World History
What Were the Earliest Hotels Like?
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Article
Whether we’re checking into a five-star resort or a shack with a roof and cable TV off the interstate, we all expect a base level of service for a stay at a hotel. Of course, this is a luxury that comes with 21st-century lodging. Amenities such as running water, clean sheets, and free coffee are taken for granted nowadays, but they certainly weren’t the industry standard in the early days of hospitality. Given that it’s easier to enjoy the view from our comfy modern chairs, let’s take a look at the rise of this form ...Read More
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World HistoryFact6Coffee was all the rage in London before Brits switched to tea.
There are few things more enmeshed in British identity than tea, but when the beverage first arrived in Europe in the 17th century, it was far from the drink of…
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World HistoryFact4Dodo meat was considered disgusting by the people who ate it.
Dodos have long been synonymous with extinction for centuries, but they weren’t hunted because they were tasty. The small, flightless birds, which evolved on Mauritius without any natural predators and…
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World HistoryFact10Noon used to be around 3 p.m.
“Noon” and “midnight” are tidy designations of time, both marking the point when an analog clock starts another 12-hour cycle. But the word “noon” took a little bit of a…
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World HistoryArticle42Why Do We Knock on Wood?
If you’ve ever said something like, “The car has been working perfectly all year — knock on wood,” and then rapped your knuckles on the nearest wooden surface, you’re in…
