Beginnings

  • The Inventor of Opinion Surveys

    Rensis was born in 1903 in Wyoming. He started college thinking he would become an engineer like his father. However, a professor influenced him to pursue degrees in economics and sociology. Eventually, he would earn a PhD in Psychology at Columbia. His career focus...

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  • High Heels

    It’s the 16th Century in France. When men would place their shoes in the stirrup on their horses, the shoes would frequently slip out of the stirrup. The solution was to place a heel on the man’s shoe to secure the shoe in the stirrup. When men got off their horses...

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  • Bloomers

    If one were to do an online search today for clothing known as ‘bloomers’, you would have the impression of something stylish, sexy, and comfortable to wear. You could probably not imagine how bloomers began as women’s clothing. In the 19th Century, women wore long...

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  • The Presidential Seal

    It’s an image that all those in America instantly recognize: The Presidential Seal (see the image below). For something so familiar, it’s interesting that we know little of its origin. What follows is what we know. At first, the Presidential Seal was likely to be...

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  • The Resolute Desk

    It began as a mighty oak tree that was called into service by the British Navy. The timbers from the oak tree were used to construct the HMS Resolute. When two British ships were lost in search of a northwest passage through the Arctic Circle, the HMS Resolute was...

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  • Pomp and Circumstance March

    It began as March No. 1 in D Major. When it was performed in concert in 1901, it was the recipient of two encores. Crown Prince Edward was impressed and asked that the middle section of the march be converted into a song to be played at his coronation as King Edward...

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  • The Smiley Face

    Harvey Ball was born in Massachusetts in 1921. Early on he discovered he had a talent for art and hoped to make this his career. But World War II delayed that career. He fought in the Battle of Okinawa earning a Bronze Star for heroism. He returned to the U.S. after...

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  • Judo

    Kanō Jigorō was born in 1860 in Japan. His father was a major influence on his life after his mother died when he was 9 years old. With income from a sake business, Kanō’s father ensured that he had a good education. Kanō was enrolled in private schools and had a...

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  • Opening Up the Little League to Girls

    Maria Pepe had grown up playing streetball with the boys in her neighborhood. So when she became old enough to try out for the Little League, there was no question that she would make the team. The year was 1972, and the place was Hoboken, NJ. Maria was a pitcher and...

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  • The Airstream: An Iconic American Product

    Wally Byam had a problem. He loved to go camping, but his wife was not a fan of sleeping outdoors. Using the chassis from a Model T Ford, he built a tank enclosure over the base of the chassis. The structure was made of plywood. He would pull the trailer along on...

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