Cracked Archive - History
Dance Marathons Could Last For Months During The Great Depression
Dance marathons were the hottest craze of the 1920s.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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2
2 Ben Franklin Electrocuted Turkeys (And Himself)
The birds, once zapped, would get right back up again.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 3
The Woman Behind The Home Security System
Thanks to her, our minds can be at ease…
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- By Oona O'Brien
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- 3
How Red Flags Made Up the Food Pyramid
A look into what happened...
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- By Oona O'Brien
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Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Began As A Christmas Parade (On Thanksgiving)
The Christmas season begins when stores say it does.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 4
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Sybil Ludington: The Less Famous, But More Rad, Paul Revere
In 1777, 16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles by horseback to rally American troops.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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France Tried To Make A Fake Paris For World War I
In a plan so out there that it could've worked, France planned to build a decoy Paris right next to real Paris.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 2
The Baffling Santa-themed Town (Built In A Desert)
Santa Claus, Arizona tried (and briefly succeeded) to bring the wonders of Christmas to the desert.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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George Washington Was One Of America's Top Whiskey Producers
After stepping down from the presidency, George Washington found a new calling: opening a whiskey distillery.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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Winston Churchill Demanded Orange Cats, Into Perpetuity
He said his home must always have an orange cat, and so it always has.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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Canadian Children Marched To Protest The Rising Price Of Candy
It was called the candy bar protest, or The Chocolate Bar Strike.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 8
The Odd Origin Of The World's First Sci-Fi Convention
In the late 19th century, people were really getting into their sci-fi.
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- By Zanandi Botes
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Six Boys Washed Up On A Desert Island, And They Survived A Year Just Fine
They even built their own farm and gym.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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4 Stupid Life-Threatening Dangers People Once Had To Deal With
Sometimes common historical dangers were so stupid that whoever they had instead of a properly licensed coroner back then had to chuckle.
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- By Amanda Mannen
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Hundreds Of People On The Titanic Had To Share A Single Bathtub
They probably just skipped bathing that week.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 13
