A Brief History On January 24, 1935, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey, introduced the world to the convenience of beer in cans. Lucky for American servicemen, canned beer became popular in time for World War II, making transporting beer to thirsty troops a much easier task. Digging Deeper If you are wondering, soda pop did not appear in canned form until 1955 when Coke first made the leap and then in 1964 when RC Cola first canned their bubbly soda in aluminum cans, a further refinement of the beverage industry. As usual, the dates of these…
Author: Major Dan
Major Dan
Major Daniel Zar is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.
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A Brief History On January 23, 1957, inventor Walter Morrison sold his plastic flying disc to the Wham-O company, which named the item “Frisbee” and has now sold over 100 million of the tossable toys! Digging Deeper The invention dates back to the 1930s when Morrison got the idea by throwing the lid to a popcorn can before graduating to cake pans. Now made of plastic and copied by numerous companies, the beauty of the Frisbee is in its simplicity, with no moving parts, no batteries, and low cost. After serving as a fighter pilot during World War II and…
A Brief History On January 22, 1984, Apple introduced their iconic home computer, the Macintosh, on a television ad during Super Bowl XVIII. The Mac is notable for being the first commercial computer to make popular use of the “mouse” and the “graphical user interface,” that is, using clickable icons instead of having to type text commands for many functions. Digging Deeper The Apple “1984” ad for the Macintosh is considered a groundbreaking ad that set a new standard for Super Bowl commercials. Super Bowl commercials have become an annual tradition for millions of people, either for the dramatic debut…
A Brief History On January 21, 1981, the DeLorean sports car started being produced in Northern Ireland, with production ending in December of 1982. Only about 9,000 of the futuristic cars were built. Digging Deeper Featuring gull-wing doors and a rear mounted V-6 engine that produced a paltry 130 horsepower, the DeLorean boasted stainless steel outer panels and struggled to reach 60 mph in a reported 8.8 to 10.5 seconds. For a purported “sports” car, the DMC loafed its way to a quarter mile in 17.9 seconds at a final speed of only 76.5 mph. For comparison, the two-door, two…
A Brief History On January 20, 1921, the crew of the Royal Navy submarine K5 found out the hard way just how dangerous being a submariner is, even in peacetime, when they suffered a fatal “Naval Oops Moment” and the sub was lost with all hands. Digging Deeper K5 had been part of naval maneuvers in the Bay of Biscay when she dived and never resurfaced. Debris from the sub told the sad tale that the boat had been lost with all hands. Why the sub sank is not entirely known, with speculation that perhaps she exceeded her designed maximum…