Hypnotic History

Can you patent a rock? Sources: Jones, Chris. ““The Unbelievable Story of The Pet Rock: How One Man's Idea Made Him Millions!”” Medium, 5 April 2023, https://medium.com/@cfjbiz/the-unbelievable-story-of-the-pet-rock-how-one-mans-idea-made-him-millions-f19e5260de76. “The Pet Rock Captured a Moment and Made Its Creator a Millionaire.” ABC News, 1 April 2015, https://abcnews.go.com/US/pet-rock-captured-moment-made-creator-millionaire/story?id=30041318. “The Rise and Fall of the Pet Rock: A Look Back at the 1975 Holiday Craze.” Rare Historical Photos, 17 March 2023, https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/pet-rock-craze/. “The Rise and Fall of the Pet Rock: A Tale of Marketing Genius.” McMillan & Phillips, https://mcmillanphillips.com/podcast/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-pet-rock-a-tale-of-marketing-genius/. Rossen, Jake. “Hard Sell: A History of the Pet Rock.” Mental Floss, 22 August 2019, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/595180/pet-rock-history.

The surprisingly controversial and drama-laden history of pet brine shrimp. Sources: Great Big Story. “The Mad Genius Behind Sea Monkeys.” YouTube, 28 December 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0xXKCOSZuQ. “History of Sea-Monkeys – The Original Sea-Monkeys.” Sea-Monkeys, https://www.sea-monkeys.com/sea-monkey-set-up-instructions/about-the-sea-monkeys/. Rossen, Jake. “A Brief History of Sea-Monkeys.” Mental Floss, 9 March 2021, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/642405/sea-monkeys-history.

Oh, how we all long to go back to the days of sharing an ear tube with a stranger at a saloon. Sources: “A Short History of How Jukeboxes Changed the World.” Rock-Ola, 14 August 2019, https://www.rock-ola.com/blogs/news/a-short-history-of-how-jukeboxes-changed-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOooWHAr38jwCEDsd_KsWNRFGgJINLGFqTm3TnmZAEEqnOfaIYks9. Blitz, Matt. “How the Jukebox Got Its Groove.” Popular Mechanics, 6 June 2016, https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a21127/how-the-jukebox-got-its-groove/ “Jukebox History: The Evolution Of The Jukebox.” Victrola, https://victrola.com/blogs/articles/jukebox-history-the-evolution-of-the-jukebox. Scott. “Jukeboxes: The Complete History.” Home Leisure Direct, 7 October 2015, https://www.homeleisuredirect.com/blog/jukeboxes/jukeboxes-complete-history.html.

Is that a fish on your back, or do you follow the Gregorian calendar? Sources: Alexander, Andrea. “How Did April Fool's Start?” Rutgers University, 1 April 2024, https://www.rutgers.edu/news/how-did-april-fools-day-get-started. Dean, Jeff. “April Fools' Day: When did it start?” NPR, 1 April 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1089947257/april-fools-day-history. Gattignolo, Meghan E. “The Incredible Origins of April Fool's Day.” Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, https://customshousemuseum.org/news/the-incredible-origins-of-april-fools-day/. Goodwin, Tim. “Humor and History Behind April Fools' Day.” Almanac, 2 January 2025, https://www.almanac.com/when-april-fools-day-and-how-did-it-start. “Historic April Fools' Pranks.” The US Caribbean & Florida Digital Newspaper Project, 1 April 2018, https://ufndnp.domains.uflib.ufl.edu/historic-april-fools-pranks-ufndnp/. History.com Editors. “April Fools' Day.” History, 18 March 2024, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day. Whittier, Harry, et al. “History's Greatest April Fools Jokes.” National Geographic, 1 April 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/150331-april-fools-day-hoax-prank-history-holiday. Winick, Stephen, et al. “April Fools: The Roots of an International Tradition | Folklife Today.” Library of Congress Blogs, 28 March 2016, https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2016/03/april-fools/.

