History

In Latin, 'trivium' (tri + via = three + road) referred to the junction where three roads met — a crossroads or small public square where people gathered to gossip and exchange minor information. From this, 'trivialis' came to mean 'commonplace, found everywhere'. In the medieval curriculum, 'trivium' also named the three foundational liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, and logic.

In 1995, Pierre Omidyar created 'AuctionWeb' (later renamed eBay) and listed a broken laser pointer as a test. It sold for $14.83. When he contacted the buyer to confirm they understood it was broken, the buyer replied: 'I'm a collector of broken laser pointers.' Omidyar called it the moment he realized there was an online market for everything.

The Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations drank cacao for over 3,500 years — but their version was cold, bitter, and spiced with chili and cornmeal, often frothed by pouring between vessels. Europeans added sugar and heat only after the 16th century. The word 'chocolate' comes from the Nahuatl word 'xocolatl'.

In 1787, clockmaker Levi Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire, built the first known personal alarm clock. However, it could only ring at 4:00 AM — the time he needed to wake up for work. He never patented or commercialized the invention. The first adjustable alarm clock was patented in 1847 by Antoine Redier in France.

In 1989, British engineer Tim Berners-Lee proposed a hypertext information system at CERN to help scientists share data. The first website went live in 1991. Rather than patent the technology and become a billionaire, he and CERN released it into the public domain in 1993. Experts estimate his invention would have been worth trillions.

In 1762, John Montagu — the 4th Earl of Sandwich — reportedly asked for sliced meat placed between two pieces of bread so he could eat without leaving the gambling table. The story was recorded by explorer Edward Gibbon. Others may have eaten similar food before, but the Earl's habit popularized the name.

The Great Fire of London (September 2–6, 1666) destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, and most of the medieval city. Yet official death records list only 6 confirmed fatalities. Modern historians believe the true toll was much higher — excavations have found human remains — but the deaths of the poor and lower classes were not documented.

In 1957, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes sealed two shower curtains together with trapped air bubbles, intending to create a trendy 3D textured wallpaper. It failed as wallpaper and as greenhouse insulation. IBM eventually discovered its use as protective packaging for the IBM 1401 computer, launching the packaging industry as we know it.

Posthumous marriage has been legal in France under Article 171 of the Civil Code since 1959, when it was first used after the Malpasset dam disaster. To marry someone who has died, you must prove the couple intended to marry before the death, and the marriage requires presidential approval.

On June 26, 1974, at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum became the first product in history to have its barcode scanned at a checkout. The scanner used laser technology from NCR Corporation. That historic pack of gum is now displayed in the Smithsonian Institution.