Why do we call them French fries?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the surprising global history of one of the world’s most beloved foods. From Belgian peasants to French revolutionaries, from American soldiers to fast food giants, this story has it all: miscommunication, cultural pride, and deep-fried international drama.

It’s Day 3 of Food Facts Week—and today’s episode might make you question everything you thought you knew about your favorite side dish.

Come for the fries. Stay for the geopolitical tantrums.

Sources:

• Leclercq, P. (2015). French Fries: A Belgian Invention? Food & History.
  

• BBC Travel. (2018). Why French Fries Might Not Be French.
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. Who Really Invented French Fries?
  

• National Geographic. (2019). The Surprising History of French Fries.
  

• McDonald’s Corporate Archives. Fry Preparation History.
  

• The Guardian. (2021). France vs. Belgium: The Battle Over Fries.
  

• U.S. Congressional Record. (2003). “Freedom Fries” Debate.
  

• Jefferson Papers. Monticello.org. Potatoes “in the French manner.”
  

#foodfacts #FrenchFries #dailyfacts #foodhistory #DidYouKnow #SmartestYearEver

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Who really invented the potato chip?Was it an act of culinary genius—or just a frustrated chef slicing out of spite?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the salty, crispy, and surprisingly murky origin of the potato chip. From a legendary restaurant in Saratoga Springs to industrial food innovation, it’s a story that combines spite-driven creativity, clever marketing, and one of the most important inventions in snack food history.

Discover the myth, the truth, and the billion-dollar empire behind one of America’s favorite junk foods—plus the woman who changed everything with a wax paper bag.

This is Food Facts Week—a new bite-sized food history every day.

Follow for daily facts that stick in your brain like crumbs in a chip bag.

Sources:

• Kitchiner, W. (1817). The Cook's Oracle. London: John Hatchard.
  

• Smith, A. F. (1999). Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn and Chips. University of South Carolina Press.
  

• Potato chip. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/potato-chip
  

• Severson, K. (1995, July). A Crunchy Legacy: Saratoga Springs and the Potato Chip. The New York Times.
  

• NPR. (2013, August 23). The Woman Who Invented the Potato Chip Bag. https://www.npr.org
  

• Frito-Lay. (n.d.). Company History. https://www.fritolay.com
  

• National Potato Council. (2024). Industry Statistics. https://www.nationalpotatocouncil.org
  

#potatochips #foodfacts #dailyfacts #foodhistory #snackfacts #curiousminds #SmartestYearEver

Music thanks to Zapsplat.

To kick off Food Facts Week, Gordy digs into one of the strangest names in American cuisine: why do we call them “hot dogs”? The story of this iconic street food is full of immigrant history, language twists, cartoon myths, and a whole lot of meat-based suspicion.

From college slang and 19th-century food fears to the murky mystery of a missing cartoon and a real U.S. council dedicated to sausages, this episode serves up the real story behind a name we never question—but probably should. It’s weird, it’s funny, and it’s 100% true.

This is the first episode of Food Facts Week, so stick around all week for more strange, surprising, and unforgettable food origin stories.

New episodes daily. Stay curious, stay clever.

Sources:

• Smith, A. F. (2008). Hot Dog: A Global History. Reaktion Books.
  

• Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Entry on “hot dog.”
  

• U.S. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Who invented the hot dog? https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/who-invented-the-hot-dog/
  

• National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. (n.d.). https://www.hot-dog.org/
  

• Sinclair, U. (1906). The Jungle. Doubleday, Page & Company.
  

• Popik, B. (n.d.). Hot Dog Etymology. https://www.barrypopik.com
  

• Yale Alumni Magazine. (n.d.). The Long, Strange History of the Hot Dog. https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/5288
  

#FoodFactsWeek #HotDogHistory #Linguistics #CuriousCulture #AmericanFoodLore Music thanks to Zapsplat.

What does the Richter scale actually measure—and what would the most powerful earthquake in recorded history feel like?

In this episode, Gordy breaks down the science of seismic waves, the logarithmic scale that changed the way we understand earthquakes, and the terrifying real-world consequences of Earth’s most violent tectonic shifts. From magnitude vs. energy to why a small number jump means massive differences in destruction, you’ll walk away with a new respect for what those Richter numbers really mean.

Plus: the real story of the largest earthquake ever recorded, how we measure quakes today, and the top seismic danger zones in the U.S.

This is one of those episodes that might just change how you look at the ground beneath your feet.

