Today in 1701, the birthday of Detroit, Michigan. In the 20th Century it became the Motor City, but before that Detroit was known as a big-time stove manufacturer. Plus: today in 1897, the birthday of aviation great Amelia Earhart. The Library of Congress’s collection includes a set of the famous pilot’s palm prints!

When stoves were the hot new thing (Detroit News)

Exploring Amelia Earhart with Library of Congress Primary Sources (Library of Congress)

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This week in 1967, residents of Winneconne, Wisconsin launched a protest against being left out of the latest state road map by announcing they would strike out on their own. Plus: downtown Pittsburgh has a new name this weekend during the festival known as Picklesburgh.

50 Years Ago, Small Wisconsin Town Made Plans To Secede From The State (NPR) 

History of the Sovereign State of Winneconne  

Picklesburgh in Pittsburgh 

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Today is World Chess Day. Chess is a game of the mind, but there’s research that shows that high-level chess players can burn calories the way runners and other athletes do. Plus: today in Pulaski, Wisconsin, it’s the start of Pulaski Polka Days.

The grandmaster diet: How to lose weight while barely moving (ESPN)

Pulaski, WI Polka Days 

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Some experts are worried AI could undo human civilization, but some of it is trying to help people. Like a project that uses AI phone bots to keep phone scammers from scamming people. Plus: in 2020, a soccer team in Scotland tried livestreaming its matches with automated cameras, but AI had trouble figuring out what the ball was.

People Hire Phone Bots to Torture Telemarketers (Wall Street Journal)

AI Camera Ruins Soccer Game For Fans After Mistaking Referee's Bald Head For Ball (IFL Science)

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Today in 1938, a pilot named Douglas Corrigan was supposed to fly from New York to California, but ended up in Dublin. “Wrong Way” Corrigan became an international celebrity - even if the story he told was not necessarily what actually happened. Plus: today in 1966, the first space mission for Michael Collins, who piloted the command module for Apollo 11 and reportedly could have led Apollo 17.

'Wrong Way' Corrigan took infamous transatlantic flight (Amarillo Globe-News)

Michael Collins, who piloted the Apollo 11 command module, has died (Ars Technica)

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Today in 1948, an unusually sweet moment in the history of the Cold War: American servicemember Gail Halvorsen came up with a plan that would eventually earn him the nickname "the Berlin Candy Bomber." Plus: today in 1952, David Hasselhoff was born. He’s been a TV star, a movie star, a German music sensation and the namesake for a species of crab. 

The Sweet Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber (Smithsonian)

Candy bomber visits Saber family, imparts wisdom (Spangdahlem Air Base)

Discovered in the deep: the mini cities of hairy-chested Hoff crabs (The Guardian)

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Today in 2013, the last traditional telegram message went out, decades after telephones and smartphones and text messages and so on. So why were there still telegrams here in the 21st Century? Plus: today in 1885, Sarah Goode became the first Black woman to receive a US patent for her cabinet bed.

It's been 7 years since the last telegram was sent in India: Facts about the ancestor of telephone (India Today) 

India Marks End of Era with Last Telegram (Voice of America)

Sarah E. Goode (Biography.com)

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100 years ago today, a land developer in southern California spent $21,000 on a sign to advertise a new housing project. The HOLLYWOOD sign has come a long way from that moment, but it hasn't always been easy. Plus: starting today at Iowa’s famous “world’s largest truck stop,” it’s the Wolcott Truckers Jamboree.

The Hollywood Sign Was Torn Down 40 Years Ago And Completely Replaced (LAist)

The many facelifts of the Hollywood sign (ABC 10)

Wolcott Truckers Jamboree

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Today in 1924, another one of these early Olympic events that went way off the rails: a very difficult and very strange mens’ cross country race. Plus: today in 1968, the Navy pays tribute to Dexter, its very last working horse.

The Book of Olympic Lists by David Wallechinsky and ‎Jaime Loucky

Dexter, the US Navy's last working horse, is buried in Philly (Philadelphia Inquirer)

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It's National Swimming Pool Day, so here’s a story of a guy who had to get into the pool: Dick Roth, who won an Olympic gold medal while trying to fend off appendicitis. Plus: today in 1959, the birthday of Suzanne Vega. Her fans once parsed through the lyrics of the song "Tom's Diner" to figure out when the singer-songwriter actually sat in the cafe drinking coffee and reading the paper.

At ISHOF, Body Part Is Piece of Memorabilia That Tells the Story of Dick Roth & Olympic Glory (Swimming World)

"Tom's Diner Day" November 18th, 1981 (SuzanneVega.com via Archive.ph)

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