Bizaro!
Deader Than a Doornail & A Chemist
Trivia: Did you know the phrase “dead as a doornail,” dates back to the 14th century? Mystery Guest: the company that bears his name today was founded by someone else in 1898. Business grew rapidly, and in 1912 became the world’s largest company making something essential to modern life. Our mystery guest was so obsessed with making this puncture proof material his family nearly starved. He was thrown in debtor’s prison reserved for people who were unable to pay their debts. However in 1839 this chemist discovered by accident that heat and sulfur alters the consistency of material vital to this product still mass produced today.
His Tastes Became A National Sensation
In the early 1900s, Road Warriors relied on roadside diners, where food safety regulations were rarely enforced. Travelers risked their health when eating out, prompting one individual—around 1935—to keep a daily log of restaurant visits and food quality. While he appreciated good meals, he never learned to cook, yet benefited from popular foods that remain favorites today.
Three Words Made Her Famous
After the television was invented in 1927, it took at least a decade to perfect the TV set. Then it took several more years to make the television a household staple. As television sets became more common, advertisers grew eager to get involved. Over time viewers developed a strong immunity to commercials. Forcing advertisers to deliver more creative campaigns including using catchy jingles to keep our attention. Which brings us to our mystery guest.
Famous Actor Was Homeless
By 1973 this now internationally recognized actor had auditioned for nearly every casting agent in NYC. After being rejected on thousands of acting calls for various parts he eventually slept frigid winter nights inside a bus station. Despite these challenges, and more to come, his deep-seated passion of becoming an actor meant relocating to Los Angeles, CA. After every movie studio said ‘no’ one finally agreed to cast him with a hitch.
Origins of an Iconic Soda
Dr. John Pemberton invented this syrup in 1886 as a remedy for headaches. He sold it a few years later to Atlanta pharmacist Asa Candler. Tasters at the time said the new drink was delicious when combined with carbonated water. Although denied by its namesake company, historical evidence suggests the recipe for what was sold as a medicinal tonic combined coca leaf extract with the Kola nut. An early 20th century article in ‘Life Science’ magazine detailed Candler’s diligence as a pharmacist to remove the drug, declared illegal in 1914, from the recipe. However, scientists were unable to effectively remove all trace psychoactive elements until 1929.
This Inventor Lit Up the World
Who invented the incandescent light bulb in 1879? Well, it’s not whom you think it is! This prolific American inventor was successfully sued for patent infringement. However, after researching 8,000 possible combinations using electrical power to produce light his famous quote “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration” still holds true today.
She Made Cooking Easier
Her revolutionary cookbook remains popular and continuously reprinted since 1901. Prior to its publication did you know that for hundreds of years meals were prepared following pinches of this or handfuls of that? This method made it extremely difficult to consistently cook a tasty meal. Even more challenging using someone’s recipe for a dish you’ve never seen made!
Bicycle Face!
The 1890s bicycle craze in America was especially popular with women enjoying a new freedom they didn’t have before such as unchaperoned travel. The popularity of cycling caused a moral panic. According to late 19th century medical journals, doctors quickly diagnosed a new malady called ‘Bicycle Face’. This illness was discribed as ‘leaving women with flushed faces, bulging eyes, clenched jaws, and overall expressions of weariness’. In time, with the advent of the automobile in the 1900s, the public health fear of ‘Bicycle Face’ was replaced by ‘Horseless Carriage Face’.
Famous Cartoonist
“Sparky” was an American cartoonist whose autobiography was initially shared in his weekly newspaper comic strips. He was an unpopular, unremarkable, and generally poor student in high school. The H.S yearbook dismissed his creative drawings which were eventually also rejected by Walt Disney Studios. Undaunted, an autobiography of sorts unfolded in his now internationally syndicated comic strip featuring his two best-known characters including a dog.