1

Monopoly

Did you know that Monopoly played a key role in the European theater of World War II? Originally conceived in 1903 by Elizabeth Magie Phillips as The Landlord's Game to highlight the inequities of capitalism, the board game was later rebranded by Parker Brothers in 1934.

When thousands of Allied soldiers, including Americans, were captured by German forces during WWII, the British Secret Service began manufacturing specialized editions to be smuggled into prisoner camps inside Red Cross packages. The German guards welcomed the games as harmless ways for prisoners to pass the time. Little did they know, these boxes contained customized silk maps, real local currency, and precise escape routes hidden within the board and game pieces. Intelligence experts estimate that up to 10,000 Allied soldiers successfully escaped enemy capture because of these rigged board games.

2

Silly String

In the early 1970s, inventors Leonard A. Fish and Robert P. Cox were working on an aerosol spray-on cast for broken limbs. Although they failed spectacularly, they patented the sticky mess as "foamable resinous composition." Eventually, American toy company Wham-O picked it up and re-labeled it as Silly String.

Decades later, this joke device went to war. In 2006, while stationed in Iraq, Specialist Todd Shriver and his unit found themselves lacking official gear to safely detect the invisible tripwires used to detonate explosives. Because the spray of Silly String could shoot more than 10 feet away and was very light, it became an unlikely but useful tactical tool.

3

Slinky

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was attempting to design a spring system for naval battleships. When he accidentally knocked one of his prototypes off a shelf, he watched in fascination as it walked down a stack of books, onto his desk, and onto the floor. The Navy never bought his invention, but the world got the Slinky, selling over 100 million units in its first two years alone.

Years later, the toy’s military purpose came into fruition during the Vietnam War. U.S. communications troops operating in dense jungles frequently struggled with terrible radio reception. They quickly discovered that a standard steel Slinky could be stretched out and tossed over high tree branches to serve as an effective improvised antenna.

4

View-master

When the View-Master made its grand debut at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, it was marketed as an alternative to scenic postcards. Co-inventors Wilhelm Gruber and Harold Graves paired standard stereoscopes with circular cardboard reels containing seven 3D color film images, which allowed people to marvel at the Grand Canyon from the comfort of their homes.

By 1942, the United States military realized that this photographic novelty could become a useful tool. In the midst of WWII, the U.S. Armed Forces purchased more than 100,000 View-Master viewers and commissioned thousands of custom-made reels. Instead of tourist images, these reels featured detailed, three-dimensional models of enemy aircraft, naval vessels, and artillery. It allowed troops to practice identification, making it a critical asset for gunners and pilots.

5

Silly Putty

Silly Putty is another marvel of accidental wartime engineering. During WWII, the United States faced shortages of natural rubber due to several blockades. In an attempt to create a cheaper alternative, General Electric engineer James Wright mixed silicone oil with boric acid. The result didn’t work for tires, but it became a hit when packaged inside plastic eggs.

Eventually, this gooey and bouncy material caught the attention of NASA. In 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 packed Silly Putty into their spacecraft. In the zero-gravity environment, the astronauts used the sticky compound to secure their gear to the walls to prevent it from floating away around the cabin.

6

Buzz Lightyear

While Buzz Lightyear began his life as a fictional space ranger in Pixar’s 1995 hit Toy Story, the physical action figure manufactured by Thinkway Toys achieved a few real-world milestones that would make Andy proud.

In 2008, NASA launched an authentic Buzz Lightyear action figure into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Buzz spent a staggering 15 months living aboard the International Space Station. There, he worked alongside astronauts to film educational videos designed to teach school children across America about weightlessness, orbital mechanics, and microgravity physics.

7

LEGO

The famous toy company was founded by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1949. While LEGO first reached the US in the early 1960s, the plastic interlocking bricks didn’t become massively popular until the 1970s. Once American children adopted the new toy, it completely reshaped modern STEM education.

Although schools had experimented with bricks for decades, LEGO allowed teachers to develop structured curricula designed to teach kindergarteners fine motor skills and spatial mathematics. By the time those students reached high school, LEGO’s advanced kits were serving as the backbone for introductory robotics, engineering, and programming courses nationwide.

