There Were Storm Chasers Even In The 19th Century (Cool Weird Awesome 996)
Today in 1884, A.A. Adams of Kansas took what is the earliest-known photo of a tornado. Early storm photos are pretty remarkable, for a lot of reasons.
Susanna Madora Salter Became The First American Woman Mayor Kind Of By Surprise (Cool Weird Awesome 961)
Today was the birthday in 1860 of the first woman to serve as a mayor in the United States, Susanna Madora Salter, of Argonia, Kansas. She wasn’t looking to make history and didn’t even run for the job, but then sometimes you choose the moment, and other times the moment chooses you.
The First Time Astronauts Walked In Space Without A Tether (Cool Weird Awesome 944)
Today in 1984, two US astronauts walked in space. And, for the first time, they weren’t connected to anything.
The New York Mets Once Made A Mule Their Mascot (Cool Weird Awesome 874)
It's National Mule Day, so it's a great day to celebrate a mule who singlehandedly… showed up at some Major League Baseball games. Here's the story of the official mule mascot of the New York Mets.
Abel Gonzales Is The Fried Food King Of The Texas State Fair (Cool Weird Awesome 856)
The Texas State Fair is getting underway, and if it's fried food you're after, you have Abel Gonzales Jr., aka "Fried Jesus," to thank.
The “Lunch Atop A Skyscraper” Photo Was Originally A Publicity Stunt (Cool Weird Awesome 848)
Today in 1932, an unknown photographer took one of the most famous, most astonishing photographs of all time, the one known as “Lunch Atop A Skyscraper.” Here's more about how it happened.
Harrison Dyar, Who Made Digging Tunnels In Washington, DC His Hobby (Cool Weird Awesome 845)
In September 1924, a truck accidentally discovered a series of tunnels underneath Washington DC. There were lots of rumors, but it turned out a local guy had just dug them himself, for "exercise." Here's his story.
A College Student In The 1890s Became The Candid Camera Of Norway (Cool Weird Awesome 831)
For National Photography Day, here’s a remarkable photographic story from the 1890s: a guy in Norway made his own candid camera.
Why So Many Old Paintings Have Dogs Holding Lit Flares In Their Mouths (Cool Weird Awesome 822)
There's a phenomenon in art history where some paintings feature dogs with lit flares in their mouths. They're not committing arson or leading Indiana Jones through a dark cave... but what are they doing?
During World War I, Photographers Made A “Human Statue of Liberty” Out Of 18,000 Soldiers (Cool Weird Awesome 809)
This month in 1918, two photographers took a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Except this wasn’t the giant statue that sits in the harbor in New York, it was a living Statue of Liberty formed with help from 18,000 members of the U.S. military.