What Was the First Sound Ever Recorded by a Machine?
It wasn't intended ever to be heard again
It wasn't intended ever to be heard again
Why Is Tennis Scored So Weirdly?
No one really knows how the system started, but it dates all the way back t...
No one really knows how the system started, but it dates all the way back to the Middle Ages
Where Does the 'Thumbs-Up' Gesture Really Come From?
Ancient Romans did use the thumbs-up gesture, but back then it didn't mean ...
Ancient Romans did use the thumbs-up gesture, but back then it didn't mean "good job."
Here’s How the First Fact-Checkers Were Able to Do Their Jobs Before the Internet
TIME's archives offer unique insight into the history of the job
TIME's archives offer unique insight into the history of the job
Now You Know: Why Are There Special Gifts for Each Anniversary Year?
Many people give paper for a first anniversary, silver for a 25th and so on...
Many people give paper for a first anniversary, silver for a 25th and so on—but why? Here's what to know about the tradition's origins.
Now You Know: Why Are Taxi Cabs Yellow?
In New York City the color is mandated by law
In New York City the color is mandated by law
Now You Know: Why Is 'Teatime' in the Afternoon?
It started in the 1840s, some 200 years after tea was first introduced to E...
It started in the 1840s, some 200 years after tea was first introduced to England