Good morning! It's Sunday, Oct. 12, and we're exploring the origins and traditions of one of the largest annual folk festivals in the world: Munich, Germany's beer-loving Oktoberfest, which concluded last week (though many imitators and offshoots are continuing through the month).
Scroll down to learn the business behind America's 350,000 billboards, three competing theories for how the Egyptians built the pyramids, and more. Or visit 1440 Topics for primers on Salvador Dalí, Bioluminescence, or 250 others.
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Dear Readers—Our Sunday edition delivers deep dives into interesting and relevant topics, helping you explore new ideas and feed your curiosity.
Instead of the news—which we cover Monday through Saturday—today we’ll bring you deeply researched overviews and the human-curated articles, podcasts, videos, and more that most fascinated us this week. |
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What is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest (called "Wiesn" in German) is the largest folk festival in the world. In 2023, 7.2 million visitors drank close to 2 million gallons of beer, making it the most-attended Oktoberfest ever.
The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. That year, five days of performances, food, and music culminated with a horse race. Since that first year, it’s grown considerably. It’s also spread far beyond Germany, with celebrations in many countries outside of Europe.
Various traditions have been added throughout the years, highlighted by its roasted chicken vendors (still an integral part of Oktoberfest), carnival rides, and the now-ubiquitous glass steins for beer, all of which have made the festival more popular than ever. Beer is integral to Oktoberfest, but only beers from one of six designated breweries in the city of Munich can be officially called “Oktoberfestbier.”
... Read our full deep dive on the festival here.
Also, check out ...
> Every Oktoberfest starts with a ceremonial first beer tap. (More)
> The event boosts Munich's economy by over $1B each year. (More)
> Some festival tents are themed and have lasted more than a century. (More) |
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An explainer on the Cold War
The Cold War was a global competition (watch animated map) for power and influence between the United States, a capitalist democracy, and the Soviet Union, a state-controlled socialist system, from 1945 to 1991, sparked by tensions over how to shape the post-World War II order.
The conflict was defined by ideological rivalry, massive military spending, and a nuclear arms race that brought the world to the brink of thermonuclear war. Though the two superpowers never engaged in direct combat—hence, the war remained “cold”—they waged proxy wars on nearly every continent.
The Cold War concluded in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union after losing control of much of its territory in the preceding years. However, its legacy is still visible today in renewed great-power rivalries, ongoing nuclear tensions, and the resurgence of strongly centralized governance.
... Read our full explainer on the conflict here.
Also, check out ...
> Watch Churchill's 1946 speech recognizing an "Iron Curtain" across Europe. (More)
> ... and watch Reagan demand that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall. (More)
> A 1983 NATO simulation provoked the Soviets to arm for war. (More) |
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Mortgages, 101
Mortgages are a type of property loan that financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, can offer when a prospective buyer decides against paying a property’s full cost in cash. In 2024, 74% of homebuyers took out a mortgage. Debt owed on mortgages made up about 70% of US consumer debt as of 2025.
People have been formally lending money in exchange for interest and collateral since the fifth century BCE. But the term “mortgage” wasn’t adopted until around the 11th century in Britain.
In the US, individuals loaned money to each other to buy property before institutional private financing was popularized in the 1800s. Mortgage banks were created in the 1870s to provide loans financed by mortgage-backed bonds.
... Read our full write-up on mortgages here.
Also, check out ...
> Construction of small, affordable "starter homes" has decreased 75% since 1976. (More)
> Charting the history of interest rates on 30-year fixed home loans. (More)
> Housing costs have more than doubled since 1965, adjusting for inflation. (More) |
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In partnership with Simple |
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Reformer Pilates – Without the $3,000 Machine |
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New From 1440: Our First Podcast Is Out |
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1440 Explores: Our brand-new podcast is finally here! Each episode dives into the world’s most fascinating topics—and one of our first episodes is out now.
🍺 Alcohol: From ancient rituals to modern happy hours, humans have been getting drunk for millennia. But why did our ancestors start drinking in the first place? And is all booze bad? In this episode, we uncover how society’s favorite social lubricant shaped civilizations, why we get hangovers, and whether we should keep drinking.
Listen now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube |
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Historybook: Christopher Columbus reaches the Caribbean, believes he reached the Indies (1492); American playwright Alice Childress born (1916); Wilt Chamberlain dies (1999); USS Cole is attacked by suicide bombers, killing 17 American sailors (2000); Eliud Kipchoge becomes first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon (2019). |
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