The Furby Fad Of The 1990s Briefly Became A National Security Concern

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fsgMxvlC4R9Zr4rKSCRJs?si=ef22d0f6d6ca479b Today in 1998, the debut of the Furby. This toy became a legit 90s phenomenon, one so popular that it actually raise some concerns in the national security [...]

By |2025-10-02T07:46:02-04:00October 2, 2025|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Teddy Bears Were Once The Big Threat To American Youth

Kids of all kinds have loved and been loved by this OG stuffie, even if there was a time when Very Concerned People thought the teddy bear could imperil the nation’s future.

By |2025-09-09T07:35:43-04:00September 9, 2025|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |

The Easy-Bake Oven Has Put Kids At The Forefront Of Lightbulb-Based Cooking For Decades

It was today in 1963 that kids could start baking by lightbulb thanks to these colorful little toy appliances. We'll explain how the Easy Bake Oven came together.

By |2024-12-12T20:37:18-05:00November 4, 2024|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |

Rockford, Illinois Is The Birthplace Of The Sock Monkey

Today in 1992, it's said the first picture book featuring a sock monkey was published. But where did the sock monkey itself show up? That was decades earlier, in the Illinois city of Rockford - or, as it's sometimes called, Sockford.

By |2024-12-12T20:36:24-05:00June 1, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Novelty Maker S.S. Adams Put The Joy In Joy Buzzers

Today in 1879, the birthday of S.S. Adams. If you don’t know the name, you know the products: joy buzzers, sneezing powder, the dribble glass and hundreds of other novelties known all over the world all started with the S.S. Adams Company. 

By |2024-12-16T06:43:20-05:00May 24, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Before Play-Doh Became A Childhood Icon, It Was Known As Kutol Wallpaper Cleaner

Today in 1956, the US issued a patent for Play-Doh. Millions of kids have built bazillions of things with this colorful stuff, but in its first life, Play-Doh had a very different job: cleaning soot off wallpaper.

By |2024-12-12T20:38:13-05:00January 26, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

The Pet Rock Started As A Dad Joke And Ended Up As A Million Dollar Idea

It was around this time in 1975 that Gary Dahl dropped by a gift show in San Francisco with the idea for the pet rock. It would make him a millionaire.

By |2024-12-14T10:08:40-05:00August 15, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |
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