If It’s Thursday, It’s Time For Pea Soup And Pancakes In Sweden (Cool Weird Awesome 790)
This past Monday was National Day in Sweden, but it's Thursday that the real fun gets underway, because that’s when people eat pea soup and pancakes. Together.
Hanson Gregory, The Sea Captain Who Gave The Doughnut Its Hole (Cool Weird Awesome 786)
Fried dough cakes have been around seemingly forever, but for National Doughnut Day, we have the story of an innovation that helped make this treat the icon that it is today: the invention of the doughnut hole.
The Sometimes Salty History of the Cheez-It (Cool Weird Awesome 777)
Today in 1921, Green and Green cracker company of Dayton, Ohio trademarked the name of a new product that is still doing quite well: it’s the birthday of the Cheez-It.
A Chef Got Irritated With A Wealthy Diner And That’s Why We Have Potato Chips (Cool Weird Awesome 731)
It's National Potato Chip Day, so of course we’re going to take you through the history of potato chips and the story of chef George Crum, the man sometimes called “the Edison of grease.”
A Delicious Cookie With A Bad Name Won’t Taste As Sweet (Cool Weird Awesome 712)
Research from the Ohio State University just found that the [...]
The Cheeseburger Has More Than One Origin Story (Cool Weird Awesome 615)
This weekend is National Cheeseburger Day, and there's only one such holiday. But if you ask where the cheeseburger came from, there are a couple answers. Plus: for National Pet Bird Day, a story from 2017 in which researchers found wild birds in Australia swearing.
The Popsicle Was Invented By An 11 Year Old Who Forgot To Clean Up After Himself (Cool Weird Awesome 599)
It's National Cherry Popsicle Day, so obviously, we have to tell the story of the popsicle, and Frank Epperson, the 11 year old you invented it. Plus: today in 1969, Elvis Presley sees a bald guy in the audience while onstage in Las Vegas and sings the best version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" ever.
How A Statue In Lucille Ball’s Honor Became Known As “Scary Lucy” (Cool Weird Awesome 590)
Today in 2016, Celeron, New York unveiled and dedicated a statue of its most famous resident, TV legend Lucille Ball. It took the place of a different statue from 2009 that had been nicknamed "Scary Lucy." Plus: this day in 1928 was the birthday of artist Andy Warhol, who, among many other accomplishments, helped make Pop Tarts popular.
Benny Benson, The 13 Year Old Who Designed Alaska’s Flag (Cool Weird Awesome 570)
Today in 1929, the then-territory of Alaska flew its flag for the first time. That flag, which is still used today, was designed by a 13 year old of Aleutian descent, Benny Benson. Plus: it was this day in 1872 that John F. Blondel of Maine made pastry history.
How Sliced Bread Became The Greatest Thing Since Itself (Cool Weird Awesome 568)
Today in 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri began publicly selling something new: bread that had been sliced by a multi-bladed machine, and the world gained a new way to measure greatness. Plus: today in 2017, a meteor found a way to use Earth as a “slingshot” so alter its orbit and eventually orbit Jupiter.