We’veallmademistakes…butprobablynotbigmistakeslikemakingsnotbeer,sayingnotoTheBeatles,orturningdownthepatentforthetelephone.Infact,herearesomeofthebiggestbusinessblundersinhistory:TurningDownTheBeatlesSHOULDWESIGNTHEMUP?
TheBeatlesonEdSullivanShowin1964(Source:Wikipedia)Executives:MikeSmithandDickRowe,executivesinchargeofevaluatingnewtalentfortheLondonofficeofDeccaRecords.Background:O...[
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Youcan’thelplaughingatsomeoflife’s-anddeath’s-ironies…aslongastheyhappentosomeoneelse.Thesestoriesspeakforthemselves.FELIXPOWELL,musiccomposer
Story:Powell,thenaBritishstaffsargeant,wrotethemusicfor"PackUpYourTroublesinYourOldKitBagandSmile,Smile,Smile"in1915andentereditinaWorldWarIcompetitionforbestmorale-buildingsong.Thedittywonfirstprizeandhasbeencalled"perhapsthem...[
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Japan’sattackonPearlHarborwasoneofthemostdramaticincidentsinU.S.history-andthesourceofpersistentquestions.DidPresidentRooseveltknowtheattackwascoming?Ifso,whydidn’thedefendagainstit?Here’ssomeinsightfromIt’saConspiracy!
USSShawexplodedduringtheJapaneseattackonPearlHarbor.(ImageCreditofthisandtheimagesbelow:Dept.oftheNavy-NavalHistoricalCenter)
USSArizonaburningatPearlHarbor.
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SaparmyratAtaýewiçNyýazoworTurkmenbashi[wiki](1940-2006)AftertheUSSRbrokeupin1991,theSovietRepublicofTurkmenistanbecameanindependentnationbuthadnoidentityofitsown.EnterTurkmenbashi.BACKGROUNDTurkmenistanhadbeenunderthecontrolofRussiaformorethanaquartercenturywhenitwasdeclaredpartoftheSovietUnionin1924.In1991,afterthefallofCommunismandtheUSSR,thecountryfounditselfindependentfo...[
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Here’sthestorybehindoneofthemostpeculiar(andmostpopular)gravesitesintheentireUnitedStates.Morethan60yearsafteritwascompleted,itstillattractstensofthousandsofvisitorsayear.
TheDavisMemorialinHiawatha,Kansas(ImageCredit:KansasExplorer[Flickr])
(ImageCredit:JohnCharlton,KansasGeologicalSurvey)FORBIDDENLOVEInthemid-1870s,acollegestudentnamedJohnDaviswasforcedtodropoutofUraniaCollegein...[
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JOHNWILKESBOOTH’SGUN
JohnWilkesBooth’sgun(Imagecredit:NationalParkService)ThegunthatBooth[wiki]usedtoassassinatePresidentAbrahamLincolnnowresidesinthebasementmuseumofFord’sTheatre,inWashington,D.C.Thegunisasingle-shotflintlock,madebyPhiladelphiagunsmithHenryDerringer.It’stiny-justsixinchestotalinlengthwitha21/2"barrel-butit’spowerful,firinga.44-caliburbullet.Thegunwasfoundonth...[
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Anyonewhosaysonepersoncan’tmakeadifferencehasneverheardthestoryoftheStatueofLiberty.
StatueofLiberty(ImageCredit:auer1816[Flickr])
AstunningphotooftheStatueofLibertyatsunset(ImageCredit:Grufnik[Flickr])BIRTHDAYGIRL
In1865ayoungFrenchsculptornamedFrédéric-AugusteBartholdi[wiki]wenttoabanquetnearthetownofVersailles,wherehestruckupaconversationwithEdouarddeLaboulaye,aprominenthi...[
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EiffelToweratdusk(ImageCredit:franz88[Flickr])It’shardtobelievenow,butwhentheEiffelTowerwasproposedinthelate1800s,alotofParisians-andFrenchcitizensingeneral-opposedit.Here’salookatthestorybehindoneofthemostrecognizablearchitecturalstructuresonearth.REVOLUTIONARYTHINKINGIn1885,FrenchofficialsbeganplanningtheGreatExpositionof1889,acelebrationofthe100thanniversaryoftheFrenchRevolution.Theywa...[
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STUMPSOMEONEMeaning:Asksomeoneaquestiontheycan’tanswer
Origin:Actuallyreferstotreestumps.“Pioneersbuilttheirhousesandbarnsoutoflogs…andtheyfrequentlyswappedworkwithoneanotherinclearingnewground.Somefrontiersmenwouldbragabouttheirabilitytopullupbigstumps,butitwasn’tunusualfortheboastertosufferdefeatwithastubbornstump.”(FromI’veGotGoosePimples,byMarvinVanoni)PAINTTHETOWNREDMeaning:Spenda...[
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ThefollowingisreprintedfromUncleJohn’sBathroomReaderTreasuryMorepeoplehaveseenLenin’smummythananyothermummyinhistory.It’satouristattraction,aculturalartifact,andasyou’llsee,apoliticalgimmick.Howdidthisweirdmonument-denouncedbyLenin’sofficialhistorianasan"absurdidea"-comeintobeing?Here’sthefullstory.Lenin’stombinMoscow’sRedSquareisthebest-knownlandmarkintheSovietUnion,aswellasth...[
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