Note: Server migration week continues, so forgive us for reposting a few oldies/goodies. This article was originally published in 2009. An illeist is someone who refers to himself in the third person, as Richard Nixon famously did when, after losing the bid for the California governorship in 1962, he said, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference." Today, Nixon's sound bite is remembered as much for his use of the third... READ ON
© Joseph Sohm/Visions of America/Corbis Most people are familiar with the stories of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, who achieved great success as the founders of Microsoft and Facebook, respectively, after dropping out of Harvard. Here are nine other former Harvard students who made out just fine without earning their degrees. 1. Robert Frost Frost, a San Francisco native who had previously dropped out of Dartmouth after only two months, was accepted for admission at Harvard in the fall of 1897... READ ON
We may not be much help in filling out your bracket. But throughout this week we’re going to bring you a _flossy take on March Madness: one interesting fact about each of the 68 teams in the tournament field. Today we'll wrap things up with the West... READ ON
We may not be much help in filling out your bracket. But throughout this week we’re going to bring you a _flossy take on March Madness: one interesting fact about each of the 68 teams in the tournament field. Today we're tackling the East... READ ON
From the days of home delivery to streamlined self-service stores, here are the stories behind 12 supermarket chains. 1.... READ ON
[Image credit: Daniel Case] If you’ve been to a mall recently, chances are at least a few of these stores were listed in the directory. From Abercrombie & Fitch to Williams-Sonoma, here are the stories behind 20 mall staples. 1. Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch was founded in 1892 as Abercrombie Co., an outdoor and sporting equipment shop, in Manhattan by topographer David T. Abercrombie. In 1904, Abercrombie partnered with one of his regular customers, Ezra H. Finch, a lawyer, and renamed... READ ON
In the 26 years since the Adopt-a-Highway program was launched, it has helped keep America’s highways clean, saved taxpayers money, sparked a handful of free-speech battles, and even been featured on an episode of Seinfeld. Here’s a brief history of the program. The Birth of... READ ON
They’re seemingly everywhere, yet they all started somewhere. Here are the stories of the humble beginnings of 11 chain restaurants. 1. Applebee’s The world’s largest casual dining chain celebrated 30 years of eatin’ good in the neighborhood in 2010. The original Applebee’s, which was named T.J. Applebee's Rx for Edibles & Elixirs, opened in Atlanta in 1980. The founders of the original restaurant, including Bill and T.J. Palmer, wanted to name the restaurant Appleby’s, but that spelling... READ ON
New rules in the National Football League, as in any sport, are often enacted in response to repeated on-the-field actions or bizarre incidents involving a specific player or coach. These rules commonly take the name of the individuals indirectly responsible for their creation. Here are 11 such rules you can bring up during today's conference championship games. 1. Bill Belichick... READ ON
Citing public safety concerns related to the forecasted winter storm that ultimately dumped more than a foot of snow on much of the Philadelphia area, the National Football League postponed Sunday night’s Eagles-Vikings game until tonight. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, tonight’s game is the first NFL game played on a Tuesday since 1946. Here’s a brief history of that game and the people involved. Why Tuesday? The Boston Yanks and New York Giants were scheduled to open the 1946 NFL season... READ ON
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Saved by the Bell Sports
Before Gmail, “G-Mail” was the name of a free email service offered by Garfield’s website.
