Thursday links

April 25 is ANZAC Day, the anniversary of the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli: here's some history, restored footage, a documentary, and a Lego re-enactment.

The history and invention of Jell-O.

Without the Great Calculator Race of the 1970s, there would be no iPhone.

It's Oliver Cromwell's birthday - his excellent speech throwing out the corrupt Parliament is evergreen, plus the posthumous travels of his head, and bonus Monty Python.

The Dark Origins of the Tale of Snow White. 

Sick of exercising? Plastic Surgeons Can Now Sculpt Belly Fat Into a Weird Chiseled Six-Pack.

ICYMI, most recent links are here, and include coverage of the annual Sasquatch Calling Festival, the McDonalds Monopoly Fraud (from 1995 to 2001, there was only one real winner - Uncle Jerry), photos of the live-action models for Disney's 1959 "Sleeping Beauty", and film of the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed that 80% of San Francisco.

Friday links

April 28th is Duke Ellington's birthday.

The Literal Meaning of Every Country's Name on a Map (zoomable).

Inside the Strange World of Dried Hummingbird Love Charm Trafficking.

Because it's time to get the herb gardens planted, here's some advice from the 16th century on avoiding brain scorpions: Take heede therefore ye smellers of Basil.

Here's a clickable map of every street tree in New York City.

Teddy Roosevelt's Epic Hunt for a White Rhino.

ICYMI, Wednesday's links are here, and include how to download a copy of everything Google knows about you, ANZAC Day (the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli), the 19th century art of measuring criminals, and, for Oliver Cromwell's birthday, his excellent (and evergreen) speech throwing out the corrupt Parliament (plus the posthumous adventures of his head). 

Wednesday links

Today is ANZAC Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli: here's some history, a documentary, and a Lego re-enactment.

How DNA Can Lead To Wrongful Convictions: labs today can identify people with DNA from just a handful of cells, but a handful of cells can easily migrate.

The 19th century art of measuring criminals.

It's Oliver Cromwell's birthday - here's his excellent speech throwing out the corrupt Parliament, the posthumous travels of his head, and bonus Monty Python.

An Eccentric Millionaire and his Lost Rocky Mountain Treasure.

How to download a copy of everything Google knows about you.

ICYMI, Monday's links are here, and include 10 Medieval riddles, a supercut of epic movie explosions, the actual costs of restaurant foods vs what they charge, vintage animation lessons on how to make things cute, and the massive sewer system engineering undertaken to resolve London's "Great Stink".

Tuesday's links

April 25th is ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ) Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli.

Seven Things You Didn’t Know About Medieval Dragons.

Is a Drunk Witness a Bad Witness?

It's Oliver Cromwell's birthday - here's his excellent speech throwing out the corrupt Parliament, with bonus Monty Python.

The World's Most Stubborn Real Estate Holdouts.

Inside the FBI’s Colossal Pre-Computer Fingerprint Factory.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include the science of cheap wine, Earth Day's murderous co-founder, a 1964 coffee revolt, fighting communism with jazz, and a 1983 episode of The Family Feud that pitted the cast of Gilligan's Island against the cast of Batman.

Monday links

April 25th is ANZAC Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli: here's some history, a documentary, and a Lego re-enactment.

Gallery of photos from the Halifax explosion - the naval accident that erased an entire city in Canada.

Audubon Made Up At Least 28 Fake Species To Prank A Rival.

It's Oliver Cromwell's birthday - here's his excellent speech throwing out the corrupt Parliament, the posthumous travels of his head, and bonus Monty Python.

The evolutionary origins of laughter are rooted more in survival than enjoyment.

Japanese/English Phrasebook Is Absolutely Hilarious.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include the Earth Day co-founder who killed and composted his girlfriend, the costs of keeping Lenin's corpse on display, construction workers from competing companies fighting in the street with bulldozers, and Teddy Roosevelt's white rhino hunt.