History

Bizarre Fact #141:
Did you know...
In 1778, fashionable women of Paris never went out in blustery weather without a lightning rod attached to their hats.

Bizarre Fact #142:
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In 1801, 20 percent of the people in the U.S. were slaves.

Bizarre Fact #143:
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In 1865 opium was grown in the state of Virginia and a product was distilled from it that yielded 4 percent morphine. In 1867 it was grown in Tennessee: six years later it was cultivated in Kentucky. During these years opium, marijuana and cocaine could be purchased legally over the counter from any druggist.

Bizarre Fact #144:
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In 1878 Wanamaker's of Philadelphia was the first U.S. department store to install electric lighting.

Bizarre Fact #145:
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In 1893, Chicago hired its first police woman. Her name was Marie Owens. While the city was progressive in its hiring practices, Chicago's female police officers were not allowed to wear uniforms until 1956.

Bizarre Fact #146:
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In 1907 the first taxicab took to the streets of New York City.

Bizarre Fact #147:
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In 1937 the emergency 999 telephone service was established in London. More than 13,000 genuine calls were made in the first month.

Bizarre Fact #148:
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In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the first minimum wage in the United States. The new law, considered controversial at the time, established at.25 cents per hour minimum wage and a maximum 44 hour work week for minors.

Bizarre Fact #149:
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In 1956 the phrase, "In God We Trust", was adopted as the U.S. national motto.

Bizarre Fact #150:
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In 1974 there were 90 tornadoes in the U.S. in one day.