The 1980s brought luxury items into the bathroom

Americans only became intolerant of body odor in the last century

Daily bathing only became a societal norm in the last century. Today, Americans routinely bathe and buy more deodorant than any other country, spending roughly $6 billion annually on odor-reducing products. The rise of industrialized soaps, deodorants, and antiperspirants—and extensive marketing around them—stimulated this demand.

The adoption of modern appliances led to the soap opera's rise

Soaps grew more popular as they transitioned to television in the 1950s. At the same time, the adoption of modern appliances like the automatic dishwasher and the clothes dryer offered housewives more free time, which soaps could now occupy. By 1970, CBS, NBC, and ABC were airing 18 daytime soaps.

Estée Lauder used wealthy people's bathrooms to curate the color of the jars her products were sold in

While Lauder herself was just starting her cosmetics empire, she knew wealthy people who could afford high-quality products would always be her target market. In order to make her products as appealing to this market as possible, Lauder held up different colors of glass bottles in people's bathrooms to see what would look best with their decorations before landing on a turquoise bottle with a gold cap.

The bathroom upgrade that might increase a home's resale value

When deciding what to improve during a home renovation, people often think about their home's future resale value. Now, real estate experts are claiming that adding a luxury shower might provide the most bang for your buck in the renovation department. Learn more in this article.

Bottled water started as a 19th-century wellness trend

Selling drinking water in America began at resorts in New York and West Virginia, where tourists were encouraged to take the regenerative mineral water back to their homes.

Modern roll-on deodorant design was modeled on the ballpoint pen

Instead of a messy cream, which had been the norm in the 1940s, a new roll-on deodorant inspired by the easy flow of a ballpoint pen debuted in 1952.

Radio quiz shows took off in the '40s

The concept took hold during the Great Depression, with 50 shows on the air by 1940, because they allowed families to imagine a financial windfall was just a few questions away. Although the genre had a slight downturn during World War II, it experienced a resurgence by the end of the decade, with 200 shows on the air.

A 'boombox' is the cool term for a Portable Radio Cassette Recorder

The technology debuted in the mid-1960s, revolutionizing portability of recording radio and playing music. As urban culture, especially hip hop, took advantage of the innovation, the "boombox" was born. See a gallery of old boomboxes and learn their history.

How hearing protection became cool

In recent years, the WHO shared research findings that over 1 billion teens and young people face risks of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. While earplugs used to hold a reputation for being uncool, this article explores how awareness has led to more people fashioning different types of hearing protection. Explore the growing trend of earplugs at raves, concerts, and other loud events.

Car touchscreen debuted on 1986 Buick Riviera, but flopped

Preceding car infotainment centers by decades, the technology that was unveiled in the Buick elicited praise from auto journalists, but consumers did not make investments in the cars.

The history of many kitchen appliances involves unexpected discoveries and applications, including wartime radar turned hamster defroster and replacing an 'ice king' with heat-stealing boxes.

Two-thirds of antibiotic classes were made between the 1940s and 1960s

The vast majority of bacterial treatments were developed during the "Golden Age of Antibiotics," an era of rapid innovation and drug discovery that led to the reduction of millions of deaths worldwide. Since 1970, only eight new antibiotic classes have been discovered.

Why young people in the UK are hanging out at saunas

In the UK, Finnish-style saunas doubled from 45 to over 100 in 2024. This recent surge is driven by young people seeking healthy and affordable spaces to meet others and socialize. While Gen Z also turns to sobriety more due to costs and health concerns, these rejuvenating leisure spots are providing a perfect home to alcohol-free gatherings. Read more about the rising trend here.

Tokyo's transparent toilets use smart, automatic glass to make cleanliness visible

Dubbed the Tokyo Toilet project, this initiative installs restrooms whose walls are transparent when empty, so users can see whether they are clean and safe. When they lock, they turn opaque for privacy. Beyond addressing two key anxieties (hygiene and security), the project lends a distinct architectural prestige to typically banal (and reviled) toilets.

A list of five everyday products that rely on radioactivity, including exit signs and gemstones

Like some glow-in-the-dark wristwatches, some exit signs contain sealed tubes of tritium—radioactive hydrogen gas—which emit low-energy beta particles that react with surrounding elements to produce light, making them visible without batteries. In smoke detectors, smoke particles disrupt the steady flow of ions generated by americium-241.

