that went with it.
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Santa’s Village: The First Franchised Amusement Park
Children today are much more sophisticated in their entertainment taste than children of the 1950s and ‘60s, but in our culture, the Santa story is so prevalent that even today’s
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Chewing Gum: First Gum Made to be Sold
While early Greeks and Mayans found various substances to chew on, it was Native Americans chewing on resin from spruce trees that inspired John Curtis (1827-1897) to create the first chewing gum that was sold commercially.
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Inventor Beulah Louise Henry: Known as “Lady Edison”
Beulah Louise Henry, Known as “Lady Edison”
Beulah Louise Henry (1887-1973) registered 49 patents and is credited with at least 110 inventions. She was always tinkering to improve things she could use.
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The Indy 500: Early Start in Racing
The Indianapolis 500 started in 1911. That’s only three years after Henry Ford introduced the Model T (1908). The cars in these races were early, and the sport of racing
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