Today in 1882 author A.A. Milne was born. His most famous character, Winnie the Pooh, was named partly for a real bear who lived at the London Zoo. And yes, the real Winnie had a sweet tooth as well. Plus: the new book "Do Not Erase" features the artistic side of math professor's chalkboards. 

The True Story of the Real-Life Winnie-the-Pooh (History.com)

90 weird and wonderful facts about Winnie-the-Pooh (CBC)

Beauty on the blackboard: New book captures mathematicians’ chalk experiments (University of Chicago)

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On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we look at how music legend Stevie Wonder and his song "Happy Birthday" helped raise awareness in the effort to create a national holiday in Dr. King's honor. 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: How Stevie Wonder Fought—and Won—for MLK Day (VH1)

Flashback: Stevie Wonder Sings ‘Happy Birthday’ at 1986 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute (Rolling Stone)

Traffic jams are becoming more and more common on the roads heading to ski country. A new app called Treadshare could help people carpool to and from the mountains. Plus: this weekend in Ely, Nevada, the Fire & Ice Winter Festival brings fireworks to the coldest part of the year. 

Can carpooling help congestion on I-70? (Vail Daily)

Fire & Ice Winter Festival (Travel Nevada) 

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Today in 1968 Johnny Cash recorded “At Folsom Prison." Today it's arguably his most acclaimed album ever, but it only came about as a last resort. Plus: musician Andy Thorn recently gave a concert to a very different kind of audience.

Johnny Cash’s ‘At Folsom Prison’ at 50: An Oral History (Rolling Stone)

The Fox and the Banjo (The Awesomer)

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Today in 1961, the Chicago Cubs announced they wouldn't hire a manager for the new season, and would instead use a rotating "College" of coaches. You can probably guess how well that worked out. Plus: the Author Clock shows you the time not simply as a set of numbers, but as part of a quote from a well-known book.

P.K. Wrigley and the College of Coaches (The Hardball Times)

The literature clock tells you the current time using a literary snippet (Messy Nessy)

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Today in 1880 was the birthday of Washington Phillips, a musician who made some astonishing music in the 1920s, but we know very little about his life and his music - we aren't even completely sure what instrument he played. Plus: if you're looking for a new career path, why not become a pizza butler? 

Exhuming the Legend of Washington Phillips (MinerMusic.com) 

Some Of Us Are Haunted By Washington Phillips (The New Yorker)

Sandals Resorts Now Have a 'Pizza Butler' to Make Your Vacation Memorable and Delicious (Travel + Leisure)

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Today in 1992, the Pacific Ocean filled up with rubber duckies, thanks to a storm that knocked some shipping containers off a cargo boat. We'll explain how the Friendly Floatees went from accidental oceangoers to the stuff of movies and picture books. Plus: today in 1976, C.W. McCall's "Convoy" hit #1 on the Billboard chart, telling the story of a trucker with the CB handle Rubber Duck. 

The great escape: the bath toys that swam the Pacific (The Guardian)

What Can 28,000 Rubber Duckies Lost at Sea Teach Us About Our Oceans? (Treehugger)

OTD in 1976 Convoy hits #1 (Songfacts)

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In early 1970 President Richard Nixon introduced new uniforms for the guards at the White House - European-style suits that Americans mocked as looking like they were better off for movie ushers or marching bands. Plus: today in 1978, the birthday of Emilio Marcos Palma, the first person born in Antarctica.

Pomp and Circumstance (Nixon Library)

A Brief History of Antarctica (TIME)

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Today in 1706 was, at least by the old calendar, Benjamin Franklin's birthday. Here's the story of how he once invented his own musical instrument, one for which great composers wrote music. Plus: Ben Franklin invented lots of things but patented none of them. 

Benjamin Franklin's Glass Armonica (Franklin Institute)

Ben Franklin’s Killer Instrument: The Glass Armonica (Ripley's)

11 Surprising Facts About Benjamin Franklin (History.com)

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The start of a new year can be time for us to get going on our goals, start moving forward. Then again, maybe it’s better to wait a little. That was the attitude of the Procrastinators’ Club of America, a real organization that for decades promoted the benefits of putting things off. Plus: today in 1895, Jeannette Piccard was born, the first woman to fly to the stratosphere. 

The art of keeping up with yesterday (The Globe and Mail)

Les Waas did not go softly into that good night (WHYY)

Jeannette Ridlon Piccard (New Mexico Museum of Space History)

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