Analog Nation

• On September 27, 1951, a team of anthropologists from Indiana University discovered the oldest shopping cart ever found. Working at a dig site in Egypt, the team believed at first that the relic was some sort of bronze cage or basket. Once they unearthed the handlebar and wheels, they realized the magnitude of their [...]

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• On August 18, 1883, Thomas Edison completed a working prototype for what is widely regarded as his worst invention, the pedal-operated pencil breaker. The shoebox-sized contraption, which weighed over thirty pounds, was designed to sit on the desk of a clerk or accountant, who powered it with his feet. Why an accountant would need [...]

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• On July 21, 1989, the worst domino-related incident on record occurred at Union Station in Kansas City, MO. Over 846,000 dominoes experienced an “unplanned collapse event” (UCE), tumbling haphazardly after a passer-by slipped on the freshly mopped floor. Domino wranglers on hand were powerless to stop the event once it began. When the dust [...]

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In honor of Independence Day, we present an all-American edition of “Own Words.”
“It is wholly fitting that we should celebrate July 4th, 1776. It is the day when the rest of the world’s nations dropped their playthings and said, ‘Uh-oh, Dad’s home.’”
-George S. Patton, 1943
“America is a train. A train that steams mightily along its [...]

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In honor of this quasi-historic day (everyone seems to forget that Coolidge was also African-American), we present a special edition of “In Their Own Words,” featuring inaugural addresses of yesteryear.
“It is with distinct honor that I take upon myself the mantle of this office, a distinction that has been bestowed upon me by you, [...]

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• On December 22, 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes gave a speech in Philadelphia during which he extolled, at great length, the health values of vinegar. The speech rambled on for some 45 minutes, well beyond its allotted time, and made it vividly clear that Hayes consumed nearly a quart of malt vinegar each day. [...]

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