Sources:

• United States Geological Survey. (2025). Moment Magnitude, Richter Scale – What Are the Different Magnitude Scales, and Why Are There So Many? https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/magnitude-types
  

• United States Geological Survey. (2025). Earthquake Magnitude, Energy Release, and Shaking Intensity. https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/earthquake-magnitude-energy-release-and-shaking-intensity
  

• United States Geological Survey. (2025). 20 Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/browse/largest-world.php
  

• Encyclopædia Britannica. (2025). Richter Scale. https://www.britannica.com/science/Richter-scale
  

#EarthquakeFacts #Seismology #NaturalDisasters #RichterScale #SmartestYearEver #earthquakes #geology #earthscience Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Was Napoleon actually short… or is that just one of history’s most effective smear campaigns?In this episode, Gordy investigates the real height of Napoleon Bonaparte, uncovers the origins of the “Napoleon Complex”, and explores how British propaganda shaped centuries of perception—all thanks to a little misunderstanding about inches.

From unit conversions to military mythmaking, this episode reveals how historical reputation can be shaped by something as small as a ruler. And how even the most dominant figures in history can be reduced to punchlines by clever cartoons.

Perfect for fans of historical myths, pop psychology, and funny facts you can drop at a party. This one packs a full-sized dose of truth.

Sources:

• Connelly, O. (2006). Blundering to Glory: Napoleon's Military Campaigns. Rowman & Littlefield.
  

• Ellis, G. (1997). Napoleon: Profiles in Power. Longman.
  

• British Museum. (n.d.). Political Caricatures of Napoleon Collection.
  

• University of Central Lancashire. (2007). Short Man Syndrome: Myth or Reality?
  

• Glover, M. (2001). The Napoleonic Wars: An Illustrated History. Hippocrene Books.
  

#NapoleonFacts #HistoryMyths #HistoricalTruths #hiddenhistory #historyfacts #politicalcomics #MilitaryHistory #DidYouKnow #SmartestYearEver Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Why did Yankee Doodle stick a feather in his cap… and call it macaroni? It sounds ridiculous today—but in the 18th century, that line packed a punch. In this July 4th episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy investigates one of America’s most iconic lyrics to uncover a forgotten world of British fashion slang, cultural mockery, and patriotic transformation.

From powdered wigs to wartime parodies, from militia mockery to national identity, this bizarre lyric tells the story of how Americans turned insult into anthem. You'll never hear "Yankee Doodle" the same way again.

If you're curious about the real history behind American folk songs, Revolutionary War propaganda, and why calling someone "macaroni" was once the sickest burn imaginable, this episode is for you.

No days off. New fact daily.

Sources:

• Philbrick, N. (2013). Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution. Viking.
  

• Crawford, R. (2001). America’s Musical Life: A History. W. W. Norton & Company.
  

• Lichtenwanger, W. (1982). The Songs of the Revolution. Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress, 39(3), 253–273.
  

• Smithsonian Institution. (n.d.). Yankee Doodle: History of an American Tune.
  

• Library of Congress. (n.d.). The Origins of Yankee Doodle. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200000001/
  

#AmericanHistory #FolkMusic #RevolutionaryWar #DailyFacts #USHistory #yankeedoodle #musichistory Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Abraham Lincoln is known for delivering some of the most powerful speeches in American history. But there’s one that shook the room so hard, no one wrote it down.

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy unravels the mystery behind Lincoln’s so-called “Lost Speech”—a fiery address delivered at the 1856 Illinois Republican Convention that electrified the crowd, helped shape the early Republican Party, and may have been too controversial to publish.

So why didn’t anyone record it? Was it really too powerful to write down? Or was it buried on purpose?

Watch to uncover the legend, the theories, and the strange absence of one of Lincoln’s most pivotal moments.

New episodes daily. No days off. Smartest Year Ever.

Sources:

• Donald, D. (1995). Lincoln. Simon & Schuster.
  

• Holzer, H. (2004). Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President. Simon & Schuster.
  

• Zall, P. M. (1957). Abe Lincoln Laughing: Humorous Anecdotes from Original Sources by and about Abraham Lincoln. University of California Press.
  

• National Park Service. (n.d.). Abraham Lincoln and the Lost Speech. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/lostspeech.htm
  

• Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, Northern Illinois University. Retrieved from https://lincoln.lib.niu.edu
  

#LincolnSpeech #LostSpeech #AbrahamLincoln #HistoryMystery #CivilWarEra #PresidentialHistory #SmartestYearEver #AmericanHistory Music thanks to Zapsplat.

In 1998, a renovation crew stumbled on something shocking beneath one of London’s oldest Georgian townhouses—once home to Benjamin Franklin himself. What they found would launch a historical investigation with a dark and surprising twist.

