1

The term "Speakeasy" came from a whispered instruction

Image: Shtefan Lounge

This expression, by now forever associated with the Prohibition Era, came from bartenders quietly warning patrons to "speak easy" when ordering illegal drinks.

It is believed that the phrase was already in use in 1800s saloons, but it took off during Prohibition. Hidden behind trapdoors or fake businesses, these secret bars required passwords or knocks to enter.

2

Prohibition sparked the rise of NASCAR

Image: Caleb Woods

Southern moonshiners during Prohibition needed to move whiskey fast. To evade federal agents, they needed to modify cars for speed and for driving through uneven terrains under the cover of the night.

What do you do with that peculiar set of skills when the Prohibition ends, then? Many of these trained drivers began racing each other for fun , and eventually for prizes. These informal competitions laid the groundwork for stock car racing, and in 1948, NASCAR was officially founded.

3

Grape bricks were a legal alternative

Image: Keegan Houser

Though commercial winemaking was banned, winemakers adapted quickly by selling "grape concentrate bricks" legally.

They were dense blocks that came with a cheeky warning: "Do not dissolve in water , add yeast, and let sit for 21 days, or it may ferment into wine." Of course, that’s exactly what people did.

4

Al Capone opened a soup kitchen

Image: Drew Gilliam

During the Great Depression, mob boss Al Capone operated a soup kitchen in Chicago, serving thousands of unemployed individuals .

The sign outside read "Free Soup, Coffee & Doughnuts for the Unemployed." It was certainly a clever PR move that helped soften his infamous image, even as he profited from illegal booze and violence.

5

There was a "whiskey prescription" loophole

Image: Anastasia Zhenina

While Prohibition outlawed alcohol sales, there was one major exception: whiskey prescribed by a doctor. The government allowed the writing of prescriptions for " medicinal liquor ," so millions were written. Patients could pick up their booze at a local pharmacy, usually in a clearly labeled bottle: "For Medicinal Use Only."

6

"Mountain Dew" meant Moonshine

Image: Josh McLain

Long before it was a neon-green soda, "mountain dew" was slang for homemade whiskey . The term already appeared in folk songs of the Appalachian region back in the 19th century, and it became especially popular during Prohibition, as illegal distilling became widespread.

In the 1940s, the creators of the soft drink Mountain Dew originally formulated it as a mixer for whiskey. The name was a wink after the bootlegging culture it came from.

7

Women were on both sides of the front lines

Image: Agustina Tolosa

Fierce women activists led the temperance movement, yes. For example, Carrie Nation famously stormed saloons with a hatchet. But many women also thrived in the world of illegal liquor.

Some saw Prohibition as an opportunity and became successful bootleggers, smugglers, and speakeasy owners. One of the most famous was Gertrude "Cleo" Lythgoe, nicknamed "The Queen of the Bahamas," who smuggled high-end liquor from Nassau to the U.S. East Coast and built a fortune.

8

Toothpaste and hair tonics were alcoholic

Image: Chelms Varthoumlien

With liquor banned, some people turned to unlikely products to get drunk. Items like bay rum aftershave, vanilla extract, hair tonics, and even toothache drops were legally sold and packed with high-proof alcohol. Desperate drinkers downed them despite the awful taste and potential health risks.

In New York City alone, an estimated 150,000 gallons of bay rum were consumed for intoxication in a single year.

9

Bootlegging funded jazz and nightlife

Image: cottonbro studio

Prohibition did help launch a cultural revolution . Speakeasies became centers of nightlife and music, and in places like Harlem, they gave rise to the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday got their start playing in these clubs.

10

New York’s mayor toasted the end with a beer… on air

Image: Muhammed ÖÇAL

When the 21st Amendment officially ended Prohibition on December 5, 1933, New Yorkers celebrated with flair. So did their mayor. Fiorello La Guardia, a vocal critic of the alcohol ban , marked the occasion by cracking open a beer during a press conference and drinking it on live radio.

La Guardia had long argued that Prohibition bred crime and disrespect for the law, so this on-air symbolic gesture made sense and marked the beginning of instant change.

11

Some states didn’t ratify the end until the 21st century

Image: Chris Hardy

Though the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition in 1933, some states and counties held out for decades . Mississippi didn’t officially end state Prohibition laws until 1966; that’s 33 years after the national repeal. Kansas, meanwhile, banned public bars until 1987.

Even today, Prohibition echoes remain. Several U.S. counties are still "dry," meaning alcohol sales are restricted or banned outright.

1

Duct tape

Image: Lucas van Oort

One of the most useful things to have around is, without a doubt, duct tape. This product can help fix an endless number of everyday problems in virtually any environment.

This adhesive tape was invented during World War II by a division of Johnson & Johnson called Revolite. It was initially used to seal ammunition cases because of its water-resistant properties.

