Top Stories
Stories in FYI that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
The History of Play-Doh is the History of American Capitalism
I have a fascination with the history of products and companies. I find that you can learn a lot about American history and the history of capitalism by collecting random facts about ancient products that have thrived for decades. One such product is Play-Doh, the children’s colorful clay product that nearly every child in America has fashioned into various shapes for decades. Where did Play-Doh come from? I happen to know the answer for some reason.
By Sean Patrick5 years ago in FYI
The Curious Case of Robert Lincoln
On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the Presidential Box in Ford’s Theatre during a performance of Our American Cousin and shot Abraham Lincoln (ultimately, killing him). This is a fact known to most everyone in the Western world. What fewer are aware of is that the night Honest Abe was assassinated, his son Robert Lincoln was invited to join him at Ford’s Theatre for the show. Robert chose to stay home, fatigued from having spent much time recently on the Civil War battlefront.
By Reuben Blaff5 years ago in FYI
Celebrating Staten Island
New York City. The Big Apple. When most people speak of New York City, they are often talking about Manhattan. Home of the Empire State Building, Times Square and The Statue of Liberty. But actually, New York City consists of five boroughs. These include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and my home town, Staten Island.
By MATTHEW FLICK5 years ago in FYI
I'll Trade My Stone for your Daughter
I’ll trade my stone for your daughter, and I’ll keep your daughter and the stone at my house. This sounds like a line from a fantasy story, but it may also have been an ancient conversation on the island of Yap, a real Micronesian Island.
By Laura DeRue5 years ago in FYI
Great Danes, Whiskey, and Classified Missions – Things You Never Knew About the Titanic
A week ago the extent of my knowledge about the Titanic was minimal at best. Everything I knew I learned from the James Cameron movie, and the only thing that really stuck with me was that there was definitely room for two on that floating door. A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in Orlando, Florida and I was able to hear the real story. Below is a list of 15 of the most fascinating, little known facts that I learned that day.
By Kristen Nazzaro5 years ago in FYI
Where Does Vanilla Come From?
Poor dull Vanilla gets an awful rap. Its name has been railroaded into meaning boring or conventional or unexciting. Think vanilla. Think blah. Think bland. Think basic. That provenance was derived from a perverse misstep of vanilla ice-cream being labelled as plain ice-cream. But plain means popular — for a third of us — vanilla is our favourite ice-cream flavour with sexy, cool, hot-shot chocolate languishing a distant second.
By Will Russell5 years ago in FYI
Burn The House Down
“Really the only sure solution is to burn your house down and start over.” This was what my vet offered the day she handed back my cat with the proclamation: “Yep, he has fleas all right.” She saw my obvious distress. Already overwhelmed, here was another thing to deal with. I almost cried. I don’t think I actually cried. I might have. As much as I love my children and love how much they love their cats, I will admit that I did not anticipate the trials of feline ownership. Trapped is how I felt. Helpless to rid ourselves of either the fleas or the cats. “Once you have them, you pretty much have them forever. Until you move or burn the house down.” My vet is practical and very matter of fact. She is pragmatic and I initially accepted her prognosis as gospel. Driving home my shoulders slumped. “We can never have friends over ever again.” I mumbled to myself. “We have fleas.” “Damn Cats! Why did I ever get cats for my kids? And now I can’t just get rid of their cats.” Like a mouse on a sticky trap trying desperately to wrestle myself free, I felt like the world’s dumbest parent. There must be a solution. People have cats. I know tons of people with cats and other pets. Surely they don’t just live with fleas for their whole lives. By the time I got home I was ready to armor up!
By Maria Calderoni5 years ago in FYI
5 Eerie Historical Facts from Around the World
History is filled with weird, unexplainable, and even unbelievable stories. Not all historical events make it to the headlines, some are swept under the rug to make room for the bigger ones. Yet, it is important to know not just the big names and events of history but also the little details that give much more context about a specific era or period.
By ElMehdi ElAzhary5 years ago in FYI