Gordy dives into the story of how a pit of human bones ended up beneath the home of America’s most eccentric Founding Father. From the birth of modern medical science to the shadowy world of 18th-century grave robbing, this episode explores what happens when scientific curiosity collides with moral gray zones—and why Franklin may have known more than he let on.

Bones in the basement? Surgery scars? A secret anatomy school? This one’s part colonial mystery, part scientific deep dive, and part dark historical trivia you’ll be dying to share.

No days off. New fact daily.

Sources:

• Benjamin Franklin House. (n.d.). Bones in the Basement. https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org
  

• Cook, H. J. (2007). Matters of Exchange: Commerce, Medicine, and Science in the Dutch Golden Age. Yale University Press.
  

• Lineberry, C. (2006). The Founding Father’s Anatomy Lesson. Smithsonian Magazine.
  

• Nature. (1998). Anatomy of a Murder Mystery, 396.
  

• The Guardian. (1998). Grave Robbers, Ghosts, and the Founding Father.
  

#HistoryFacts #BenFranklin #WeirdHistory #MedicalHistory #ColonialAmerica #hiddenhistory #dailyfacts #creepyhistory Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Was “Uncle Sam” actually a real person—or just a myth wrapped in red, white, and blue? In this episode, Gordy digs into the surprisingly tangled history behind America’s most iconic face. From barrels of salted meat in the War of 1812 to the finger-pointing recruitment poster of World War I, the truth behind Uncle Sam might not be what you think.

Find out how a New York meat packer, a satirical nickname, and a cartoonist who invented Santa Claus all shaped the character we now call Uncle Sam. And discover how this symbol of the U.S. government evolved from friendly patriot to bureaucratic scapegoat.

Today is Episode 182 of 182 straight days—marking the official halfway point of the Smartest Year Ever. 183 more to go. No days off.

Like, share, and comment if you’re learning something new every day.

Sources:

• U.S. Congress. (1961). Public Law 87-153: Designating “Uncle Sam” Wilson as the progenitor of America’s national symbol. U.S. Government Publishing Office. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-75/pdf/STATUTE-75-Pg409.pdf
  

• Library of Congress. (n.d.). Who is Uncle Sam? Retrieved June 2025 from https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/september-13
  

• Smithsonian Magazine. (2013). Who Was Uncle Sam? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-the-real-uncle-sam-11285679/
  

• Britannica, T. Editors. (2023). Uncle Sam. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Uncle-Sam
  

• Reaves, J. (1991). Thomas Nast: Political Cartoonist. Scribner.
  

• U.S. National Archives. (n.d.). Uncle Sam Was a Real Person—Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York.
  

#AmericanHistory #UncleSam #dailyfacts #historynerd #USA #didyouknow #UShistory Music thanks to Zapsplat.

Every day, over 150,000 people die—from illness, age, accidents, war, and everything in between. But Gordy asks a deceptively simple question: Has there ever been a day when no human died?

To find out, we dive deep into prehistoric population crashes, explore the Toba supervolcano, and run the numbers on what it would take to have a true deathless day in human history.

This episode of Smartest Year Ever blends population science, anthropology, mortality data, and genetics to answer one of the eeriest thought experiments of all time. If it ever happened... you probably didn’t hear about it.

Sources:

• World Health Organization. (2023). Global Health Estimates 2020: Deaths by Cause, Age, Sex, by Country and by Region. https://www.who.int/data/gho
  

• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2022). World Population Prospects 2022. https://population.un.org/wpp/
  

• Gurven, M., & Kaplan, H. (2007). Longevity Among Hunter-Gatherers: A Cross-Cultural Examination. Population and Development Review, 33(2), 321–365.
  

• Ambrose, S. H. (1998). Late Pleistocene human population bottlenecks, volcanic winter, and differentiation of modern humans. Journal of Human Evolution, 34(6), 623–651.
  

• Arsuaga, J. L., et al. (2014). Traumatic lesions in a 430,000-year-old cranium. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(13), 4387–4392.
  

• Hovers, E., et al. (2000). Early human burial at Qafzeh Cave. Nature, 403(6771), 313–318.
  

• Maddison Project Database. (2020). Historical Population Estimates. University of Groningen. https://www.rug.nl/ggdc/historicaldevelopment/maddison/
  

#HumanHistory #Anthropology #UnsolvedQuestions #humanmortality #didyouknow #anthropologyfacts #Dailyfacts #volcanos Music thanks to Zapsplat.