The World's First Electric Traffic Light

The world’s first electric traffic signal was put into place on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio, on this day in 1914. The device used red and green lights with a buzzer that warned when the color was about to change. The invention was designed by James Hoge, who received a U.S. patent in 1918. His "municipal traffic control system" displayed electrically-powered STOP and MOVE signs mounted on posts at each corner of an intersection that were wired to a manually-operated switch housed inside a control booth nearby.

Pop Artist Madonna

Madonna was born to Catholic parents Madonna Louise and Silvio Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan in 1958. Madonna's full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop" since the 1980s, Madonna is known for pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music, as well as visual imagery in music videos and on stage. Having sold more than 335 million records worldwide, Madonna is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records.

Enola Gay

Enola Gay was the nickname of the B-29 bomber that was used by the United States on this day in 1945, to drop the world’s first atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The Enola Gay was named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets. Approximately 80,000 people were killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 were injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout. Today, the Enola Gay is on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

Who Was the First Woman to Swim the English Channel?

On this day in 1926, 19-year-old Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Among other nicknames, the press sometimes called her "Queen of the Waves." In 1926, on her second attempt, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the 21 miles from Dover, England to Cape Griz-Nez across the English Channel, which separates Great Britain from the northwestern tip of France. She persevered through storms and heavy swells, but after 14 hours and 31 minutes in the water, she reached the English coast, becoming the sixth person and first woman to swim the Channel.

H. G. Wells

The atom bomb was one of the defining inventions of the 20th Century. So how did science fiction writer HG Wells predict its invention three decades before the first detonations? Written in 1913, nearly 30 years before the Manhattan Project started, Wells' “The World Set Free” describes cities around the world being devastated by what he called "atomic bombs." Wells predicted not only the mushroom cloud we associate with atomic bombs, but their lasting radiation as well. He chose for his epitaph the words: “I told you so. You damned fools.” 

How Many U. S. Presidents Have Been Impeached?

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton are the only two presidents that have been impeached in U.S. history, and neither was convicted of the charges filed against him. The House impeached Andrew Johnson on February 24, 1868 for violating the Tenure of Office Act. Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice relating to the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Clinton was eventually acquitted by the Senate. Richard Nixon most likely would have been impeached had he not resigned his office on this day in 1974. Source: ThoughtCo.com

Sriracha Sauce

Sriracha is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. Sriracha sauce was created in Si Racha, Thailand, in the 1930s from the recipe of a housewife named Thanom Chakkapak. In Thailand, Sriracha is frequently used as a dipping sauce, particularly for seafood. Within the United States, Sriracha is associated with a sauce produced by Huy Fong Foods and is sometimes referred to as "rooster sauce" from the image of a rooster on the bottle.