Living History Lectures ~ Tames Alan
Historical, educational, hysterical. One costumed woman tells it like it WAS.
Historical Facts: 1960-Present
The breathalyzer made its first appearance in Britain in 1967. Posted 7/01/2012
During a Gemini mission in 1965, some 115 years after it was written in a pub in Medford MA, Jingle Bells became the first song ever broadcast to earth from space. Posted 12/15/2016
On July 1, 1963, the U.S. Post Office introduced five-digit ZIP codes. Posted 7/01/2020
Formally called a trousseau, here is what this 1970s bride packed for her honeymoon: 12 pairs of tights; 1 bra; 2 packs of paper panties; 1 pair suede lace up-to-the-knee boots with platform soles; 2 trouser suits; 1 pair blue jeans; 2 skinny knit sweaters; 1 “absolutely super beach thing;” a wraparound long skirt; a top with short sleeves, tying under the bosom and leaving the midriff bare; plus a tiny bikini all in flimsy printed lawn; 1 miniskirt; 1 ankle-length “granny” dress for daywear; 1 slightly longer and barer dress for evening wear.
When asked about nightdresses, she replied, “No one wears anything to sleep in anymore.” No negligee or dressing gown? “I wear an old shirt when I have to and can borrow one of his.” Hardly any underclothes? “Well, I brought one bra. But I don’t expect to wear it.”
What the groom packed for the honeymoon: 1 lace shirt, 2 lace-trimmed shirts, 1 genuine hand-embroidered Japanese kimono, 6 pairs of stretch bikini brief underpants ranging in color from sky blue with flowers to fire engine red.
Posted 8/1/2023
The soundtrack for West Side Story, by Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, spent 54 weeks at Number One in the Billboard chart (that’s 17 weeks longer than Michael Jackson’s Thriller). Posted 4/01/2015
It wasn’t until 2016 that a widow in England could in her own right inherit her husband’s life insurance policy. Posted 3/15/2019
Interracial Marriage Wasn't Legal in Alabama Until 2000. Posted 2/01/2022
In 1965, a coach for the Florida Gators college football team and one of the university's kidney specialists came up with a concoction of water, salt, sugar, and lemon juice to keep the school's football players hydrated and energized while playing football under the hot Southern sun. Two years later, Gatorade was marketed nationally and has since netted the University of Florida more than $90 million in revenues. Posted 9/1/2024