Were they homes of the future or did it feel like living in a filing cabinet? Sources: Danaparamita, Aria. “Lustrons: Building an American Dream House.” National Trust for Historic Preservation, 29 July 2013, https://savingplaces.org/stories/lustrons-building-an-american-dream-house. Freeman, Colette. “Lustron Homes 1948-1950.” Lombard Historical Society, 18 September 2021, https://www.lombardhistory.org/blog/2021/8/11/lustron-homes-1948-1950-nzg3d. “Lustron.” History Colorado, https://www.historycolorado.org/lustron. “Lustron Steel Homes in Arlington.” Arlington Public Library, 9 December 2022, https://library.arlingtonva.us/2022/12/09/lustron-steel-homes-built-1947-1950/. Scullin, Katy. “The Lustron Home: An Ohio-Produced Solution to the Mid-Century Housing Crisis.” Ohio Memory, 9 February 2024, https://ohiomemory.ohiohistory.org/archives/6086. Sidler, Scott. “The Rise and Fall of Lustron Homes.” The Craftsman Blog, 4 March 2024, https://thecraftsmanblog.com/all-about-lustron-homes/. Thurman, David. “The Lustron Home.” arcCAdigest, 2007, https://arccadigest.org/the-lustron-home/.

Smile! You just made a fool of yourself on national television! Sources: “Candid Camera.” Television Academy Foundation, https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/candid-camera. Long, Lacy. “Allen Funt's Candid Camera Documentary Sets August Release Date.” Collider, 23 July 2022, https://collider.com/allen-funt-candid-camera-documentary-release-date-shout-factory/. The TV Professor. “TV History 101: 'Smile, You're on Candid Camera!'” The TV Professor, 14 August, https://thetvprofessor.com/tv-history-101-smile-youre-on-candid-camera/#google_vignette. Trav S.D. “How 'Candid Camera' May Have Destroyed America.” Travalanche, 16 September 2020, https://travsd.wordpress.com/2020/09/16/how-candid-camera-may-have-destroyed-america/. Vaux, Robert. “Reality TV Is Far Older Than Most People Know.” CBR, 4 November 2022, https://www.cbr.com/reality-tv-candid-camera-1948/.

Is it hot in here, or is it just me in this Hypercolor t-shirt? Sources: Carey, Bridget. “Color-changing smart clothes will make you a chameleon.” CNET, 15 May 2018, https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/color-changing-smart-clothes-smart-fabrics-purse-ucf-chromorphous/. Christopherson, Siena. “What Happened to the '90s Hypercolor Trend?” ASI, 14 August 2023, https://members.asicentral.com/news/web-exclusive/august-2023/what-happened-to-the-90s-hypercolor-trend/. “Hypercolor and Shadow Shifter.” Shadow Shifter, https://www.shadowshifter.us/colorchangingtshirts/pc/Hypercolor-and-Shadow-Shifter-d30.htm. Rossen, Jake. “A Fad to Dye For: The Brief Life of Hypercolor Clothing.” Mental Floss, 30 May 2019, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/581233/hypercolor-clothing-fad. Soniak, Matt. “How Did Hypercolor Shirts Work?” Mental Floss, 22 January 2009, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/24540/how-did-hypercolor-shirts-work. Spivack, Emily. “Why Hypercolor T-Shirts Were Just a One-Hit Wonder.” Smithsonian Magazine, 22 January 2013, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-hypercolor-t-shirts-were-just-a-one-hit-wonder-3353436/.

It had zero calories, but it came at a price. Sources: Magnuson, Bernadene. “Olestra.” ExtoxNet, 1997, https://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/additive/olestra.htm. Mayyasi, Alex. “The Fat Free Revolution that Gave America Diarrhea.” Priceonomics, 27 May 2016, https://priceonomics.com/the-failure-of-the-fat-free-revolution/. “Olestra: A Leaky History.” Portable Press, 29 June 2015, https://www.portablepress.com/blog/2015/06/olestra-leaky-history/. “The Olestra Story.” University of Minnesota, http://www.epi.umn.edu/cvdepi/essay/the-olestra-story/. Rossen, Jake. “May Cause Anal Leakage: The Olestra Fat-Free Snack Controversy of the 1990s.” Mental Floss, 5 June 2023, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/619261/olestra-fat-free-snack-controversy-1990s. Zywica, Rabbi Moshe. “Olestra.” Kosher Certification Service, 22 December 2004, https://www.google.com/url?q=https://oukosher.org/blog/industrial-kosher/olestra/&usg=AOvVaw3KS1BF2_TC4K7mvXUEK0yg.

