In 1859 a semi-retired train conductor named Edwin Drake engineered the world's first successful oil drilling operation.
All in Discoveries
The Best Thing Since...
The machine that Otto Rohwedder created not only sliced bread, but it also wrapped it.
Science Bites Back
In 1855, contracting rabies was a death sentence. When a nine-year-old boy named Joseph Meister was bitten by a rabid dog, Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux put a revolutionary treatment to the test.
The Lost Comet
In 1770, Lexell's Comet blazed a brilliant path across the evening sky. It is noted for being the comet that came closest to the earth.
Galileo's Middle Finger
The Italian astronomer Galileo died hundreds of years ago, but he's been giving us his middle finger ever since.
The Pap in Smear
A doctor who in 1928 figured out that cervical and uterine cancer could be easily detected using a vaginal smear.
The Coso Artifact
Three rockhounds found what appeared to be a manmade piece of machinery encased in a 500,000 year old rock.
Landing on an Asteroid
The spacecraft performed a slingshot maneuver around the Earth that propelled it toward its rendezvous with a peanut-shaped rock.
The Man Behind the Maneuver
Henry Heimlich is credited with the lifesaving abdominal thrust, but that was just one of his contributions to the world.
Land of the Lizard People
Did a bunch of reptilian humanoids create a network of tunnels under Los Angeles?
The Start of the Rush
Today was the day that James Marshall found gold in California. The discovery kicked off a Gold Rush that would bring over 300,000 people to California.
King Camp Gillette
King realized that what the world needed was a razor that was sharp enough to give you a good shave, but not big enough to slice open your jugular.