How did America get its name? Find out, plus see some of the oldest maps of the United States
How did America get its name? The man from whom the continents got their names was an especially fascinating character of the late 15th century.
Vintage IBM electric typewriters from the ’60s, including the Selectric with swappable round print heads
Vintage IBM electric typewriters from the '60s, like the Executive and the Selectric, were marketed to help executives and their secretaries manage an increasing business workload at a time when more and more white collar jobs were being created.
Forget kitchen cabinets – install a wall-mounted refrigerator! (Yes – this was really a thing in the ’50s)
This new, revolutionary wall-mounted refrigerator and freezer that hangs from the wall is a completely new and advanced concept of modern living. Truly, it is the most convenient and magnificent refrigerator-freezer ever produced!
Thomas Edison says that people work too hard and worry too much (1913)
Thomas Edison says people work too hard, but that pleasure is as necessary as food. 'This is an electric age. The pressure was never heavier, nor the grind harder.'
Space Fidgit – the cosmic color-changing disc toy from the ’70s and ’80s
Remember that little round toy from the seventies where you pressed on the back with your finger to squish stuff around and it changed colors? They were called Space Fidgits, and you can find out more about 'em here.
Everyone’s favorite instant pets: The (not so) amazing live Sea-Monkeys
'Just add water and you've got instant life!' they said. 'Over 150 amazing Sea-Monkeys born ALIVE before YOUR eyes!' But, oh, the disappointment when the critters didn't look anything like the pictures on the package.
100 years ago, did Nikola Tesla predict the iPad, Skype, mobile phones & more? (1915)
How much of today's tech did Nikola Tesla predict a century ago? Here's a look back at some spot-on predictions from Nikola Tesla -- along with a few, that, well... we haven't quite seen yet.
Thomas Edison says electricity will cure everything (1914)
Electricity will cure all the ills of the world, predicts Thomas Edison, whose inventive genius is responsible for the widespread application of electricity.
The ’50s Hula Hoop fad gets millions twirling and whirling (1958)
A simple and inexpensive new toy - known as the Hula Hoop - has thousands of the nation's children and many of its adults shaking their hips to make the hoop spin.
Cocaine-laced Coca-Cola introduced (1886)
Did Coca-Cola once have cocaine in it? Amazingly, yes. Originally marketed as a health drink when it debuted in the 1880s, Coca-Cola was said to cure everything from a migraine (aka "sick headache") to physical exhaustion to depression.
Marie Curie tells how she discovered radium (1921)
The discovery of radium gave Madame Curie immediate worldwide fame, and changed the face of medicine. Here, she describes how this historic scientific discovery was really made.
Inside vintage train cars: See a Deluxe Overland Limited Train (1910s)
See inside vintage train cars on the old Overland Limited Train, where every luxury possible in a hotel was found - including a barber shop, valet service, massage, maid, library, buffet, clubroom and a cafe dining car.
Meet Josephine Garis Cochrane, inventor of the dishwasher (1892)
The inventor of the dishwashing machine
The patron saint of the emancipated woman of the future will be Josephine Garis Cochrane, the inventor of... Click to read more...
Jell-O Salad Gelatin: Celery & mixed vegetable flavors (1964)
There's new Jell-O salad gelatin in two flavors, celery or mixed vegetable. Either savory salad gelatin provides a receptive base for vegetables and meats. The results can be main dishes, or side salads or even jellied soups.
Michael Landon for Kodak cameras (1977)
Michael Landon, star of the hugely successful 'Little House on the Prairie' TV series, took a little time out from his job playing Mr Ingalls to tell people about the various Kodak easy-to-use Instamatic cameras.
Silly Putty: Wonder toy of the 20th century (1951)
Ulcers bothering? Try Silly Putty
by Glenn Williams
Well, sir, I'm here to tell you that in the past couple of days I've had more fun than the o... Click to read more...
Pinball wizards: Vintage pinball machines of the 1940s
While pinball-style tabletop ball games have been around since the 1700s, it took a giant egg to help usher in a new era of arcade game fun in the... Click to read more...
