Today in 1848, the birthday of Lewis Howard Latimer, an inventor whose work helped make the world what it is today. Plus: today in 2014, not a great work day for the person who was supposed to play the national anthems before a soccer match between Malta and Slovakia. 

Latimer, Lewis Howard (1848-1928) (Harvard Square Library) 

National anthem replaced by Linkin Park song at Malta-Slovakia friendly (Malta Today)

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The first Sunday in September is typically the time when a village in Italy holds something called the Festival of the Ugly - which, when you learn more about it, actually sounds kind of nice. Plus: starting today in Mill Spring, North Carolina, it's the Earl Scruggs Music Festival. 

The Ugly Club (Orion Magazine) 

Earl Scruggs Music Festival (Visit NC)

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Today in 1945, the birthday of singer/songwriter Van Morrison. His biggest fans and his loudest critics can agree that the guy does not like being told what to do, and he proved it by recording one of the strangest albums in the history of music. Plus: a program at MIT offers a certificate in piracy!

Shelved: Van Morrison’s Contractual Obligation Album (Longreads)

One of The Country’s Most Competitive Universities Offers Pirate Accreditation—Seriously (The Mary Sue)

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There’s new research about a very complex water system built in China around four thousand years ago. And this very complex system was apparently built in a very uncommon way. Plus: this week in Hoopeston, Illinois, it’s the start of the National Sweetcorn Festival.

China’s oldest water pipes were a communal effort (University College London)  

The National Sweetcorn Festival

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There’s an urban legend floating around the web that claims today in 1968, the television industry was briefly stopped in its tracks by the devil. We'll unpack this wild story. Plus: in space, no one can hear you scream, except that two physicists in Finland say they've found a workaround.

Did American TV Viewers Hear the Devil's Voice on Aug. 29, 1968? (Snopes) 

Physicists Figure Out a Novel Way to Let Sound Travel Through Space (Inverse)

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Today is, thanks to a long-ago calendar change, one of two birthdays in 1896 of Leon Theremin. He invented a very unusual musical instrument that you play without touching it. Plus: a UK woman pranked her husband by pretending she'd won the lottery, only three weeks later, she really did.

Leon Theremin’s two birthdays: his official biographer speaks (Moog Foundation)

Theremin (Quartz)

Woman wins £1m weeks after fake lottery win prank (BBC)

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Today in 1958, eaters looking for a quick, inexpensive and tasty option got what they were looking for: it was the birthday of instant noodles. And the man known as the Father of Instant Noodles was Momofuku Ando. Plus: today in Askov, Minnesota, the Askov Rutabaga Festival and Fair is starting up!

The Humble Origins of Instant Ramen: From Ending World Hunger to Space Noodles (Gizmodo) 

Askov Rutabaga Festival & Fair

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TranscribeGlass is a new set of glasses powered by artificial intelligence that can transcribe speech in real time and create captions for people who need them. Plus: in August 1930, an architect told Modern Mechanix magazine that banks could foil robbers if everything was made of transparent glass. 

Stanford Students Create AI Glasses That Transcribe Speech in Real-Time for Deaf People (My Modern Met) 

Glass Banks Were the Future of Security in 1931 (Paleofuture)

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Today in 1974, John Lennon said he saw a UFO while looking out the window. Whatever it was that actually happened, he was far from the only famous musician to say they'd encountered something in the skies. Plus: we pour some water on the claims that Alexander the Great claimed to have seen UFOs too.

John Lennon says he saw a UFO (Songfacts)

11 pop stars who claim to have seen UFOs (BBC) 

16 Famous People Who Claim They've Seen UFOs, And Yes It's Exactly Who You'd Expect (Buzzfeed)

Did Alexander the Great really see UFOs ? (Deliy Annis)

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This month in 2001, a self-described “sign guy” decided to solve an issue on southern California highways by adding his own road sign. Plus: today in 1851, the very first America's Cup competition, won by - as you might guess from the name - a ship named America. 

How an Artist Helped Millions of Drivers With a Counterfeit Highway Sign (The Drive)

U.S. wins first America’s Cup (History.com)

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