The bed that made waves with hippies, hedonists, and housewives alike. Sources: Brown, Patricia Leigh. “17 Years of the Water Bed: A Social History.” The New York Times, 28 August 1987, https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/28/garden/17-years-of-the-water-bed-a-social-history.html. Mitchell, Nancy. “A Brief History of the Waterbed.” Apartment Therapy, 11 February 2018, https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/waterbed-history-rise-fall-255635. Netburn, Deborah. “Are waterbeds still a thing? Meet the L.A. residents who still love them.” Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024, https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2024-07-23/waterbed-owners-enthusiasts-california-history. Wells, Jeff. “What Ever Happened To Waterbeds?” Mental Floss, 16 March 2023, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71404/what-ever-happened-waterbeds.

The toy born of a Scandinavian tradition that spawned a market of copycats and collectors Sources: Berlin, Erika. “12 Hair-Raising Facts about Troll Dolls.” Mental Floss, 4 November 2016, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/88225/12-hair-raising-facts-about-troll-dolls. Crockett, Zachary. “How the inventor of the troll doll missed out on a fortune.” The Hustle, 12 February 2023, https://thehustle.co/how-the-inventor-of-the-troll-doll-missed-out-on-a-fortune. Delgado, Michelle. “The Colorful History of the Troll Doll.” Smithsonian Magazine, 9 April 2020, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/colorful-history-troll-doll-180974634/. “The Hair-Raising History Of How Trolls Became One Of The Longest-Lasting Toy Trends.” The Troll Hole Museum, https://www.thetrollhole.com/post/the-hair-raising-history-of-how-trolls-became-one-of-the-longest-lasting-toy-trends. Van Patten, Denise. “All About Troll Dolls.” The Spruce Crafts, 20 May 2019, https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/troll-dolls-history-collecting-4083334.

A combo so sacred it involves death threats. Sources: Licata, Elizabeth. “The Story Behind Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog.” The Kitchn, 27 February 2018, https://www.thekitchn.com/the-story-behind-costco-hot-dog-deal-256217. Romero, Gabby. “Costco Hot Dog History - Everything You Need To Know About Costco Hot Dogs.” Delish, 22 March 2024, https://www.delish.com/food-news/a60277599/everything-you-need-to-know-about-costco-hot-dogs/. Rossen, Jake. “The Enduring Enigma of Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo.” Mental Floss, 31 August 2023, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/547020/costco-150-hot-dog-soda-combo-enigma. Pagán, Angela L. “Costco Makes Its Own Food Court Hot Dogs.” The Takeout, 20 June 2024, https://www.thetakeout.com/1582767/brand-makes-costco-hot-dogs/.

Do you know the lingo? Take our test to find out! Sources: “Citizens Band Radio History.” Cobra, https://www.cobra.com/blogs/news/citizens-band-radio?srsltid=AfmBOooRpSEczkYVyTqMG0gcgk9mgSgVtcBbIBWtWMbOkbImwbzDTxuU. Conradt, Stacy. “Darth Vader's Penchant for CB Radio.” Mental Floss, 12 February 2015, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61631/darth-vaders-penchant-cb-radio. Debczak, Michele. “30 Colorful Pieces of Truck Driver Slang.” Mental Floss, 13 March 2023, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/654331/truck-driver-slang. “A History of CB Radios and Truckers.” NTS Logistics, https://ntslogistics.com/knowledge_base/a-history-of-cb-radios-and-truckers/. “The History of the CB Radio in the U.S. Automotive Industry.” Automotive American, https://automotiveamerican.com/2024/12/09/the-history-of-cb-radio-in-the-u-s-automotive-industry/. Schulze, Troy. “How CB radios became all the rage in the 1970s (good buddy) – Houston Public Media.” Houston Public Media, 11 September 2023, https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2023/09/11/461966/breaker-1-9-for-a-radio-check/. Soniak, Matt. “What's Up With '10-4' and Other Radio Lingo?” Mental Floss, 23 October 2012, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31513/whats-10-4%C2%9D-and-other-radio-lingo.

