Lewis Howard Latimer, The Black Inventor Who Helped Make The Modern World Modern (Cool Weird Awesome 1079)
Today in 1848, the birthday of Lewis Howard Latimer, an inventor whose work helped make the world what it is today.
Jackie Ormes Brought Black Characters To The Comics Page (Cool Weird Awesome 1060)
Today in 1911, the birthday of Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman to have syndicated comic strips in newspapers.
In India, Telegrams Were Still Around Until 2013 (Cool Weird Awesome 1048)
Today in 2013, the last traditional telegram message went out, decades after telephones and smartphones and text messages and so on. So why were there still telegrams here in the 21st Century?
Marie C. Bolden, A Black Teen In Cleveland, Helped Win A National Spelling Title In 1908 (Cool Weird Awesome 1037)
Today in 1908, a team of students from Cleveland won a spelling title at the annual meeting of the National Education Association, thanks in part to a Black 14 year old named Marie C. Bolden.
Raise A Glass Of Red Drink On Juneteenth (Cool Weird Awesome 1029)
There are lots of traditions that come with Juneteenth, like the foods and drinks that end up on the table at Juneteenth parties. A lot of these refreshments include the color red, and that’s on purpose.
Ora Washington, The “Queen Of Two Courts,” Ruled Tennis And Basketball Alike (Cool Weird Awesome 956)
For National Play Tennis Day, the story of Ora Washington, one of the great early stars of women's tennis who also happened to be one of the great early stars of women's basketball.
Henry E. Baker Made Sure Black Inventors Got Recognized (Cool Weird Awesome 952)
There’s a new effort during this Black History Month to highlight the work of a man who helped get people talking about Black inventors: a patent officer named Henry Edwin Baker.
How Lusia Harris Became The “Queen Of Basketball” (Cool Weird Awesome 947)
Today in 1955, the birthday of a basketball champion named Lusia “Lucy” Harris. Though "basketball champion" may not be quite the right term for her: she’s also been called the Queen of Basketball.
Why Did Actual People Start Building Snow People? (Cool Weird Awesome 945)
There's evidence humans have been building figures out of snow for centuries. But they haven't always been called "snowmen" and they haven't always looked the way they look now. We'll explain how we got the shape and the name.
Sound Waves Could Help Keep High-Tech Batteries Going And Going And Going (Cool Weird Awesome 941)
Rechargeable batteries like the ones in our smartphones typically last a few years, but a new project out of Australia could lead to batteries that last nearly a decade. And that's thanks in part to sound waves.