View-Master (1939)

Long before virtual reality headsets, the View-Master offered a window to the world, displaying stereoscopic 3D images of popular travel destinations. The original version, known as Sawyer’s View-Master, was introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and was intended to replace the traditional postcard. The stereoscope quickly became popular with adults and children alike. You can find a contemporary version of this classic toy at Target for $9.99. For a more personalized experience, you can customize your own reel viewer disk at Uncommon Goods — it’s  $34.95 for one reel viewer and a reel redemption code, and $16.95 for each additional reel.

Slinky (1945)

Invented by mechanical engineer Richard James at a Philadelphia shipyard in 1943, the Slinky was an accidental discovery that came out of the development of a line of sensitive springs designed to stabilize fragile equipment on ships. Two years later, James demonstrated the toy — named by his wife, Betty James — at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia and sold his entire stock of 400 toys within 90 minutes. Today, the Slinky comes in a variety of colorful, plastic styles, but the original Slinky is still the most popular version. You can buy it on Amazon for $3.59.

Mouse Trap (1963)

Created by two employees at Marvin Glass and Associates and sold by Ideal in 1963, Mouse Trap was one of the first mass-produced 3D board games. The game’s engaging Rube Goldberg-style design involves collaborative and competitive gameplay. Unlike other board games where players race or strategize to a simple endpoint, Mouse Trap’s interactive design is all about players collaborating to build an intricate mechanism where each piece sets off a chain reaction, ultimately resulting in a tiny plastic cage dropping down to “trap” an opponent’s mouse-shaped game piece. Originally designed as a fun way to teach engineering concepts, Mouse Trap combines the thrill of strategy with the satisfaction of building. This family favorite has been updated and is available from major retailers and on Amazon for $21.28.

Mr. Potato Head (1952)

Invented by George Lerner and launched by Hasbro in 1952, Mr. Potato Head was originally sold as a kit of 30 plastic parts meant to be inserted into real potatoes. It became the first toy ever advertised on television, earning the company more than $4 million in its first few months and spurring other toy companies to start their own television marketing campaigns. In 1953, Mrs. Potato Head was introduced, and by 1964 the toy had evolved to include a plastic potato body with holes for facial features and limbs. Available at most toy retailers, Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head, along with a Potato Head family-of-three kit, are also available on Amazon for $5.00 to $19.99.

Etch A Sketch (1960)

Invented in Paris by electrician André Cassagnes in the late 1950s, the Etch A Sketch used a unique internal system of a stylus and pulleys to create an electrostatic charge that would hold aluminum powder to the glass screen. Discovered by the Ohio Art Company at the 1959 Nuremberg Toy Fair, the mechanical drawing toy was launched during the 1960 holiday season and quickly became a symbol of mess-free creative play. Two large knobs control the vertical and horizontal movements of the internal stylus, allowing users to draw images as simple or as elaborate as they like. This red-framed classic continues to offer a screen-free way to entertain and challenge the imagination. Available at most toy retailers, including Amazon for $23.99, the Etch A Sketch also comes in a mini version.

Lincoln Logs (1916)

The building kits known as Lincoln Logs were first conceived in 1916 by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Inspired by his father’s earthquake-proof design for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, John began marketing his toy cabin construction kit in 1918 and received a patent two years later. He named the product Lincoln Logs for Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood log cabin in Kentucky. This classic American toy is still widely available from toy retailers such as Fat Brain Toys, which offers the 268-piece Lincoln Logs Classic Farmhouse for $129.95. A smaller 111-piece set is also available on Amazon for $45.07.

The Game of Life (1960)

One of America’s oldest board games, The Game of Life — or Life, as it’s typically known — started its own life in 1860 as The Checkered Game of Life. The first board game invented by Milton Bradley, it originally included squares for disgrace, intemperance, poverty, and ruin as it guided players on a morality journey where success or failure was based on decisions made along the way. To celebrate its centennial in 1960, the Milton Bradley Company released an updated version of the game, changing the name to The Game of Life and shifting the focus from moral lessons to a modern life journey through experiences such as college, marriage, career choices, and family. The most recent updates to The Game of Life include the ability to adopt pets and an impressive 31 career options, and the game rules encourage players to “choose a path for a life of action, adventure, and unexpected surprises.” You can spin the wheel on the contemporary version of The Game of Life for $21.99 at Amazon.

The Trickster God Loki

The idea of 13 being unlucky may have originated with, or at least have been bolstered by, a story in Norse mythology involving the trickster god Loki. In this particular myth, 12 gods are having a dinner party at Valhalla when a 13th — and uninvited — guest arrives. It is the mischievous Loki, who sets about contriving a situation in which Hoder, the blind god of darkness, fatally shoots Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with an arrow. It’s possible that this ill-fated myth helped cement the number’s connection to chaos and misfortune in Nordic cultures, and in Western civilization more widely. 

The Last Supper

Christianity has also helped fuel the superstition surrounding the number 13. In the New Testament — as in Norse mythology — there is a fateful gathering centered around a meal, in this case the Last Supper. At the dinner, Jesus Christ gathers with his Twelve Apostles — making 13 attendees in total. Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, is often considered to have been the 13th guest to sit down at the Last Supper, which might have contributed to the number’s negative connotation. This, in turn, may have led to the notion of Friday the 13th being a day of misfortune or malevolence, as the Last Supper (with its 13 attendees) was on a Thursday, and the next day was Friday, the day of the crucifixion.