This cat didn’t want to haz cheezburger. He just wanted you to be a better person. Sources: Carlson, Jen. “Heed These Vintage Subway Etiquette Signs.” Gothamist, 10 December 2013, https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/heed-these-vintage-subway-etiquette-signs. Carlson, Jen. “This Cat Was The NYC Subway Etiquette Mascot In The 1960s.” Gothamist, 3 March 2015, https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/this-cat-was-the-nyc-subway-etiquette-mascot-in-the-1960s. “Etti-cat! The Etiquette Cat With a Knack for Good Manners!” Mew Mew Munchy Toe, 21 September 2011, https://mewmewmunchytoenekotoe.blogspot.com/2011/09/etti-cat-etiquette-cat-with-knack-for.html. Hester, Jessica. “A Brief History of Subway Etiquette Campaigns.” Bloomberg, 8 February 2016, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-08/a-brief-history-of-subway-etiquette-campaigns. Meier, Allison. “Meet Etti-Cat, NYC's Feline Subway Etiquette Advisor of the 1960s.” Hyperallergic, 15 September 2016, https://hyperallergic.com/316843/meet-etti-cat-nycs-feline-subway-etiquette-advisor-of-the-1960s/. Peters, Lucia. “Etti-Cat Is the Subway Etiquette Mascot We Need.” Bustle, 4 March 2015, https://www.bustle.com/articles/67915-meet-etti-cat-the-new-york-subways-etiquette-mascot-in-the-1960s. Yuko, Elizabeth. 5 Hidden Features of the NYC Subway | HISTORY, 20 September 2024, https://www.history.com/news/new-york-city-subway-hidden-features.

Why did Jimmy Carter’s brother have his own beer brand, and can you still get it today? Sources: Berg, Jenny. “Billy Beer brought fanfare to Cold Spring in 1977.” SC Times, 10 December 2015, https://www.sctimes.com/story/life/2015/12/10/billy-beer-brought-fanfare-cold-spring-1977/77031326/. “Billy Beer: DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!” Rusty Cans, https://www.rustycans.com/HISTORY/billy.html. “Billy Carter.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Carter. Bingham, Anna. “Celebrity Brews: Famous Faces in Craft Beer.” Thorn Brewing, 16 April 2016, https://thorn.beer/celebrity-brews-famous-faces-in-craft-beer/. Hubbell, Colin. “Billy Beer cans history.” Observer-Dispatch, 2 March 2018, https://www.uticaod.com/story/lifestyle/food/2018/03/02/billy-beer-cans-history/13978423007/. Phillips, Will. “I Drank a 43-Year-Old ‘Billy Beer’ and This is What Happened.” WOUR, 27 December 2022, https://wour.com/43-year-old-billy-beer/. Popular Mechanics Editors. “17 Celebrity Beers Ranked from Rockin' to Rotten.” Popular Mechanics, 20 December 2018, https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/g25585981/17-celebrity-beers-ranked-from-rockin-to-rotten/. Trex, Ethan. “A Brief History of Billy Beer.” Mental Floss, 24 October 2010, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/26695/billy-beer-reason-billy-carter-quit-drinking.

Levi’s would like you to know that denim is definitely not cool. Not rebellious. And you can even wear it as a tuxedo for formal occasions! Sources: Conradt, Stacy. “10 Buttoned-Up Facts about Levi's.” Mental Floss, 20 May 2016, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80306/10-buttoned-facts-about-levis. Debczak, Michele. “Why Are Most Jeans Blue?” Mental Floss, 10 February 2022, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/655269/why-are-most-jeans-blue. “History of Denim & the Origin of Jeans.” Hawthorn, https://www.hawthornintl.com/history-of-denim. Montanez, Marlene. “The History of Jeans: A Detailed Look at Denim Over the Decades.” Byrdie, 14 August 2024, https://www.byrdie.com/the-history-of-jeans-2040397. Reily, Emily. “The Surprising Origins of 9 Jean Trends.” Mental Floss, 1 January 2024, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/547410/origins-jean-denim-trends. Rossen, Jake. “A Brief History of JNCO Jeans.” Mental Floss, 12 February 2024, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/648359/jnco-jeans-history. Stromberg, Joseph. “The Origin of Blue Jeans | Smithsonian.” Smithsonian Magazine, 26 September 2011, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-origin-of-blue-jeans-89612175/. Sullivan, James. “Fifty years of Jeans Fashion | American Experience.” PBS, 20 December 2021, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/riveted-history-of-jeans-fifty-years-jeans-fashion/. Unzipped Staff. “The History of Denim.” Levi Strauss, Levi Strauss & Co., 4 July 2019, https://www.levistrauss.com/2019/07/04/the-history-of-denim/.