8

Mr. Potato Head

Created by American inventor George Lerner in 1951 and distributed by Hasbro, the original Mr. Potato Head didn’t include a plastic body, just sharp metal pins attached to plastic facial features. Despite the risk of children stabbing themselves, the toy made history as the very first toy ever advertised on television.

From there, Mr. Potato Head had a surprising career as a public servant. In 1985, he received four legitimate votes during the mayoral election in Boise, Idaho. In 1987, he officially dropped his plastic pipe to become the face of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout" anti-smoking campaign. He later joined forces with the League of Women Voters to boost voter turnout and today acts as an official travel ambassador for the state of Rhode Island.

9

Cabbage Patch Kids

When American businessman Xavier Roberts first created his "Little People" in 1978, nobody could have predicted that they would spark Black Friday riots by 1983. But beyond the hysteria, Cabbage Patch Kids went on to become national ambassadors.

In 1992 and 1996, the United States Olympic Committee selected the dolls as the first-ever official mascot of the US Olympic Team, traveling with the athletes to Barcelona and Atlanta. In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service immortalized them on a stamp celebrating the icons of 1980s American culture. Over the years, the franchise has collaborated with NASA on science education and raised thousands of dollars for disaster relief efforts.

10

Teddy Bear

Did you know Teddy Bears were born in the United States? In 1902, a Russian-born businessman and inventor named Morris Michtom was inspired by a cartoon published in The Washington Post to create what would become the most beloved toy in America. The cartoon depicted President Theodore Roosevelt showing compassion for a bear on a hunting trip in Mississippi.

Morris Michtom made a small plush bear cub, sent it to Roosevelt, and asked for permission to use his nickname, Teddy. After the president’s blessing, Mitchom placed the doll in the window of his Brooklyn store with the caption "Teddy’s bear." The success was so great that he began mass- producing them, and within a few years, he founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, which would become the largest doll-making firm in the United States.

1

George Washington - The whiskey-making Founding Father

Image: Daniel Vogel

After leading the nation, George Washington stepped into the world of spirits, whiskey spirits, that is! In 1797, his farm manager convinced him to open a distillery at Mount Vernon . Within two years, it became one of the largest in the country, producing nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey annually.

Here’s a fun fact: Washington didn’t need a marketing team. His whiskey was sold in unmarked barrels to local merchants, and his operation was so successful that it became one of the top money-makers in the area. The best part? You can try it today at the reconstructed distillery!

2

Theodore Roosevelt - Adventurer-in-Chief

Image: Zetong Li

Not one to sit still, Theodore Roosevelt went on an exploration of the Amazon rainforest after leaving office. In 1913, he embarked on a seven-month journey to map an uncharted river . Guess what it’s called today? The Roosevelt River, of course!

The expedition was grueling: he caught malaria, suffered a leg injury, and nearly died. Though he made it back home, his health never fully recovered. Roosevelt’s post-presidency was all about adventure and risks!

3

Thomas Jefferson - The University Founder

Image: Ryan Ledbetter

Thomas Jefferson didn’t just help write the Declaration of Independence; he also founded the University of Virginia . A firm believer in education, he wanted to create a university that emphasized academic freedom and rigorous learning. So, in 1819, ten years after leaving office, he established the University of Virginia, which opened in 1825.

Jefferson personally designed the campus, including its iconic Rotunda, and hand-picked the first professors. He once called the university one of his greatest accomplishments, right up there with drafting the Declaration of Independence.

4

John Quincy Adams - From President to Congressman

Image: Ian Hutchinson

John Quincy Adams didn’t believe in retirement, you know? He didn’t go back for a second term, but instead of stepping away from public service, he returned to Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for nine terms until his death in 1848.

His dedication earned him the nickname "Father of the House." Even in his final moments, he was working: he collapsed on the House floor after casting a vote and died two days later. Well, once a public servant, always a public servant.

5

William Howard Taft - From President to Supreme Court Justice

Image: Adam Michael Szuscik

Most former presidents take a step back from government, but William Howard Taft went in the opposite direction. After serving as the 27th president, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1921.

He later admitted that being on the Supreme Court was his true calling, famously stating, "I don’t remember that I ever was president." Taft remains the only person in history to have served in both roles! Talk about an upgrade!

