1. The Vacuum Cleaner When vacuum cleaners first hit the market, they were hailed as nothing short of magical. Early ads promised that this machine could replace hours of sweeping and dusting with just a few passes across the floor. […]

1. The Babylonians’ Demon Traps In ancient Babylon, people believed that evil spirits were always lurking around corners. To protect themselves, they placed small clay figurines of protective gods beneath the floors of their homes. These figures were meant to

1. Jell-O 1-2-3 This colorful dessert was like a magic trick in a glass. You’d mix it up and somehow it would separate into three layers—creamy, fluffy, and jiggly Jell-O all in one. For kids in the ’60s and ’70s,

1. Burger Chef If you grew up in the ’60s or ’70s, chances are you begged your parents to take you to Burger Chef. With its kid-friendly meals and space-themed branding, it was a direct competitor to McDonald’s—and for a

1. Slip ’N Slide Nothing said summer like a Slip ’N Slide unrolled across the lawn, with kids racing to dive onto it headfirst. The commercials made it look like endless fun, but the reality wasn’t always so carefree. The

1. You Only Use 10% of Your Brain This myth has been repeated so often that people began to believe most of their brain just sat there unused. In truth, scans prove that nearly every part of our brain is

1. Six Flags New Orleans, Louisiana When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Six Flags was one of its victims. The amusement park was left underwater for weeks, and by the time the water receded, the rides were destroyed