The US Navy prohibited sailors from toasting with water

The temperance movement loathed toasting

The 19th- and 20th-century groups opposed to drinking alcohol viewed toasting as a vile practice that encouraged excess and debauchery. One reverend wrote in 1881 that "toasting is a relic of the vile custom of drinking to the honour, applause and commemoration of depraved men and women, whose persons should have been despised, and whose memories should be perished."

Toasting was likely inspired by libation ceremonies

The practice, common in many Indigenous communities, involved people honoring the deceased by pouring out water, which seeps into the Earth in their honor. Although it didn’t necessarily include alcohol, the practice mirrors many modern toasts, which sometimes pay tribute to loved ones who have died. Libation ceremonies are still practiced today by those seeking to connect with the ancient tradition.

Some people smash Champagne bottles on ships for good luck

Long before Champagne existed, people performed good-luck rituals before setting sail. But since animal sacrifice is generally frowned upon these days, a new tradition developed before a ship’s maiden voyage: smashing a bottle of Champagne against the hull.

Alcohol often accompanies memorial ceremonies around the world

“Pouring one out” for the dead is something that exists across the globe, in various cultures and forms. From the Irish wake to the Korean Sangnye, alcohol is frequently used as a way to honor the deceased and comfort the living.

Breaking eye contact during a toast is supposedly bad luck

Superstitious types throughout Europe claim that toast participants must maintain eye contact for the duration of the toast. Failing to do so results in seven years of bad luck. Others are more specific, saying it will result in seven years of bad sex.

In the 1910s, sailors on a US Navy ship started using the term 'happy hour' in reference to their leisure hours

The leisure activities sailors were treated to during the ship's long voyages included boxing tournaments and dancing—but unlike the happy hours we know today, they likely didn’t involve alcohol. This article includes more information about happy hour’s origin story.

Englishmen in the 17th century mixed their blood into wine to show devotion

In order to demonstrate their love for a woman, some young Englishmen would stab themselves in the arm and mix the blood into their wine. They'd then toast the object of their affection and drink to their honor.

Sailor tattoos represent naval milestones

Sailors often come home with mermaids or turtles adorning their bodies. But what does it mean to have permanent images of propellers on your bum, British galleons with soaring tiers of sails on your chest, or a bicep portrait of the Roman god Neptune? Those tattoos represent meaningful naval milestones.

What ghosts eat around the world

This Thrillist article compiles a rich assortment of cultural beliefs and practices surrounding food for the dead. From Bengali folklore to Ancient Greek mythology, peruse through the different ways in which cultures around the world use food to maintain connected to the deceased.

The federal government allowed toxic chemicals into alcohol during Prohibition

Industrial alcohol was still legal during Prohibition, and was often used by bootleggers. In an attempt to disrupt the black market, the government required toxic additives to be included in industrial alcohol, leading to more than one death.

How specialized oxygen mixtures like heliox enable deep diving without feeling drunk

Beyond a depth of about 30 meters (98 feet), if divers are breathing surface air, which is about 78% nitrogen, underwater pressure forces more nitrogen into the bloodstream and induces nitrogen narcosis, whose symptoms resemble alcohol intoxication. Through saturation diving, where nitrogen is replaced with helium—an inert gas—deep divers can maintain cognitive function while working for extended periods.

A history of "Memento Mori," from the ancients to today

The ancient Latin phrase 'memento mori' means 'remember you will die.' The counterintuitive utterance has long provided a moral and spiritual framework for individuals to evaluate their life's decisions and worldview. Though it appears morbid at first glance, the saying is meant to inspire a thirst for life. Review the various ways the idea has inspired different cultures in this article, from the Romans and Egyptians to contemporary tech leaders like Steve Jobs.

Synchronized swimming dates back to Ancient Rome

Known for gruesome gladiatorial contests, ancient Rome's aquatic spectacles may have been even more over-the-top. This article dives into the art of synchronized swimming in ancient Rome. Lakes were dug and amphitheaters flooded to provide space for aquatic reenactments of naval battles and artistic performances. Swimmers playing the role of water nymphs would create elaborate shapes, including ships with billowing sails.

Check out George Washington's beer recipe

The first American president's journal includes a recipe for "small beer," a low-alcohol beverage that was a cleaner (and slightly inebriating) alternative to the potentially sickening water of the time.

