Behind “The Star-Spangled Banner”
Here’s some trivia about the U.S. National Anthem. The Defense of Fort McHenry While Francis Scott Key took the tune whole cloth from a 1700s drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven,” he wrote the lyrics after being eyewitness to the Ameri...
People and companies change names all the time. Not so common—when an entire country decides on a new moniker. Burkina Faso A lot of modern-day African culture was shaped by European colonialism. France in particular once ruled over much of the co...
The Father of Noodles and Monster Trucks
Let's take a look at all some guys in history who have been called the “father of” some notable innovation. The Yellow School Bus In the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s, educator and writer Frank W. Cyr was one of the nation’s foremost experts on ru...
Royal Weddings, Royal Disasters
The royal wedding between Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle has been in the planning stages—and hotly anticipated—ever since they announced their engagement last November. Let’s hope they crossed every t and dotted every i, and ca...
How Long Would You Like to Be President?
Or rather, how long can a person be president of the United States? The answer is (probably) not what you think. We hope you enjoy this civics brainteaser. What do Uncle John’s political feelings and free time have in common? The only political gr...
