38 Trivia Bits from Uncle John’s 38th Bathroom Reader
The newest Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader is out for 2025. It’s the 38th edition, and so here are 38 facts taken from its pages.
Daily Dispatch
The Wide World of Weird Winter Sports
The world has turned its attention to Milan and Cortina in Italy for the quadrennial Winter Olympics. The greatest skiers, curlers, ice skaters, lugers, hockey players, and other athletes compete for glory and gold medals. Not being contested: these very real, very odd, and very obscure winter sports. Yukigassen. First played in Japan, and now in […]
A Lovely History of Love Customs
Before flowers, chocolates, and paper cards, here’s how people through history showed off their love.
The Super Bowl, By the Numbers
Here’s every big and surprising number associated with the Big Game.
When the Whole World Went Wild for King Tut
After archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of King Tut, it launched a worldwide fad for all things ancient Egypt.
Fire Up the SelectaVision, It’s Movie Night
Streaming has made DVDs and VHS tapes virtually obsolete. Those were about the only two home video formats that were ever successful – unlike these many other also-rans.
The Most Famous People to Pass Through Ellis Island
Across 60 years, more than 12 million emigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island. Some of them went on to become extremely famous.
Happy New Year, It’s Bowl Game Day
The origin stories of all the major and oldest New Year’s college bowl games: Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Cotton.
The Biggest Video Game Flops of All Time
Not everything the video game world put out was a success on the level of Atari, Nintendo, or PlayStation. Here are some of the biggest video game failures ever.
How ‘The Simpsons’ Got Started
Before it became the longest-running show of all time, launched with a Christmas special, here’s how The Simpsons took shape.
Christmas: It’s a Literary Tradition
Some of the best Christmasy things are Christmas stories, like “A Christmas Carol,” “The Gift of the Magi,” and “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Here are their origin stories.
Presidential Conspiracies (From the 1800s)
Presidential conspiracy theories go way back to the 1800s. Here are some of the wildest supposed stories about 19th century presidents.
Secrets of the Mall, Exposed!
Malls and stores use all kinds of tricks to get you to spend more money. Here are some of them.
8 Foods That Aren’t Old As You Might Think They Are
It seems like some foods — bananas, Hawaiian pizza, garlic bread — have been around forever. They’re actually quite new.
Check Your Calendar…And Make it More Efficient?
The calendar we use makes the most sense, but it’s not the only choice. Here’s a look at the history of calendars.
Is the Madden Curse Real?
So many football players who graced the cover of the annual Madden NFL video game were felled by injuries. So, is the “Madden Curse” real?
Some Shocking and Spooktacular Facts About Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley wrote FRANKENSTEIN, one of the most important (and scary) novels of all time, but that’s just one moment in a fascinating life.
The Wide World of Weird World Series Moments
The World Series always generates a few memorable moments of baseball greatness, if not some truly bizarre ones, too.
Thanks, Canada, for All the Great Stuff
You probably didn’t know that many things we all use everyday were invented up in Canada. Here are some important Canadian inventions.
