Twelve U.S. presidents never earned a college degree, the latest being Harry S. Truman.
Corinne “Coco” Schwab, David Bowie’s personal assistant and best friend, was born in the stockroom at Bloomingdale’s.
An early photo of Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies, was prominently featured in the 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life. A more modern version was one of the first images captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The quintet was first discovered by Édouard Stephan in 1877.
In the 19th century, abortion was a common form of birth control and even accepted by the church. The procedure was often safer than childbirth. Many women induced abortions on their own using drugs or herbs, and wisdom passed from one generation to another.
In the ancient world, the now extinct herb silphium was used as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, and medicine. Pliny the Elder reported the last known silphium plant was given to Emperor Nero as a curiosity.
This article appears in July 22 • 2022.