The CB Radio Craze (1970’s)

The CB radio was invented in 1945 by Al Gross, the inventor of the walkie-talkie and owner of the Citizens Radio Corporation. The radio became popular with small businesses and blue-collar workers like carpenters, plumbers, and electricians who used the radio as a tool to communicate with coworkers. By 1960, the costs to produce the 23-channel radio…

Vintage Crestworth Atro Lantern Lava Lamp

A lava lamp (or Astro lamp as it was originally known), is a decorative light featuring various colored, oozing blobs of wax that rise and fall in a heated and lighted lamp. Englishman Edward Craven Walker invented the lava lamp in 1963 and the device grew in popularity during the 1960’s psychedelic craze.

14-year-old William Ruppert breaks pole sitting record in front of home

In an era without television and radio, people often looked for means of entertainment outside of the home. Such was the case in The Roaring Twenties with an odd but not new spectacle of “flagpole sitting”.

Zoot suit in Los Angeles Museum of Art from 1942

A zoot suit, or zuit suit, has high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long knee-length coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. It was popularized in the 1930’s and its extravagant nature triggered World War II riots known as the Zoot Suit Riots.

Silly Putty has been marketed under many names since it was invented – Thinking Putty, Bouncing Putty, Tricky Putty, Nutty Putty, and even Potty Putty. It rose to prominence in the 1950’s and became one of the most successful toys of the twentieth century. Its wartime discovery was pure accident.

In 2009, a light was spotted in the skies above Norway that made other glowing-light UFO sightings pale by comparison. Called the “Norwegian spiral anomaly” or “Star Gate”, the UFO was visible to thousands of awe-struck Norwegians and photographed extensively, from Norway to Sweden. The event occurred on December 9, 2009 and lasted from 2-3…

Rescue workers climb over and dig through piles of rubble from the destroyed World Trade Center

The USA Patriot Act, or Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (yes, that’s really the title of the Act), was passed in late 2001. The 342 page Act introduced a plethora of legislative changes which significantly increased the surveillance and investigative powers of U.S. law enforcement…