6

Calvin Coolidge - Presidential columnist

Image: AbsolutVision

Some former presidents write memoirs, but Calvin Coolidge took it a step further. From 1930 to 1931, he wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column titled Thinking Things Over with Calvin Coolidge .

His articles covered a range of topics, from politics to everyday life. As it turns out, running a country gives you plenty to write about!

7

Jimmy Carter - The humanitarian president

Image: Library of Congress

If there’s one president who redefined life after the White House, that is Jimmy Carter. In 1982, he founded the Carter Center , a nonprofit organization focused on democracy, health, and human rights.

He has also spent decades working with Habitat for Humanity, personally helping to build homes for those in need. In 2002, Carter’s humanitarian work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, making him the only former president to receive the honor for efforts made after leaving office. He once said his post-presidency was "more gratifying" than his time in politics. Only logical, right?

8

Ronald Reagan - A Knight of the Realm

Image: Annie Spratt

Yes, that’s a literal title. Ronald Reagan didn’t take up a new career after leaving office, but he did receive an unexpected knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. In 1989, just months after stepping down as president, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath.

While it’s a prestigious honor, American citizens aren’t allowed to use the title "Sir," so there was no "Sir Ronald" in the works. Reagan wasn’t the only president to receive this honor; Dwight Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush were also knighted.

9

Bill Clinton - Grammy-winning storyteller

Image: Annie Spratt

Bill Clinton has always been a gifted speaker, so it’s no surprise that he won not one, but two Grammy Awards, though they weren’t for playing his famous saxophone. He won Best Spoken Word Album in 2004 and 2005, narrating both a children’s book and his autobiography.

Clinton joins a small but prestigious club of American presidents who have won Grammys, including Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter. His ability to captivate audiences didn’t end with politics; he simply found a new stage.

10

George W. Bush - From the White House to the Art Studio

Image: Yannis Papanastasopoulos

After serving two terms as president, George W. Bush discovered a surprising new passion: painting. How about that? In 2012, he began taking art lessons , and by 2013, his paintings were revealed to the public following an email hack.

Bush embraced his new hobby and has since published several collections, including Portraits of Courage , which features paintings of US military veterans. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries, proving that a president can become an artist, too. While politics was his career, painting has become his personal form of expression.

1

The Wilmer McLean paradox

Do you believe in fate? If not, maybe this story will change your mind.

When the Civil War began, Wilmer McLean was an ordinary 47-year-old man living with his family in Manassas, Virginia. But during the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, his house was taken over and used as Confederate headquarters. Hoping to escape the war, McLean moved his family 120 miles away to the quiet village of Appomattox Court House. It seemed like the perfect decision, until history caught up with him. Four years later, the war ended exactly where McLean thought he had found peace. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, just in the parlor of McLean's new home. As McLean later joked, "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."

2

Lincoln's Confederate bill

On April 14, 1865, just five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, President Abraham Lincoln was shot by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth during a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

When authorities searched Lincoln's pockets that night, they found the everyday items you'd expect: spectacles, a pocketknife, a handkerchief embroidered with his initials, a watch fob, a sleeve button, and a leather wallet. But one discovery stunned them. Inside the wallet was a Confederate five-dollar bill, the only currency Lincoln was carrying. Historians believe he picked it up as a souvenir during his recent visit to Richmond, the former Confederate capital.

3

Women disguised themselves to fight

It's well known that women played a vital role in the US Civil War, serving as nurses, spies, and organizers. Clara Barton, a famous example, brought supplies to wounded soldiers on the battlefield and later founded the American Red Cross. But there's another interesting female role that many people have never heard of.

We’re talking about the thousands of women who disguised themselves as men so they could fight. One of the best-documented was Sarah Emma Edmonds, who enlisted in the Union Army under the name Franklin Thompson. Serving as a soldier, nurse, and spy, she fought in major campaigns, including the First Battle of Bull Run and the Peninsular Campaign. After contracting malaria in 1863, she left her unit rather than risk being exposed in a military hospital and was charged with desertion. Years later, her fellow soldiers testified on her behalf, and in 1884, Congress granted her an honorable discharge and a military pension.

4

Brothers on opposite sides

The Civil War didn't just divide the nation; it tore families apart. Few stories capture that tragedy better than this one.