See images of the spring break scene of the '80s

The Sears catalog sold some weird products before it folded, including drugs

At various times in its existence, the Sears catalog sold everything from heroin to tombstones. But by the 2000s, the catalog was no longer in publication.

The history of many kitchen appliances involves unexpected discoveries and applications, including wartime radar turned hamster defroster and replacing an 'ice king' with heat-stealing boxes.

The 1960s through 1980s are generally considered the ‘Golden Age of Advertising’

This time period spawned some of history’s most well-known ad campaigns, from "I Heart NY" to Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. In this video from the 4As (the American Association of Advertising Agencies), advertising executive Jerry Della Femina reflects on the most creative ads of the era.

How smooth jazz took over the '90s

As jazz entered the '70s, it was at a crossroads. While the genre's figureheads explored fusion and free jazz, which intentionally flouted mainstream convention, other artists began veering towards pop. Eventually, that sound would be called "smooth jazz."

Q-tips, invented in the 1920s, were first called 'Baby Gays'

After an immigrant from Poland observed his wife's method of wrapping a wad of cotton around a toothpick to clean their newborn daughter Betty's eyes, ears, and elsewhere during bathing he marketed the product in the mid-1920s as "Baby Gays." The later "Q-tip" name has competing origin stories—with the "q" standing for "quality" or, alternatively, it's a play on "Cutie-Tips" reportedly because Betty was a cute baby.

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

Atari's 'Pong', VCRs, and CD players all launched at CES

This roundup highlights major tech milestones at CES, including the launch of the Nintendo NES in 1985, the DVD in 1996, and the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift in 2013.

The men’s underwear index predicts recessions based on men’s underwear sales

Internet users have been using some nontraditional indicators to predict whether a recession is imminent, including the return of so-called “recession pop.”

In its famous catalog, Sears sold $600 DIY house kits from 1908 through the 1940s, resulting in an estimated 100,000 'Sears and Roebuck homes.'

Danish cookies became a treasured Lunar New Year gift, thanks to their unique tin container

Hong Kong experienced an economic boom in the 1970s, which led to snacking, including on Western foods, becoming a cultural norm. Kjeldsens butter cookies became a popular treat, and their packaging, a distinct tin container, presented them as more refined than a simple snack. Instead, they were considered a worthwhile present for Lunar New Year.

Bath bombs can produce endothermic reactions that cool water

In bath bombs containing citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, water facilitates the reaction between the bicarbonate and acid, providing energy as the salt dissolves. The loss of energy in the water reduces the average speed of the water molecules, reducing the temperature of the bath.

Watch what it’s like to spend a day on the International Space Station

Microgravity makes personal care more complex on the International Space Station, where stray, floating materials must be captured to prevent them from entering vents and clogging filtration vents. No-rinse shampoo, water pouches, and other strategies help minimize obstructions.

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.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

70 years ago today, city officials in Santa Cruz, California, banned rock 'n' roll to protect its youth from corruption after witnessing a 'provocative' concert the night before.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

Jimmy Carter signed a 1978 bill that legalized home brewing, a move credited with kick-starting the craft beer industry.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Massive 3D printers have been used to build homes by stacking layers of 'concrete toothpaste,' a fire-resistant material that effectively insulates against outside noise.

Hear 50 years of iconic hip-hop samples, the genre's foundational looped tracks

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

See 33 images that became central to huge scandals, including a young Charles and Camilla, Michael Jackson's baby on a hotel balcony, and Hugh Grant's mugshot.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Graffiti dates back to at least ancient Pompeii, where citizens scrawled messages to one another on public walls

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.'

In preparation for this weekend's Eurovision finale, which is something like the World Cup of pop music, here's a young Céline Dion performing (for Switzerland?) at the 1988 competition.

The 1987 Nintendo video game 'Stadium Events' isn't known for being particularly fun, but its scarcity has made it a highly sought-after item that has sold for up to $35K at auction.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

Some researchers have labeled nomophobia, the fear of being without your phone, as 'the phobia of the 21st century.'

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

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

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