Stories: Old West & Beyond 04.29.25
“Always try to keep a patch of sky above your life.” —Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way _____________________________________
Good morning. Today is Tuesday, April 29. In a couple of days, we welcome a new month, which inches us closer to summer.
In the I DIDN’T KNOW THAT department, a 1907 advertising campaign introducing a new cereal to the New York City market promised each housewife a free box of corn flakes if only she would go to a grocery store, look the grocer in the eye, and then wink at him — but only on Wednesdays.
The man behind the campaign had a last name that would soon become a household word: Will Kellogg. The campaign worked. Within the year, Kellogg was shipping 30 train carloads of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes to the Big Apple every month.
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1. THE OLD WEST: A TOWN OF VIOLENCE
The folks of Canyon Diablo, Arizona Territory, didn't much care for anyone who wore a badge. The seven who did can be found in Boot Hill, also known as the “Hellhole of the West.”
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2. MEANEST TOWNS IN THE OLD WEST
While Canyon Diablo ranked as the most violent town in the Wild West, it wasn’t the only one. Here are eight more of the most dangerous places on the frontier.
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3. DISASTER KEEPS ON TELLING NEW STORIES 113 YEARS LATER
Digital scans reveal yet more information about the Titanic's final hours. Underwater robots provided more than 700,000 images. Researchers used them to create a digital twin of the doomed ocean liner.
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4. SOMETIMES, THE TELLING OF HISTORY IS NOT HISTORY
It comes as no surprise that Hollywood sometimes gets history wrong. Here are 10 historically inaccurate movies.
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5. LICENSE PLATES DATE BACK NEARLY 125 YEARS
In 1901, New York became the first US state to require license plates. But instead of issuing them, the state expected owners to make them. Here’s a timeline of the progression of the license plate from the beginning to now.
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6. SEEING IS NOT ALWAYS BELIEVING
Optical illusions play tricks on your brain. In optical illusions, your brain creates an image that isn’t even there. Here are several examples for you to solve.
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7. NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE RECYCLED, INCLUDING PAPER SHOPPING RECEIPTS
I used to take it for granted that almost anything can be recycled. But that’s not true. Here are ten surprising items that should be placed in a recycling bin.
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8. DISAPPEARING TIC TAC TOE
Take a break and play Disappearing Tic Tac Toe. But the moves keep disappearing.
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“Small kindnesses make you a bigger person.” —Terri Guillemets
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