St. Patrick’s Day parades are a global spectacle Parades Across the Pond started a trend but did you know their origins trace back to America? Our fifth fun fact explores the fascinating history of the first St. Patrick’s Day parade. It took place not in Ireland but in a Spanish colony in St. Augustine, Florida. Beginning in 1601 In 1601, the first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade happened. It was organized by the Irish vicar […]
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St. Patrick’s Day feast Irish food? St. Patrick’s Day feasts are synonymous with corned beef and cabbage, but our fourth fun fact reveals a surprising twist. Did you know that this iconic Irish-American dish has English origins? Corn Beef Connection While ham and cabbage were culinary traditions in Ireland. Corned beef emerged as an American innovation. In the late 19th century, Irish immigrants in lower Manhattan found a substitute for ham in the form of […]
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St. Patrick’s Day is a sea of green Green Triumphs Over Blue! Did you know that it wasn’t always the color associated with this celebration? Our third fun fact takes you on a journey. Exploring the shift from blue to green in the visual palette of St. Patrick’s Day. Official in 1798 In 1798, the color green officially claimed its place in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, replacing the once-dominant blue. The royal courts and ancient […]
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St. Patrick, a master of symbolism, used a simple sprig of clover to convey profound teachings about the Holy Trinity. Our second fun fact explores how the shamrock became more than a botanical curiosity, becoming the official flower of Ireland and an enduring symbol of St. Patrick himself. Imagine St. Patrick, standing before pagans in Ireland, using the shamrock’s three leaves to explain the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This clever teaching tool […]
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St. Patrick’s Day is synonymous with celebration, but who was the man behind the festivities? In our first fun fact, we delve into the fascinating life of St. Patrick, born as Maewyn Succat in 385 AD in Roman Britain. His journey from captivity to priesthood forms a captivating narrative that lays the foundation for the celebration we know today. It all changed at the age 16 Kidnapped at the tender age of 16 by Irish […]
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On Sept. 21, 1984, CBS opened up the first American compact disc pressing plant in Terre Haute, Ind. The first disc to come off the production line was Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., which had been released three months earlier. Given the album’s title and the spotlight on the plight of the American worker contained in many of his songs, it made perfect sense that Springsteen’s album became the first American-made CD. The format had been […]
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Strange But True – The world’s The world’s most successful pirate in history was a lady named Ching Shih. She was a prostitute in China until the Commander of the Red Flag Fleet bought and married her. But her husband considered her his equal, and she became an active pirate commander in the fleet. The Rest of the Story When one thinks of the world’s most notorious pirates, names like Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Calico […]
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In 1970, John Pasche designed a logo for the Rolling Stones. He was paid £50. Almost 30 years later, the V&A bought Pasche’s original artwork at auction for $92,500. He met with Jagger again where the singer “talked about things he liked and things he didn’t like, nothing too specific,” explains Pasche, “and then I just had this idea.” While an obvious reference to Jagger’s features (not especially flattering, but Jagger didn’t seem to mind), […]
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Rhyme + Reasoning “Humpty Dumpty” is an egg right? Historical evidence suggests that Humpty Dumpty was a cannon. Used by the Royalists during the English Civil War. During a vicious battle in 1648, the cannon fell from a battlement. It was unable to be recovered (i.e., put back together again). Tellingly, the lyrics of the nursery rhyme never describe Humpty Dumpty as an egg either. Let us dig deeper “Humpty Dumpty”—with its simplistic lyrics and surrealistic […]
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Strange But True is a series of unique stories presented in and old radio drama format. Featuring mysteries, oddities and more that are strange but true.
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