2

GPS

Image: henry perks

The GPS technology we all use daily on our smartphones to navigate from point A to point B was originally developed by the U.S. military. It was designed to track the position of military units and help them find their way efficiently across any terrain —much like how we use it today for civilian purposes.

3

Internet

Image: Glenn Carstens-Peters

Few technologies have become such a big part of our lives in just a couple of decades as the Internet. Its origins trace back to the 1970s, when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) created an interconnected network linking military centers to enable resource sharing.

The connection of commercial networks and enterprises by the early 1990s, along with the advent of the World Wide Web, marked the beginning of the transition to the modern Internet.

4

Walkie-talkie

Image: garrett parker

From children’s toys to invaluable communication devices used in critical situations, walkie-talkies are a common fixture in modern life. Their development during World War II has been variously credited to Donald Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, Henryk Magnuski, and engineering teams at Motorola.

Initially used by infantry, similar designs were created for field artillery and tank units. After the war, walkie-talkies spread to public safety and eventually commercial use.

5

Microwave oven

Image: Erik Mclean

Believe it or not, microwave cooking was accidentally discovered during a military-related project just after World War II.

In 1946, Percy Spencer, a scientist working on a magnetron at Raytheon, noticed that a peanut cluster candy bar in his pocket had melted from the magnetron’s microwave radiation. Curious to experiment further, he brought in some kernels of corn and made the first-ever microwave popcorn—leading to the invention of the microwave oven.

6

Super glue

Image: Scott Sanker

In 1942, a research chemist working for a defense contractor was developing a high-precision targeting sight for weapons. Although the project didn’t produce the expected results, the resulting product was incredibly sticky , leading to the creation of the now-famous Super Glue.

7

Aviator sunglasses

Image: Griffin Wooldridge

Aviator sunglasses were developed in the 1930s as a lighter alternative to the bulky goggles worn by pilots during the early years of aviation. Those goggles were heavy, uncomfortable to wear, and prone to fogging up mid-flight.

Colonel John Macready of the U.S. Army Air Corps helped develop the first set of aviator sunglasses, which became known as Ray-Bans—named for their purpose: banning the sun’s rays from a pilot’s eyes.

8

Packaged salad mixes

Image: Nathenia Landers

The bags of packaged salad mixes found at any local supermarket use "modified atmosphere packaging" to delay ripening and spoilage.

This technology was developed in the 1960s through a collaboration between Whirlpool Corp. and the U.S. Navy to send fresh lettuce and celery to troops in Vietnam .

9

Bug spray

Image: Wolfgang Hasselmann

The active ingredient in most insect repellents, known as DEET, was developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 for use by military personnel operating in insect-infested areas . The product’s success led to its commercial release.

10

Disposable sanitary pads

Image: Annika Gordon

During World War I, Kimberly-Clark invented Cellucotton, a wood pulp–based material designed to be more absorbent and cost-effective for use in bandages.

After the war, the company discovered that Army nurses had repurposed Cellucotton as sanitary napkins , which inspired the creation of Kotex—the first disposable sanitary pads.

11

Frozen juice concentrate

Image: Fotografía de Alimentos

In 1942, USDA scientists developed frozen concentrated orange juice during World War II to help provide soldiers with sufficient Vitamin C . Although it was never distributed to the military, the product was later introduced to consumers by Minute Maid.

12

WD-40

Image: Daniel Campbell

WD-40, now a common household product, was originally developed in 1953 to prevent rust and corrosion on the outer shell of the Atlas missile . Created by the Rocket Chemical Company, the name WD-40 stands for "water displacement," with the "40" representing the number of attempts it took to perfect the formula.

1

Skydiving accident survivor

Image: Eun-Kwang Bae

Jordan Hatmaker was not an expert, but she had done enough skydiving jumps to recognize when something was wrong. On November 14, 2021, she jumped from a height of 4,100 meters and deployed her parachute. But a series of unfortunate malfunctions led to the chutes opening at the very last moment—and in a disastrous way—causing her to crash land.

Although Jordan survived, she suffered a spinal injury, broke her shin, completely shattered her ankle, and was paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors couldn’t tell if she would ever walk again. Yet, just three months after the accident, she defied expectations and began walking. Since then, she’s even climbed Mount Everest base camp.

2

Survived being frozen for 6 hours

Image: Jared Erondu

Imagine being frozen solid for a full six hours. Almost anybody who has been in a similar situation, even for a much shorter time, has experienced serious consequences or even death. But not Jean Hilliard, who slipped in the ice in the harsh Minnesota winter, knocked herself unconscious and remained frozen for six hours until a friend discovered her.

After her friend took her to the hospital, doctors had trouble inserting an IV cannula because her arm was frozen solid. But, after thawing her with heat pads, Jean came back to life and her body returned to its normal state. Her extremities took a bit longer to come around; her toes, especially, were numb for some time. Remarkably, Jean recovered quickly and has experienced no lasting physical effects from that fateful December night frozen in the ice.

