-
1 week ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
The White House, one of the most famous buildings in the United States, is also said to be one of its most haunted. Over the centuries, presidents, first ladies, guests and staff members have reported strange occurrences, eerie sounds, and even ghostly apparitions. Some of the spirits tied to the White House are former residents, while others are mysterious figures from American history. The most frequently reported and famous ghost of the White House is Abraham Lincoln.
-
2 weeks ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
The introduction of potatoes to France in the late 16th century sparked significant resistance before becoming a staple of French cuisine. Originally brought to Europe from South America by Spanish explorers, the tuber faced widespread suspicion and disdain in France due to cultural, religious and practical concerns. This resistance was gradually overcome through scientific advocacy, clever marketing, and eventual culinary integration, paving the way for iconic dishes like French fries to emerge.
-
3 weeks ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
Bingo has a long and fascinating history that spans several centuries and multiple countries. The game evolved from early lottery-style games in Europe before being refined and commercialized in the United States. While the modern version of bingo is often attributed to a man named Edwin Lowe, its origins can be traced back much further. The roots of bingo can be found in Italy during the 16th century.
-
1 month ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
Rin Tin Tin was one of Hollywood’s first animal superstars, rising from the ruins of World War I to become a beloved film icon. His journey began in 1918, near the end of the war, when American soldier Lee Duncan discovered a litter of German Shepherd puppies in a bombed-out kennel in Lorraine, France. The only survivors were a male and female puppy. Duncan, a dog lover, took them in and named them Rin Tin Tin and Nanette, named after popular puppet characters of the time.
-
1 month ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
With baseball spring training underway, it's a good time to look at the special mud used on baseballs. Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud has a long and fascinating role in baseball history, emerging from tragedy and innovation to become an essential tool for Major League Baseball teams. This unique mud, gathered from a secret location along the Delaware River in New Jersey, has been used since the 1950s to prepare brand-new baseballs before games, giving pitchers better control.
-
2 months ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
The Eiffel Tower was built for the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Designed by Gustave Eiffel and his engineering company, the tower’s creation was a monumental achievement in both engineering and architecture. The tower’s actual design is credited to Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers working for Eiffel’s firm.
-
2 months ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
The Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Possum Trot, Texas, stands as an extraordinary example of faith-driven compassion and commitment. Located in a small, rural and impoverished East Texas community, the church and its congregation made national headlines in the late 1990s for their remarkable response to the foster care crisis. Led by Pastor W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna, this tiny congregation undertook the massive challenge of providing homes for abused and neglected children.
-
2 months ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
Henrietta Lacks was a 31-year-old Black woman whose cells changed the course of medical history. Born in 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia, she later moved to Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband and children. In 1951, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cervical cancer and sought treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the few hospitals that treated Black patients at the time. During her treatment, doctors took a sample of her cancerous cells without her knowledge or consent.
-
2 months ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
While most of us have heard of Coca Cola's soft drink Fanta, I doubt if many know its unique origin. Fanta is one of the world's most popular soft drinks, but its origins are tied to the resource constraints and political complexities of World War II. Its formulation was not a matter of market research or consumer demand, but a clever response to necessity and survival during a turbulent period. Before WWII, Coca-Cola had established a strong presence in Germany, where its business was thriving.
-
2 months ago | 
ravallirepublic.com | Phil Connelly
Here are several commonly repeated but false “facts” about U.S. presidents. Two of the most famous myths about George Washington are entirely fabricated. When Washington was a young boy, his father gave him a hatchet. After his father discovered a downed cherry tree, he confronted his son. The story of young Washington confessing, “I cannot tell a lie” after cutting down the cherry tree originated in a biography by Mason Weems, written years after Washington’s death.
