1

Shopping chaos

Image: Nathan Lemon

Move over, Black Friday! It seems counterintuitive to think there’s a day that is busier than the one day devoted to buying and taking advantage of super sales, but as it turns out, the two days right before Christmas actually take the ranking as the busiest shopping days of the year.

As the holiday countdown hits single digits, shoppers everywhere rush for those last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers.

Do you know what we mean? Those few days, you can almost feel the energy buzzing at every checkout line. If you have ever been in a store on December 23rd, you know the frenzy firsthand. Now, want some pro-tip? Make a list and check it twice to avoid panic shopping! Who knew that Christmas Eve could rival Black Friday for chaotic crowds?

2

The dangers behind decorating

Image: freestocks

While holiday decorating is one of the joys of the season, it’s also a little risky business. November and December see an uptick in home accidents, with 34% of decorating injuries caused by falls. Climbing ladders to string up lights or reaching for that high branch on the tree can get tricky!

It’s a good reminder to decorate with care and maybe enlist some help for those high-up decorations. After all, the holidays are about spending time with family, not in the ER. So, keep it safe and merry as you turn your home into a winter wonderland.

3

Rudolph’s Advertising Origins

Image: Tim Gouw

Who doesn’t love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? He is a true Christmas icon, but he wasn’t always the holiday figure we know today. In fact, he got his shiny start as an advertising gimmick for Montgomery Ward back in 1939.

The department store created the character to attract holiday shoppers and boost sales, and boy did it work! Rudolph quickly became a beloved part of Christmas lore, it captured hearts with his glowing red nose and underdog story.

It’s funny to think that one of the most famous Christmas figures was born from a marketing strategy, but if you come to think about all these traditional figures, they were all born the same way. Regardless, Rudolph lights the way for Santa every year and we simply adore it!

4

Dickens’ Speedy Classic

Image: Elin Melaas

Talk about Christmas traditions! Charles Dickens’ timeless tale, A Christmas Carol , feels like it’s been around forever, and we’ve all probably read it more than once.

Did you know it only took him six weeks to write ? That’s right, in just a month and a half, he crafted one of the most long-lasting holiday stories of all time. Published in 1843, Dickens’ story of redemption and the Christmas spirit has been adapted into countless films, plays, and musicals.

He wrote it in a hurry because he needed money. Little did he know his rush would produce a masterpiece read in every classroom and household during the holiday time and any other time of the year!

5

Seattle’s sky-high tree

Image: Annie Spratt

Talk about decking the halls! The tallest Christmas tree ever displayed in our country stood tall and proud in Seattle, Washington, and it reached a jaw-dropping 221 feet ! If you can’t figure out how tall that is, that’s about the height of a 20-story building!

It was displayed in 1950 and, tall as it was, imagine all the lights and ornaments it took to decorate that beautiful tree. It quickly became a symbol of holiday glory. While it’s not every day you see a Christmas tree as tall as a skyscraper, it’s fun to imagine what that lighting ceremony must have been like. Don’t worry, most of us are happy with our 6-footers! But this defies the belief that less is more, right? When it comes to Christmas spirit, more is more!

6

Visa goes crazy!

Image: CardMapr.nl

We’ve already established that the Christmas season is the busiest in sales. But if you think holiday shopping is busy, imagine how busy Visa credit cards are! Here’s the fact: During the Christmas season, Visa cards are used around 6,000 times per minute . That’s a whole lot of swiping (or tapping,) don’t you think?

And it’s not only to buy gifts, consider this is also a touristic time of the year so, from buying presents to booking travel, credit cards get quite the workout in December. It’s not surprising, considering how much we all spend on making the holidays special! Even if our credit cards don’t really like it.

7

Franklin Pierce’s presidential tree

Image: Annie Spratt

The White House Christmas tree is a wonderful tradition, (one of our personal favorites, at least) but do you know who was in charge of setting this precedent?

In this case, we’ve got Franklin Pierce to thank, because in 1856 he became the first US president to put up an official Christmas tree in the White House .

Of course, back then, it wasn’t the massive display we see today, but it was the beginning of a tradition that continues to this day. Every year, a whole spectacle is set around putting up the Christmas tree and is televised for everyone to enjoy. There was a first, but we haven’t seen the last of this tradition yet!

8

X marks the Christmas spot

Image: Cris DiNoto

Not a year goes by without millions of people getting a text from a loved one saying "Mery X-mas! Lots of love" This is also a common thing in sales. Now, if you’ve ever seen "X-mas" and thought it was just a shortcut for "Christmas," think again!

The "X" in X-mas actually comes from the Greek letter Chi , which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ . So, it’s not a lazy abbreviation of a long word, it is a historical nod to the religious roots of the holiday. It’s been used for centuries, though some people still debate its use today and it is more popular among the younger generations. Do you use it?

