1. The Peace Sign Most people associate the peace sign with anti-war movements and universal harmony, but its origin tells a different story. Designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom for the British nuclear disarmament movement, the symbol combines the semaphore […]
1. Clotpole Back in the day, calling someone a “clotpole” was the equivalent of saying they were as useful as a rock. This Shakespearean insult combines “clot,” meaning a lump, with “pole,” implying stiffness or stupidity. Essentially, it meant someone
1. Women Couldn’t Own Property in Many Places For centuries, women were legally considered extensions of their husbands or fathers, meaning they couldn’t own property in their own names. In the U.S. and many European countries, married women were subject
1. The Ancient Egyptians Believed You Had to Pass a Literal Heart Test The Ancient Egyptians took the afterlife very seriously, and they believed your heart held the key to your fate. When you died, the god Anubis would lead
1. Mexico In Mexico, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a vibrant celebration filled with color, music, and food. Families create altars, or ofrendas, decorated with marigolds, candles, and favorite foods of their loved ones. Instead of
1. Reading a Paper Map Sure, GPS is great—until your phone dies or loses signal in the middle of nowhere. Boomers grew up relying on paper maps, and knowing how to read one can be a lifesaver. If you ever
1. Abraham Lincoln’s Lost Lyceum Address Before Abraham Lincoln became one of America’s most revered presidents, he gave a speech at the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois, in 1838. The speech, officially titled “The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions,”