A Notorious Neighbor

It’s also possible that 13 gained a bad reputation because of the squeaky-clean nature of the number 12. In Christian numerology, 12 symbolizes God’s power and authority and carries a notion of completeness (a concept also found in pre-Christian societies). Its neighboring numeral may have suffered as a result, being seen as conflicting with this sense of goodness and perfection, further adding to the potent and enduring idea that the number 13 is unlucky. 

Simply having a roof doesn’t necessarily make a structure a true covered bridge, though. Underneath every authentic covered bridge is its truss system, a network of beams, often in the shape of triangles, that distributes the weight of the bridge and the load it carries on its deck. The trusses, though rugged in appearance, require precision, and building one often took a whole village — quite literally. Dozens, if not hundreds, of skilled workers from the community were involved: sawyers to prepare the rough-cut logs, timber framers to properly place the beams, and stonemasons to build the abutments, to name a few. 

While the bridge coverings were primarily a form of protection, they also became symbols of, and important to, the communities that built them. They served as gathering places and even inspired local lore — such as the tradition of couples sharing a covert kiss under the roof, inspiring the name “kissing bridges.”

Covered bridges began appearing in the United States in the early 1800s; one of the earliest and most famous examples was Philadelphia's Permanent Bridge, built by architect Timothy Palmer over the Schuylkill River in 1805. By the mid-19th century, covered bridges were a common sight in the American countryside; estimates suggest that as many as 10,000 were built by the peak of their popularity in the 1870s. Though they’ve become emblematic of bucolic Americana, they weren’t unique to the U.S. In ancient China, for instance, covered bridges — known as corridor bridges — served as multifunctional structures, housing community events and shops, or providing a place to rest. Similarly, covered bridges in Switzerland, such as the artwork-adorned Kapellbrucke (or “Chapel Bridge”) in Lucerne, have been around for centuries and remain admired for their intricate designs and historical significance.

While covered bridges were once a common sight across the American landscape, fewer than 1,000 remain today. Despite the protection and reinforcement a covering offered, it wasn’t always enough in the face of floods, fires, or neglect over time. Remaining structures in states such as Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Indiana continue to be preserved and restored, connecting travelers not only to the other side of the river, but to the past.

By the medieval period in Europe, the Christian church introduced more structured wedding rituals, including the presentation of a wedding band as part of a sacred union performed by a priest. But rings were still just for the bride. Interestingly, men did, for a time, wear engagement rings, long before they started wearing wedding rings. Gimmel rings, popular during the Renaissance era, consisted of two interlocking bands that were separated and worn individually during an engagement period, and then put back together to be worn as one band by the bride after marriage. But the one-sided wedding ring exchange persisted for centuries, all the way until the Second World War. 

In the 1940s, as family values and stability were emphasized in the uncertainty of World War II, marriage rates soared in the United States. Jewelers jumped on the chance to promote men’s wedding rings — and it worked. During World War II, many deployed men wore wedding rings as a comforting reminder of their wives and families back home. By the late 1940s, about 80% of U.S. couples gave rings to each other during their wedding ceremonies, compared to just 15% at the end of the Great Depression. Social norms began to change, too, and as marriage became increasingly viewed as a partnership of equals versus an exchange of property, double-ring ceremonies became the norm, and remain so today. 

Chemistry Is a Fun Way To Pass the Time

In an 1862 issue of The London Journal, readers were presented with a letter from “Harriet,” who was looking to find a way to “pass the dull evenings in the country.” The column dissuaded Harriet from pursuing activities such as books and music, which may have bored her, especially since she seemed cheerless. The suggestion? Science! According to the columnist, chemistry was “very popular with ladies who find time hanging heavily on their hands.” Was this response documenting an actual trend or making an inside joke that citizens of the 21st century don’t get? We may never know.

Simply Ignore Your Husband

This particular piece of advice might not get the support of modern couples counselors. In a 1943 edition of The Winnipeg Evening Tribune, advice columnist Virginia Vane counseled “Mrs. S,” a happily married woman whose husband had more interest in the morning paper than connecting with her. Mrs. S explained that despite removing the curlers from her hair and “wearing a dress plus a good morning smile,” Mr. S remained unfazed and neglectful. Vane suggested a tit-for-tat response. “It might be wise to try ignoring him,” she wrote. “He’ll always read at breakfast so why don’t you ask him for the other half and read yourself. You’ll no doubt feel better.”

Women Should Never Be Ill

In the October 12, 1895 edition of Isle of Man Times, the “Advice to Wives” column prescribed nine rules for women, reinforcing the attitude that they should be selfless providers of childcare, cleaning, and meals. Like many advice columns from this era, it suggested that women were expected to put their husbands first, even at the risk of health and general happiness. “Don’t mope and cry because you are ill, and don’t get any fun; the man goes out to get all the fun, and your laugh comes in when he gets home again and tells you about it — some of it,” it stated. “As for being ill, women should never be ill.”