The US national anthem borrowed its melody from a British tavern song

Key’s original poem, “The Defence of Fort M’Henry,” was written to the meter of a well-known drinking song: “The Anacreon Song,” also known as “To Anacreon in Heaven.” The original song has more than a few sexual innuendos and was written by a Brit, two details that seem at odds with the serious and patriotic lyrics of Key’s poem.

Death taxes have helped fund wars since the 1860s

Death taxes date back to 700 BCE and were used in Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt. In the US, they've been used to finance wars since the Civil War, and have been levied on both the estate and beneficiary. The estate tax created during WWI to help finance war efforts is still in effect today.

Thanatology is the study of death and dying

Watch this video exploring the evolution in how researchers are studying and understanding death in the context of recent scientific research. CPR to restart hearts, ventilators, and other discoveries have challenged the way we think of death and scientifically upended the idea of death as a single moment.

The 1904 Olympic marathon was a bizarre spectacle

When the Olympics first came to the US, the race was still a fringe event with few established rules. That led to an absurd comedy, with competitors ingesting poison, hitchhiking 11 miles of the course, and occasionally sipping brandy.

World War II's Battle of Savo Island was the worst wartime naval defeat in US history

On Aug. 9, 1942, a larger, radar-equipped Allied fleet lost four heavy cruisers off Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater without sinking a single Japanese ship. The Navy kept the humiliating rout secret from the public for years. Experts argued failure resulted from fractured command, not inferior arms or ships.

'Blackout challenge' can cause brain damage or death in under 5 minutes

A social media trend that encourages viewers to asphyxiate themselves until they lose consciousness in the hopes of feeling "high" or euphoric has garnered the interest of teens and adolescents, with dangerous results. Variations of this deadly challenge have been adolescent trends every few years.

Cholera was called the 'Blue Death'

In the mid-1800s—when John Snow identified cholera in London—the disease was known simply as the "Blue Death." That's because blood would thicken in patients' veins when they were struggling with extreme dehydration. As a result, their skin would turn a blueish hue as their blood was starved of oxygen.

The ancient Romans invented the first known artificial sweetener—it involved lead

The product was known as "sugar of lead." It was made by boiling wine in lead pots, concentrating the grapes' natural sugars and adding sweetness from the lead that leached into the grapes. The substance was used until roughly the 1880s for medicinal purposes and also to sweeten wine. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Annie Taylor tested her Falls barrel by sending her cat first

Before her 1901 plunge over Niagara Falls, Annie Edson Taylor sent her cat inside a barrel as a test. The cat survived—and later posed with her in post-stunt photos.

The Office of Water protects the nation's rivers, lakes and drinking supplies

The office develops national standards for safe drinking water, regulates wastewater treatment, and enforces the Clean Water Act. It partners with states and tribes to monitor pollution, protect wetlands, and restore aquatic ecosystems across the United States.

Ancient Greek told to kick rocks after claiming moon wasn't a deity

About 2,500 years ago, ancient Greek philosopher Anaxagoras theorized that the moon probably wasn't a goddess. This article explains how this belief led to his exile. Anaxagoras also argued the sun was just a burning rock, writing that it was the sun that illuminated the moon. According to this resource, this theory enabled Anaxagoras to accurately explain eclipses and lunar cycles.

In 1915, workers recovered a submarine-like vessel from the Chicago River, prompting fears of German espionage

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

The Beatles' US label rejected the band's first two singles, 'Please Please Me' and 'From Me to You,' with one executive calling the band 'dead in the water.'

Cultural norms about how to handle the bodies of loved ones in communities in West Africa have hampered Ebola responses.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.

Apollo astronauts left items in the moon's 'toss zone,' including golf balls, family photos, and bags of human waste, to make room for lunar rocks.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

The use of fungi to detoxify land and water—a process known as mycoremediation—has been used to clean up natural resources affected by the 2025 California wildfires.

Massive blooms of microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates produce the neon blue light seen in glowing tides.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

Salvador Dalí believed he was his own dead brother, who had died nine months before he was born

Lesser-known phobias include turophobia, or the fear of cheese, and nomophobia, the fear of being without your cell phone.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

A small portion of The Winstons' 'Amen, Brother,' an obscure '60s gospel record, is the basis for thousands of hip-hop tracks, making it one of the most sampled records ever that's informally known as 'the Amen break.'