The sons of prominent Kentucky Senator and passionate Unionist John J. Crittenden, brothers Thomas Leonidas Crittenden and George Bibb Crittenden, both became generals… but fought on opposite sides of the war. George served as a Confederate major general, commanding troops at the Battle of Mill Springs, while Thomas became a Union major general, fighting in major campaigns including Shiloh, Stones River, and Chickamauga. While they never directly faced each other on the battlefield, their choices caused immense emotional and social fractures within their family. Both survived the war, and today, they are buried in the same Frankfort State Cemetery, finally reunited in the soil of their home state.

5

Standardized clothing sizes

When was the last time you had a suit or dress made just for you? Today, we simply walk into a store and buy the size that fits, but before the Civil War, that wasn't how Americans bought clothes.

Before the 1860s, most clothing was custom-made by tailors or sewn at home. But that became a major problem when the war began, and the Union suddenly had to outfit more than a million soldiers. Measuring and tailoring every uniform by hand was impossible. Instead, military officials collected thousands of body measurements, identified common size patterns, and created one of the first standardized sizing systems: Small, Medium, and Large. After the war, clothing manufacturers adopted the same templates for civilian garments, helping give birth to America's modern ready-to-wear clothing industry.

6

Postal home delivery system

Today, having letters and packages delivered right to your front door is so routine that we rarely stop to think about it. But for many years of American history, that convenience didn't exist.

Before the Civil War, Americans had to pick up their mail at the local post office. When the war began, families desperate for news of sons, husbands, and fathers crowded into post offices, often waiting for hours. Seeing the heartbreaking scenes, Cleveland postal clerk Joseph Briggs began delivering letters directly to people's homes, sparing families long waits and needless anguish. His neighborhood deliveries were such a success that they inspired Postmaster General Montgomery Blair and Congress to create the nationwide Free City Delivery Service on July 1, 1863.

7

The US first official paper money

Today, most of our money exists in a digital form. However, when we picture money, we still think of dollar bills and coins. They've been part of our lives for so long that it's hard to imagine a time when the US government didn't print paper money at all. But that time did exist.

Before the Civil War , the federal government issued no standardized national paper currency. It minted gold, silver, and copper coins, while Americans relied on thousands of different banknotes printed by private, state-chartered banks, many of them unreliable and prone to failure. Everything changed in 1861 , when the Union needed money to finance the war. Congress authorized the first federal paper currency, known as Demand Notes, followed by Legal Tender Notes in 1862. Americans soon nicknamed them "greenbacks" because of their green ink, a name that has survived ever since.

8

A town changing hands 10 times

Today, US Route 50 follows much of the old Northwestern Turnpike, a historic road linking Winchester, Virginia, with Parkersburg on the Ohio River. But during the Civil War, living along that route was anything but convenient.

Because the turnpike provided access to the Shenandoah Valley, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and key mountain passes, the town of Romney (now in West Virginia) became a strategic prize for both the Union and the Confederacy. As armies pushed forward and fell back, each side repeatedly captured and abandoned the town. While most cities and regions remained firmly on the same side for the entire war, historians generally agree that Romney changed hands at least 10 times, making it one of the most frequently occupied towns of the Civil War.

9

The war with the most Medals of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award for valor. During the Civil War, about 1,525 service members received it. That may not sound extraordinary… until you compare it with every major American war that followed.

The numbers are striking: 126 Medals of Honor were awarded in World War I, 464 in World War II, and 266 during the Vietnam War. A total of 856 combined, far fewer than in the Civil War alone. But there’s a reason for that. The Medal of Honor was created during the Civil War; at the time, it was the only US military decoration for valor. With no other awards recognizing battlefield heroism, it was presented under standards that were far broader than those adopted in later wars.

10

Can openers

It's hard to imagine a kitchen without a can opener. But surprisingly, canned food existed for decades before anyone invented it.

Although canned food had been around since the early 1800s, people often had to open cans with a hammer and chisel. That finally changed when American inventor Ezra J. Warner patented the first practical can opener in 1858. Even then, it remained a curiosity until the Civil War, when the huge demand for canned rations, including Gail Borden's condensed milk for Union troops, made it indispensable. The war turned the can opener from a strange invention into an everyday tool, paving the way for the handheld versions we still use today.