9

Oklahoma’s late start

Image: Hayden Scott

It is hard to imagine a time when Christmas was not a thing, but there was actually a moment in history, not long ago, when this fun holiday was not legal in Oklahoma!

This state might be known for its wide-open plains, but it was the last state in the country to declare Christmas a legal holiday . That didn’t happen until 1907, long after most other states had already embraced the holiday spirit.

When we say it was not legal, we don’t mean it was forbidden to celebrate it. It means that, before then, Christmas was just another workday for many Oklahomans! But once it was official, the state caught up with the rest of the country and began celebrating the season in style. Better late than never, right?

10

Leftovers season

Image: Jed Owen

Chicken, primer ribs, cranberry sauce. It’s not Christmas without a delicious feast. Yes, Christmas dinner is delicious, but you have to be careful with those leftovers!

Did you know that over 400,000 illnesses are caused by spoiled Christmas leftovers each year? It makes sense, we cook a lot, we eat only so much, and then, between the turkey, stuffing, and pies, it’s easy to forget how long food has been sitting out. Make sure to store leftovers properly and eat them within a safe timeframe. Nobody wants their holiday cheer spoiled by an upset stomach! So, while leftovers are a gift that keeps on giving, a little caution goes a long way in keeping the festive fun intact.

1

Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy

Abraham Lincoln led the country through the Civil War in the 1860s, while John F. Kennedy governed during the Cold War and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Both led the U.S. during make-or-break moments, and both were tragically assassinated while in office.

The major coincidence is the exact 100-year parallel in their timelines . Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846, became president in 1861, and was killed at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on the night of April 14, 1865. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946, became president in 1961, and was shot while riding in the presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas, in 1963. There is more: both men were shot on a Friday while sitting next to their wives. Lincoln was 56, while Kennedy was 46.

2

Jefferson and Adams

Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743 and was eight years younger than John Adams, who was born in Massachusetts in 1735. While Adams was a Federalist, Jefferson helped lead the Democratic-Republicans, and the bitter election of 1800 pushed them apart for years. Then, in 1812, Adams wrote to Jefferson, opening the door to a long exchange of letters that slowly repaired their friendship.

The tragic yet mysterious event came on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson died in Virginia at age 83 of intestinal and kidney issues, and Adams died a few hours later in Massachusetts at age 90 due to heart failure. According to reports, Adams’s last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives," not knowing Jefferson had already died .

3

Monroe

James Monroe has more in common with Jefferson and Adams than you might think. He became the fifth president of the United States and is best remembered for the Monroe Doctrine, a major statement in American foreign policy.

Five years after Jefferson and Adams passed away, Monroe, 73, died on the same date in 1831, the 4th of July. This incident made him the third U.S. president to die on Independence Day.

4

Mark Twain

Mark Twain is one of America’s greatest authors, famous for such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn .

The unusual coincidence is the timing of his life and death. Twain was born in 1835, the exact year Halley’s Comet passed by Earth. In 1909, he publicly joked that he came in with the comet and expected to die when it returned. In fact, his prediction came true: the comet returned to view in April 1910, and Twain died at age 74 of a heart attack the very next day.

5

Martin Luther King Jr. and Anne Frank

Martin Luther King Jr. was the activist who led the American civil rights movement. Anne Frank was a young German Jewish girl whose hidden diary, discovered after her death, made her one of the most iconic figures of the Holocaust.

Because we remember Anne Frank as a teenager and Martin Luther King Jr. as an adult leader, it feels like they belong to two different eras. But the truth is, both were born in 1929, just a few months apart. Martin Luther King Jr. in January and Anne Frank in June.

6

Johnson and Clinton

Andrew Johnson became president after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, while Bill Clinton was the president who oversaw a massive economic boom in the 1990s. What do they have in common? Both men were impeached, but neither was removed from office.

Johnson’s case grew out of the fight over Reconstruction after the Civil War, especially his clash with Congress over how the South should be rebuilt. On the other hand, Clinton’s case came from a personal scandal, centered on accusations that he lied under oath and obstructed justice during the Monica Lewinsky investigation, which involved his relationship with a White House intern.

7

Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was a president famous for his environmental conservation efforts and his "Square Deal" policies. Franklin D. Roosevelt guided America through its two biggest 20th-century crises: the Great Depression and World War II.

They were fifth cousins by blood from different branches of the New York Roosevelt family. However, the connection became even closer when Franklin married Theodore’s niece, Eleanor Roosevelt. Franklin once explained the relationship in court during Theodore Roosevelt’s 1915 libel trial, calling himself Theodore’s "fifth cousin by blood and nephew by law."

8

Theodore Roosevelt at Lincoln’s funeral

When Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession passed through New York City in 1865, a small boy was watching from a window on Broadway. That boy was Theodore Roosevelt, not yet seven years old , standing in his grandfather’s house as the nation mourned its assassinated president.