How the doughnut got its name (and hole)! Sources: Debczak, Michele. “A Deep-Fried History of Doughnuts.” Mental Floss, Minute Media, 2 June 2022, https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/doughnut-history. Dunkin' Editorial Staff. “Dunkin' Donuts: Then and Now.” Dunkin, 31 December 2016, https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog/dunkin-donuts-then-and-now. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. “History.” Krispy Kreme, https://krispykreme.ca/about-us/history/. Moncel, Bethany. “The History of Doughnuts.” The Spruce Eats, Dotdash Meredith, 24 June 2020, https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-history-of-doughnuts-1328766. Taylor, David A. “The History of the Doughnut.” Smithsonian Magazine, March 1998, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-the-doughnut-150405177/. Wuellner, Sarah. “Secret ingredient to 50 years of success at Jolly Pirate is the people who make and serve the tasty treasures.” The Reporting Project, 23 August 2024, https://www.thereportingproject.org/secret-ingredient-to-50-years-of-success-at-jolly-pirate-is-the-people-who-make-and-serve-the-tasty-treasures/.

One of the most memorable Christmas commercials of all time only happened because a Hershey executive went rogue!

Is a Pronto Pup a corn dog, or are corn dogs imitation Pronto Pups? We’ll try to unravel the madness together. Sources: Mumford, Tracy. “The definitive history of the corn dog (er, Pronto Pup).” MPR News, 2 September 2016, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/09/02/definitive-guide-to-pronto-pup-corn-dog. OptiMonsterDM. “5 Corn Dog Facts You Might Not Know About - Our Guide.” George's Gyros Spot, 23 April 2021, https://www.georgesgyrosspot.com/2021/04/23/georges-gyros-spot-5-corn-dog-facts-you-might-not-know-about-our-guide/. Orlady, Katie. “10 Fun Facts You Never Knew About Corn Dogs.” Spoon University, 28 April 2017, https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/10-fun-facts-you-never-knew-about-corn-dogs. Shaw, Erin. “The Disputed Origins Of The Corn Dog.” Tasting Table, 17 August 2022, https://www.tastingtable.com/968524/the-disputed-origins-of-the-corn-dog/.

Why most of the stories told about hot dogs are bologna (so to speak) Sources: Butler, Stephanie. The Extra-Long History of the Hot Dog | HISTORY, 28 August 2013, https://www.history.com/news/break-out-the-buns-the-history-of-the-hot-dog. Debczak, Michele. “The Disputed History of the Hot Dog.” Mental Floss, 27 April 2022, https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/hot-dog-history. “Searching History For The Hot Dog's Origin.” NPR, 4 July 2011, https://www.npr.org/2011/07/04/137530290/searching-history-for-the-hot-dogs-origin. Shoemake, Rebekah. “10 Frank Facts About Hot Dogs.” Mental Floss, 15 July 2019, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/82567/10-facts-about-hot-dogs-scarf-down. Van de Kerkhof, Maup. “Why Are Hot Dogs Called Hot Dogs? The Origin of Hotdogs.” History Cooperative, 11 March 2024, https://historycooperative.org/origin-of-hot-dogs/.

The student-run magazine that chronicled bygone stories and skills from Southern Appalachia Sources: Danovich, Tove. “The Foxfire Book Series That Preserved Appalachian Foodways.” NPR, 17 March 2017, https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/17/520038859/the-foxfire-book-series-that-preserved-appalachian-foodways. The Foxfire Book. Anchor Books ed., Garden City, NY, Doubleday, 1972. Internet Archive. Foxfire 2. First Anchor Books ed., New York, Randomhouse, Inc., 1973. Manikowski, Amy. “Talking to the folks: the Foxfire series of books and magazines.” Biblio, https://www.biblio.com/blog/2019/12/talking-to-the-folks-the-foxfire-series-of-books-and-magazines/. Mendonca, Adrienn. “Foxfire.” New Georgia Encyclopedia, 2 Nov. 2015, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/education/foxfire/. “What is Foxfire?” Foxfire, https://www.foxfire.org/about-foxfire/. Wilkerson, Jessica. “Reading Foxfire.” Southern Cultures, Spring 2022, https://www.southerncultures.org/article/reading-foxfire/.