Category Archives: History

The first computer-generated motion picture?

Posted on 07/25/2012 by Zed

Back in 1963, Bell Lab scientist Edward E. Zajac created a film called “Simulation of a two-giro gravity attitude control system.” The animation was created on an IBM 7090 mainframe computer Stromberg-Calson 4020 film recorder, programmed in FORTRAN. Source: The … Continue reading →

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5 volunteers standing under an aerial nuclear test

Posted on 07/18/2012 by Zed

This astonishing film from 1957 shows five men who stood at ground zero of an atomic bomb test that was exploded 10,000 feet above their heads. You can hear the men and their reaction. The five volunteers were: Colonel Sidney … Continue reading →

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Vintage mugshots from 1920′s

Posted on 05/08/2012 by Zed

The Sifter has published an incredible collection of vintage mugshots found at the Historic Houses Trust. The shots are from the collection of Sydney Police in Australia. The mugshot of Mr. William Stanley Moore was taken on May 1st, 1925. … Continue reading →

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9 surprising facts about the Hindenburg disaster

Posted on 05/07/2012 by Zed

The Hindenburg exploded in flames above Lakehurst, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937 The History Channel has a few surprising facts about the Hindenburg, the airship that exploded above Lakehurst, NJ, on May 6th, 1937. Survivors of the Hindenburg disaster … Continue reading →

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Old Instagrams from Czech Security Sevices

Posted on 04/27/2012 by Zed

These awesome Instagrams of residents of Cold War-era Prague were taken secretly by the Czechoslovakia’s secret police between 1969 and 1989. The photos were collected by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes and the Security Services Archive for … Continue reading →

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1931 checklist for White Castle employees

Posted on 04/17/2012 by Zed

Cap should cover hair. Keep hair trimmed. Be ready to make suggestions. Have clean shave. Be prepared to speak pleasantly. Brush teeth. Correct bad breath. Get rid of chewing gum. Wear clean collar. Be sure tie is not frayed or … Continue reading →

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Roger Ebert: On the death of friends

Posted on 04/12/2012 by Zed

Roger Ebert reflects on the pain of loosing friends: We exist in the minds of other people, in thousands of memory clusters, and one by one those clusters fade and disappear. Some years from now, at a funeral with a … Continue reading →

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The 12 dogs of RMS Titanic

Posted on 04/11/2012 by Zed

Photo from the collection of J. Joseph Edgette, via MSNBC. Much has been written and talked about the human survivors of RMS Titanic. But very little attention has ever been paid to the pets that were on board. A new exhibit … Continue reading →

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Bad prediction of the century

Posted on 04/05/2012 by Zed

In the year 1928, astrologers predicted “paramount” prosperity for 1929! In case you need reminding, 1929 was the start of the Great Depression where everything went to all hell. Specifically, October 1929 is when the stock market crashed, but according … Continue reading →

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Suicide-murders in 18th century Denmark

Posted on 04/03/2012 by Zed

Woodcut shows penalties for suicide-murders in 18th century Denmark. (Picture: Copenhagen 1727, the Royal Library) Source: PastHorizons. In 18th century Denmark, suicide-murders were a widespread problem. People wishing to commit suicide, instead of taking their own lives, would often kill a … Continue reading →

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