1. Rotary Dial Telephones In the ’60s, if you wanted to call someone, you had to physically spin a numbered dial and wait for it to rotate back each time. These phones were solid, heavy, and often anchored to a […]
1. Bloodletting for Almost Everything For centuries, doctors believed that most illnesses were caused by an imbalance of bodily “humors” and that draining blood could restore health. Patients with fevers, headaches, or even minor ailments were often subjected to having
1. Hovertrains In the 1960s and ’70s, hovertrains seemed like they were about to replace traditional rail travel. These futuristic vehicles used air cushions to glide above tracks, promising smoother, faster rides with less maintenance. France’s Aérotrain project even hit
1. New Coke In 1985, Coca-Cola decided to mess with perfection and introduced New Coke, replacing the original formula that had been around for nearly a century. The backlash was immediate and intense, with fans hoarding cans of the old
1. Ida B. Wells Ida B. Wells was a fearless journalist and civil rights leader who fought against the horrors of lynching in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into slavery, she became one of the most prominent
1. No Ice Cream on Sundays in Georgia In Georgia, it used to be illegal to sell ice cream on Sundays. This strange law, which was in place for several decades, was based on the state’s “blue laws,” which prohibited
1. The “Electric Facial” Shock Treatment In the early 1900s, some beauty salons offered an unusual facial treatment known as the “electric facial.” This process involved using electrical currents to stimulate facial muscles, which was supposed to improve skin tone
