Infobrew Archives

What your coffee knew in January 2013.

January 31
Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa discovered the radiation belts encircling the Earth on this date in 1958.
Your coffee wants a pair of Van Allen radiation suspenders.

January 30
On this date in 1982, 15-year-old Richard Skrenta wrote “Elk Cloner,” the first large-scale self-spreading personal computer virus.
Your coffee wants a clean boot sector.

January 29
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” was published in the “New York Evening Mirror” on this date in 1845.
Your coffee wants to beguile your sad fancy into smiling.

January 28
On this date in 1958, the final new episode of the British radio programme “The Goon Show” was broadcast.
Your coffee wants to have a cuppa with Eccles.

January 25
Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was performed at an actual wedding for the first time on this date in 1858.
Your coffee wants to hear the Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel.

January 24
On this date in 1922, Christian Kent Nelson patented the Eskimo Pie.
Your coffee wants a Creamsicle.

January 23
Sweden banned aerosol sprays because of the environmental damage caused by their propellants on this date in 1978.
Your coffee wants to help you wake up and smell the ozone.

January 22
On this date in 1968, “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” made its debut on NBC-TV.
Your coffee wants to bet its bippy.

January 21
The Sullivan Ordinance, which prohibited women from smoking, was passed in New York City on this day in 1908.
Your coffee wants to be steamy, not smoky.

January 18
On this date in 2000, the Tagish Lake meteorite exploded in a fireball over northwestern British Columbia, Canada.
Your coffee wants a stony carbonaceous carafe.

January 17
“The Goldbergs,” the first situation comedy on U.S. television, debuted on this date in 1949.
Your coffee had a cameo in the Maxwell House Haggadah.

January 16
On this date in 1883, the United States Civil Service was established.
Your coffee would like you to take a seat over there and fill out these forms. With black ink only. In triplicate.

January 15
Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River following a bird strike during takeoff on this date in 2009.
Your coffee wants a flotation device and a clean pair of shorts.

January 14
On this date in 1882, the Myopia Hunt Club was established, becoming the first country club in the United States.
Your coffee cannot see the attraction.

January 11
The magazine Popular Mechanics was first published on this date in 1902.
Your coffee wants to be the centerfold in Beverage World.

January 10
On this date in 1946, the United States Signal Corps’ Project Diana successfully bounced radio waves off the Moon and received their reflections.
Your coffee is warmed by 3 megawatts of transmitted power, delivered at 111.5 MHz in 0.25 second bursts.

January 9
The State of New York introduced a bill to outlaw public flirting on this date in 1902.
Your coffee wants to give you a steamy look.

January 8
On this date in 1835, the United States government paid off its national debt for the first and, so far, only time.
Your coffee filters its assets through a DRIP.

January 7
The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook by Fannie Merritt Farmer was first published on this date in 1896.
Your coffee taken in moderation quickens action of the heart, acts directly upon the nervous system, and assists gastric digestion.

January 4
On this date in 2007, the 110th U.S. Congress convened, electing Nancy Pelosi as the first woman Speaker of the House.
Your coffee is a little embarrassed to point out that the current House has a noticeable Boehner.

January 3
The television series “Dragnet” premiered on NBC-TV on this date in 1951.
Your coffee wants just the facts, ma’am.

January 2
On this date in 1860, French mathematician Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier announced the discovery of the planet Vulcan to a meeting of the Académie des Sciences in Paris.
Your coffee is spocktacular.

January 1
Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the dwarf planet Ceres on this date in 1801.
Your coffee can often be discovered in the vicinity of a bowl of cereal.