Now hear this! Top 10 audio cassette tape tips from the ’70s
Compared to reel-to-reel tape players -- the gold standard at the time -- cassette tapes were just so easy to use. Not only were they were small and e... Click to read more...
Watson and Crick discover and model the structure of DNA (1953)
The way life is carried on now seems near discovery
By Watson Davis, Director, Science Service
Washington -- One of the fundamental problems of ... Click to read more...
Space age: Amazing retro futuristic homes of the ’60s
What did the future look like from the '60s? In this ad series for Motorola, commercial artist Charles Schridde depicted modernist homes of the future - and perfectly captured the era's sleek style and space-age optimism.
The eye-opening invention of contact lenses: The launch of ‘eyeball spectacles’ (1931)
Here's some eye-opening insight into the invention of contact lenses! The contacts were made of glass, and although they worked much like they do today, they were thick, uncomfortable, and even a little dangerous.
In the ’70s, it wasn’t a party until someone started spraying Silly String
The party favorite - more fun than throwing custard pie! Wham-O Silly String shoots a plastic stream of plastic string 1/4 mile long!
Swatch: The new wave of watches (1980s)
Swatch (short for "Swiss watch"), an up-to-the-minute quartz marvel introduced in 1983 with bold colors and zappy graphics, is gambling that clunkiness will become the byword in chic, or reverse chic, for the 1980s.
Digital watches: The hottest gift-giving trend of the late ’70s & early ’80s
Watches are popular gift items, and as many as seven out of every 10 digital watches are bought by customers as gifts for someone else. Prices begin as low as about $10 and run up into the hundreds of dollars for either of two different types of digital watches.
Nikola Tesla’s plan to give free electricity to everyone (1896)
Free electricity for everyone? It means that if Nikola Tesla succeeds in harnessing the electrical earth currents and putting them to work for man there will be an end to oppressive extortionate monopolies in steam, telephones, telegraphs and the other commercial uses of electricity
The future: Your own personal flying cars, powered by electricity (’50s & ’60s)
Wherever you look today, electric service makes good things possible. Imagine what it'll do for you tomorrow. Maybe there will be flying cars - or even flying campers that can plug in for recharging.
Spring’s a-ringin’ with convenient new phones in colorful tones! (1962)
Brightening up your home for spring? Mixing paints? Choosing new draperies? Now's the time to add handy phones in color to complement your own decorating ideas!
Who invented the sewing machine? (1909)
Who invented the sewing machine? That really depends on how much progress has to be made for something to be considered 'invented.' Find out more!
How safe are skyscrapers like the Empire State Building? (1931)
Uncle Sam's scientists, armed with every known precision test instrument, have set out to answer the much-debated question of "How safe are skyscrapers?"
The future of the computer age (1967)
A look back at the computer age: "Today's computer revolution is only getting started. In store are amazing new uses for 'electronic brains' that will reshape the industry and alter people's lives."
The home of the future: Space-age inventions (1958-1961)
Imagine getting paid to envision the future -- in ways that were inventive, optimistic, fanciful, logical, silly or surreal, depending on the week? Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, that is exactly what commercial artist and futurist Arthur Radebaugh got to do.
Introducing the microwave oven: Your new kitchen appliance! (1971-1975)
Some microwave oven questions & answers from the early 1970s! Plus tips like: "Just plug it in and turn it on. The food gets hot. The oven stays cool. If you want, you can even cook on paper plates."
Music to your ears: Walkmans & other portable cassette players (1981)
They came without warning, captivating the ears of joggers, students, bicycle riders, commuters and roller skaters. Weighing little more than a pound, they pack more sociological punch than a load of hula hoops. They are personal stereos.
Radioactivity: It’s been in the family for generations (1972)
Radioactivity. It's been in the family for generations.
In fact, scientists can tell us just how our remote ancestors are by measuring the radi... Click to read more...
Are we entering the atomic age? (1940)
For almost 2,500 years, man was wrong. From the time of Socrates, he had thought of atoms as the smallest particles of matter. In the last century, sc... Click to read more...
Music! Comedy! The wonder of Edison’s new phonograph player
The dance music of the Edison Phonograph is irresistible. It offers the most fascinating waltzes and spirited two-steps of the world's, great composers as well as the popular dance music of the hour.
