History
This was a wild, harrowing, and unpredictable year… and one that self-proclaimed psychics somehow didn’t see coming. Here are some events that psychics claimed were supposed to happen in 2020. The world may have avoided a catastrophic attack by this man — psychic Sidney Friedman ominously predicted that “cookies” would “disappear.” Friedman also said that […]
Many northern states banned slavery by the mid-1800s, but the immensely ugly practice continued in the South, ended only after presidential action, a constitutional amendment, and a Civil War. Until that point, enslaved Americans fleeing the South did so with the assistance of the Underground Railroad, a secret network that got people safely into the […]
This year, we resolve to write more blog posts about New Year’s resolutions. And look at that, we did it! • Ancient Babylonians started the idea of New Year’s resolutions about 4,000 years ago, although the new year in that society started in the middle of March and lined up with crop-planting season. As part […]
Here are the stories of some women who broke down barriers and literally changed the world. Hannah Slater received a patent in 1793 for a new type of cotton thread that made textile manufacture simpler and faster. That enabled her husband to develop a textile business, but Slater goes down in history as the first […]
The name (and work of) Walt Disney looms large over American pop culture. Dozens of movies, lots of TV shows, characters, and even amusement parks bearing the Disney name promise wholesome, satisfying entertainment. The life of Walt Disney is an inspiring one of gumption, hard work, and luck — and we decided to write it […]
In June 2020 — 100 years ago —women won the right to vote in all elections in the United States. It took an exceedingly long time, with a lot of progress made over more than 15 decades. 1646: Only property owners at the time could vote, and lawyer Margaret Brent attempts to cast a vote […]
Here’s a look at some of the women who broke the glass ceiling in American politics and became the first females to hold important offices. First elected female mayor In 1887, women in Kansas attained the right to vote and run for office. That year, the town of Argonia held its elections; mayor was on […]
With millions of us cooped up at home right now due to shelter-in-place orders, it’s pretty ironic that up until a few months ago, one of the most popular entertainments in America over the last few years was the “escape room.” The true experts on escapes: People who somehow broke out of an impenetrable prison […]
This year, the world has dealt with a pandemic — an epidemic of an illness, but on a global scale — the likes of which most of us haven’t seen in our lifetimes. The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 has changed daily life (and terrified) billions, and it’s the first time in about a century humanity […]
With virtually all of recorded music at your fingertips when you open Spotify or Apple Music, it can be overwhelming to decide what to listen you. Allow us to help: Avoid these albums at all costs. Kevin Federline, Playing with Fire Hitting stores in 2006 was the first (and so far, only) album by Federline, a […]
For years, Portable Press has brought you fantastic nonfiction books, but recently we decided to take a whole new approach. Introducing Show Me History!, biographies of famous, notable, and important people presented in the graphic novel format. What’s a graphic novel? It’s kind of like a really long comic book. Here’s a bit more about the […]
They say it’s never too late to succeed in life, and it was true for these highly accomplished women who found fame and fortune after 40. The late Mary Higgins Clark (she passed away in February 2020) is among the bestselling authors of all time. More than 100 million copies of the more than 50 mystery […]
They say that necessity is the mother of invention…and here then are some “mothers” or very important technologies. El Dorado Jones After listening to women’s suffrage crusader Susan B. Anthony speak at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, El Dorado quit her job selling insurance and went into the more lucrative world of advertising. She soon […]
You know, you think you know somebody—like famous movie stars, musicians, politicians, and historical figures—and then you come to find out that they all worked as spies for the government. (They must have been pretty good spies then!)
It’s rare that an amazing achievement that stands the test of time was created by just one person. (Even Uncle John has a staff of writers and researchers.) Here are some things associated with a single individual…who got a lot of help from an associate. Jack Daniel The 19th century Tennessee-based distiller is so strongly […]
Diamonds are a sparkly, fancy — and very expensive — miracle of science. Superman’s hands In many comic books, Superman showed off one of his coolest powers: He can squeeze a lump of coal into a diamond. Spoiler alert: Superman may be strong, but he isn’t real, and so doing making a diamond “by hand” […]
Put down that pumpkin spice latte (which doesn’t have any actual pumpkin in it, by the way) and check out these facts about everyone’s favorite gourd. Word Origins Origin of the word pumpkin: In 1584, French explorer Jacques Cartier visited what’s now Canada and reported seeing grow melons. The French then called them pompions, which […]
Here’s a brief history of how people sought to change the shade of their chompers — and “white” wasn’t always the desired effect. GOAT MILK, SAGE, AND SUNFLOWERS Because the general wear-and-tear on teeth for the common man before the age of modern dentistry (or even toothbrushes and toothpaste), white teeth in Ancient Rome were […]
