1. The Wilmington Coup of 1898 In 1898, Wilmington, North Carolina was a thriving, majority-Black city with elected Black officials and a strong middle class. But white supremacists launched a violent coup, overthrowing the government, murdering dozens of Black residents, […]
1. Microwaves You probably use your microwave every day without ever thinking about how it came to be. But it was actually a happy accident from World War II radar technology. An engineer named Percy Spencer was working with magnetrons—devices
1. Tomatoes It’s hard to imagine a world without tomatoes in our pasta sauce or on a fresh summer salad, but for centuries, people thought they were toxic. In 18th-century Europe, tomatoes were nicknamed “poison apples” because upper-class folks who
1. Taking Your Shoes Off at the Door – Japan In Japan, the moment you walk into someone’s home, off go the shoes. At first glance, it might seem overly formal or even a hassle, but when you think about
1. Hummus If you’ve ever dipped a carrot stick or pita chip into a bowl of creamy hummus, you’ve tasted something with ancient roots. This humble dish can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt and the Levant,
1. Telephone Tables Remember those little wooden tables with the phone on top and a tiny seat attached? Back when phones had cords and were permanently stuck to one place in the house, these tables were prime real estate. You’d
1. Lawn Darts Lawn darts, or “Jarts,” were a backyard staple in the ’70s. The game seemed innocent enough—tossing heavy metal darts into plastic rings on the grass—but those things were practically missiles. Each dart had a sharp, weighted tip