3

Survived a self-amputation

Image: Justin Luebke

If you have seen the film 127 Hours then you’ll recognize this story: Aron Ralston was hiking in a remote Utah canyon when a boulder fell, trapping his arm . With no one around to hear his cries for help and his water supply dwindling, Aron made the excruciating decision to sever his arm below the elbow using a dull multitool.

After freeing himself, Ralston rappelled down a 65-foot cliff and hiked several miles through the rugged terrain before being discovered by a search and rescue helicopter.

4

Military jet crash survivor

Image: Albert Stoynov

David Steeves, a U.S. Air Force lieutenant, was ordered to fly a Lockheed T-33A trainer jet from an Air Force base near San Francisco to Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, on May 9, 1957. Shortly after takeoff, Steeves and the jet disappeared without a trace, and he was declared dead after an extensive search yielded no results. After the incident, during the height of the Cold War, Steeves faced unfounded accusations of defecting and giving the trainer jet to the USSR.

However, Steeves appeared out of the Sierra Nevada the following July. He claimed that after an explosion in the jet, he had ejected and parachuted to safety. For two weeks, he survived without food until he discovered a ranger’s cabin in Kings Canyon National Park, where he found fishhooks, beans, and a canned ham to sustain himself.

5

Rode off a cliff in her vehicle

Image: Fabian Quintero

In a scene straight out of a movie, Angela Hernandez swerved to avoid hitting a small animal on the road and accidentally drove her SUV off a cliff. Her vehicle tumbled about 200 feet to a desolate, rocky beach.

Despite suffering a brain hemorrhage, fractured ribs, a broken collarbone, ruptured blood vessels in both eyes, and a collapsed lung, Hernandez managed to pull herself out of the sinking car. She walked for days until hikers stumbled across her wrecked Jeep and scoured the beach. Eventually, they found Hernandez crumpled up, sleeping on some rocks. After surviving seven harrowing days, she was finally rescued.

6

Three-year-old survives 2 days in the wilderness

Image: Jeremy McKnight

Three-year-old Ryker Webb was playing with his dog when he decided to take a walk on his own and wandered off. After his disappearance, a massive search was launched, and for two days the search team made no progress. Then, a family visiting their remote cabin in the middle of the wilderness heard the faint cries of a little boy coming from behind a shed.

Ryker was found tucked into a lawnmower bag. He was dressed in a light blue onesie that had been covered in dirt. After they called the police, the family was shocked to learn about the massive search that had been going on. The little boy survived two days in Montana wilderness, in near-freezing temperatures in an area, that according to locals, is heavily populated with bears and mountain lions.

7

Saved his family from a plane crash

Image: Gianluca Bei

Saving oneself from a plane crash is an extraordinary feat in itself. But saving an entire family as well is exponentially harder. On August 13, 2011, Donald Evans and his family were flying to their new home in Anvik, Alaska, aboard a Cessna plane when tragedy struck. The plane crashed into the mountains, killing the pilot and another passenger, and leaving Donald and his family— including his pregnant wife—badly injured .

Despite his own injuries, Donald managed to keep his family alive until the National Guard arrived by helicopter to rescue them. Amazingly, every member of the family survived, including their unborn daughter.

8

Quicksand survivor

Image: Sumner Mahaffey

Quicksand is a threat much more present in child stories than in real life but it does exist, as Ryan Osmun discovered in the worst possible way. While hiking in Utah’s Zion National Park he and his girlfriend tried to cross an innocent-looking pond that turned out to be quicksand.

After managing to save his girlfriend, Ryan sank into the sandy bottom to no avail. He had to wait for long hours until help arrived at the scene, just in time to save his life with a pulley system to yank him out of the ordeal.

9

Surviving the Desert

Image: Max Templeton

At 72 years old, Ann Rodgers spent nine days lost in the Arizona desert keeping herself alive thanks to skills acquired at a survival course and her own knowledge of nature. After getting lost on a distant dirt road and running out of gas, she left her car and started wandering the desert.

Had she stayed in her car, police would have found her 3 days later. Despite this misstep, Ann managed to survive. After 9 days, a helicopter found her thanks to a large "HELP" sign she had crafted out of rocks and took her to the hospital, where she made a full recovery.

10

Lost in the woods with poor eyesight

Image: Jeremy Bishop

Being lost in the woods is a bad thing as it is. But being lost in the woods with very bad eyesight and no glasses is much worse. This is exactly what happened to Marcus Mazzaferri at Yosemite National Park when he tried to traverse a river by foot, slipped on a rock, and was pulled by the rapids.

Marcus was able to reach a river bank and wandered through the woods, challenged by cold and darkness, without his much-needed glasses. He hiked using deer tracks, which he was barely able to see, as his only guide. Eventually, he was able to contact a plow crew near the river and was saved.