Decades later, Roosevelt would become president himself after another assassination, when William McKinley was shot in 1901. The scene is striking: a future president watching the funeral of Abraham Lincoln decades before he would enter the White House after another president was assassinated.

9

Bill Clinton’s comeback

In 1988, Bill Clinton was a little-known governor from Arkansas when he gave the nominating speech for Michael Dukakis at the Democratic National Convention. Dukakis was the governor of Massachusetts and the Democratic nominee for president at that time. Apparently, the speech went on too long, and the crowd famously cheered when Clinton finally said, "In conclusion."

Four years later, Clinton returned to the same national stage as the Democratic nominee for president. The man who was first mocked for talking too long became one of the party’s most famous speakers. Later, he won two terms in the White House, and the rest is history.

10

General George Patton and James Dean

George S. Patton was a famous U.S. Army General who led American troops to victory during World War II, while James Dean was a legendary Hollywood actor who became a cultural icon starring in films like Rebel Without a Cause .

Exactly ten years apart, Patton in 1945 and Dean in 1955, both men were involved in car accidents. In both crashes, the vehicles were not traveling at high speeds, and the other people involved survived, but Patton, 60, and Dean, 24, were the only individuals who suffered fatal injuries.

1

Elvis Presley was naturally blond

Image: JR Harris

No, that jet-black pompadour wasn’t natural! Elvis entered the world with sandy blond hair, which gradually darkened to light brown as he aged.

But when he began chasing a movie career, he dyed it black, as legend has it, using shoe polish before he could afford the real dye.

2

Marilyn Monroe’s library held over 400 books

Image: pure julia

Did you know that Marilyn was a serious bibliophile? Her personal collection reportedly exceeded 400 books . It included subjects like art, history, philosophy, and classic literature, from Ulysses by James Joyce to The Portable Dorothy Parker .

She was often photographed reading between takes, and her friends described her as a genuinely curious and thoughtful woman.

3

Sinatra had a hidden knack for painting

Image: Ethan Rougon

The voice behind "My Way" also spent decades expressing himself through a brush. Through the decades, he painted hundreds of canvases , from colorful abstracts to cubist-inspired portraits, which he often signed with a simple "Sinatra."

His friends said he painted almost daily at home in Palm Springs.

4

Elizabeth Taylor once proposed marriage… and was rebuffed

Image: Katelyn MacMillan

Elizabeth Taylor famously had eight marriages and seven husbands. But even before her first one, as a teenager, she took her first bold shot at love.

According to actor and Olympic swimmer Buster Crabbe , the young star once asked him to marry her, but he politely declined, saying she was too young.

5

Cary Grant’s real name was Archie Leach

Image: Jeremy Yap

"Archibald Leach" might not read like the film star that Golden Age Hollywood would covet. Archie probably guessed this, and the poor boy from Bristol, England, decided to change his name to try his luck in the industry: He would be "Cary Grant."

Once successful, the actor famously said: "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."

6

Audrey Hepburn could speak Dutch, French, Italian, and English

Image: Magda Fou

Graceful, elegant, and a polyglot. Audrey Hepburn spoke six languages ! Born in Brussels and raised in the Netherlands and England, Hepburn grew up switching between tongues with ease.

This ability later served her well in diplomacy and film. Because the face of Roman Holiday was not only a charming actress; she also famously served in UNICEF as a global ambassador.

7

Lauren Bacall invented her signature "slither down" pose

Image: Ron Lach

There’s a story behind Lauren Bacall’s sultry stare. Nervous during her first screen test for To Have and Have Not , Lauren steadied her trembling chin by lowering it and gazing upward. Hence, the unforgettable look was born.

Later, she perfected a seated move ( the "slither down" ) where she’d lean forward slightly, chin low, eyes locked. That pose became her trademark.

8

Humphrey Bogart was kicked out of a boarding school

Image: Aman

There was a time in history when Humphrey Bogart’s parents were very worried about his future. As a teenager, he was expelled shortly after entering Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

Some say he was kicked out for throwing a faculty member into a pond during a prank; others claim it was for smoking, drinking, or general "bad behavior." The true story remains private. We do know that the incident sent him straight into the U.S. Navy during World War I.

9

Marilyn Monroe stood up for Ella Fitzgerald

Image: Yoel J Gonzalez

Marilyn had moments of real principle. In 1955, she used her influence to persuade Mocambo, a high-end nightclub in Hollywood, to book Ella Fitzgerald, who had been denied access to many such venues because of racial prejudice. The story goes that, after that performance, doors started opening for Ella both literally and figuratively.

10

Marlon Brando designed Don Vito Corleone

Image: RDNE Stock project

Producers of The Godfather did not think Marlon Brando was a good choice for the mafia movie, at first. So the star took matters into his own hands.

He slicked back his hair with shoe polish, stuffed tissues inside his cheeks to create the iconic jowls of Don Corleone, and lowered his voice into a sinister murmur. The resulting homemade screen test did win the studio over. The rest is cinematic history.