A Brief History On October 11, 2001, Polaroid Corporation filed for bankruptcy and a year later went out of business. Polaroid brought us instant print photos and became a part of American culture when First Daughter Jenna Bush said her parents would “Shake it like a Polaroid picture!” referencing an Outkast song. Digging Deeper Other iconic American companies and brands have also become extinct, and we list a few of the most notable ones. Airlines, such as Braniff, Eastern, Frontier, Northwest Orient, Pan Am, and TWA, among others. Auto brands AMC, Checker, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Plymouth, Saturn, and Studebaker, among…
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A Brief History On October 9, 2023, the second Monday in October, we once again celebrate National Kick Butt Day, a day not for kicking other people but for kicking yourself into gear to accomplish some personal or professional achievement. Digging Deeper Of unknown origins, National Kick Butt Day seems to have started around 2004, originally aimed at those in the advertising and marketing fields. While you can find some suggestions online how to spend this special day, we offer some suggestions of our own. You of course are welcome to offer your suggestions as well. Grow your brainpower by…
A Brief History On October 8, 1982, actor Fernando Lamas died, probably best remembered for the Billy Crystal impression saying the phrase, “You look marvelous!” Many other actors and celebrities have been attributed quotations they did not really say, and today we look at a few of those. Digging Deeper PT Barnum, showman and huckster, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Julius Caesar, Roman dictator, “Et tu, Brute?” Albert Einstein, physicist and genius, “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Greta Garbo, actress, “I vant to be alone…”…
A Brief History On October 7, 1763, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George III of Great Britain and Ireland, forbidding American settlers from moving into Native American lands West of the Appalachian Mountains, part of the settlement of the French and Indian War that was in turn part of the larger Seven Years’ War. Digging Deeper American colonists certainly had a wanderlust for new territories, giving them new land to exploit for farming, hunting, fur trapping, and mining. Being forbidden from seeking their fortune by a far away King rankled American feelings and caused bitter resentment. …
A Brief History On October 4, 1993, Russian Army tanks bombarded the Russian parliament, incredibly in the capital of the second most powerful country on Earth. While we were tempted to try other titles, such as “Tanks, but No Tanks,” or “Tanks for the Memories,” or even “Tanks A Lot!” the main point of this cautionary tale is “Could it happen here?” Digging Deeper In 1989, Beijing, China, was the site of another tanks vs. protestors battle in what we call the “Tiananmen Square Massacre.” China was the third most powerful country and is currently the second most powerful economic…