Month: August 2013

It may seem rudimentary by today’s standards, but for many decades, the only way Americans visually witnessed the news was in weekly newsreels, screened before feature motion pictures at local theaters. That’s the way Americans saw Lindbergh’s Atlantic flight, the fiery end of the airship Hindenburg, and the unfolding developments of World War II. The first newsreel in the U.S. was shown on this day in 1911, as the French company Pathe made its first weekly release. Over the years, …

One of the saddest days in the history of American journalism occurred on this date in 1981, in Washington, D.C., as the venerable newspaper, The Washington Star, printed its last edition after covering local and national news for 128 years. For much of its history, the Star was regarded as the national capital’s paper of record. That record remains accessible online in a digital archive containing every issue. The demise of The Washington Star was a prominent indicator of a …

Today is one of America’s more obscure and unusual commemorations. It’s National Fresh Breath Day, even if it is not recognized by the greeting card industry. The idea is to make people aware that having fresh breath is part of overall health and wellness, and that the solution to bad breath — technically known as halitosis — can be relatively simple. Sometimes, chronic bad breath can be a symptom of a serious illness. Mostly, it’s one of life’s most personal …

An invention that sometimes drives us to distraction — but without which we would scarcely be driving at all — went into operation on this date in 1914. A traffic light system, credited with being the first in the U.S., flashed red and green at the intersection of 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. To further prompt drivers, the words “Stop” and “Move” were emblazoned on the operating red and green lights. At the time, there were about …