What is commonplace in our homes today was once rare.
A salt cellar by Johannes Lutma (1639). In the public domain, courtesy of the Rijksmuseum.
Tony Dunnell of History Facts discusses seven once-hard-to-get items. They include salt, tea, aluminum, pineapple and ice.
Ronald G. Shafer tells the complicated story of Julia Chinn, an enslaved woman who became the bride of Richard Mentor Johnson in a church ceremony around 1811. In 1837, four years after her death, Johnson became the ninth U.S. vice president. In Washington Post’s “Retropolis.”
Eleven TV shows that changed the world? Mark Juddery explains why on Mental Floss. The first example is Dallas, with its impact on Romania. The second is General Electric Theater, which showcased Ronald Reagan.
It’s only been 30 years, but the History Channel has had its measure of controversy, slip-ups, and even cancellations. Dan Clarendon of TV Insider discusses them.
