The CIA’s Project MK-ULTRA aimed to find a way to control people’s minds during the Cold War. Chemist Sidney Gottlieb spent $240,000 on LSD to distribute to research facilities and prisons. Some “volunteers” and prisoners died or were left unable to live a normal life. Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938. The […]
The 1950s saw the rise of popular dances beyond waltzes and swing, thanks to American Bandstand. The Twist, Jitterbug, Cha-cha, and Lindy Hop were group dances, while the Stroll was a line dance. The music and dance of the 1950s expressed the growth and rebellion of America’s youth, leading to the birth of “dirty dancing.” […]
In the 1950s, the AC Gilbert Co. sold the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, which included uranium ore samples. Fewer than 5,000 sets were sold for $49.50 each. Toy safety was not a concern, and the kits were pulled off shelves in 1951. Play-Doh was originally used for cleaning wallpaper, Lego is the largest tire […]
Samuel J. Seymour witnessed the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater in 1865 when he was only five years old. He recounted his experience on TV in 1956 and died two months later at 96. Lincoln’s assassination was part of a larger plot and led to the creation of the US Secret Service. […]
