September 24, 1936: Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, was born in Greenville, Mississippi. His passion for puppets started in high school, and he would go on to create lovable characters such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Bert & Ernie, and Oscar the Grouch. His organizations The Jim Henson Company and the Jim Henson Read More …
September 15, 2008: After arduous but unsuccessful negotiations with the federal government and the leading investment banks of the world, Lehman Brothers files for the largest bankruptcy in American history. The company was originally founded in Montgomery, AL in 1850, and moved to New York City in 1869. The bankruptcy blindsided the American economy, leading Read More …
April 23, 1985: It was just 35 years ago today, April 23, 1985, when Coca-Cola officially launched New Coke to the world, stating that it was “smoother, rounder, yet bolder—a more harmonious flavor.” Marketers are still debating the many reasons why New Coke failed, but one reason has been attributed to the fact that the company made Read More …
June 16, 1933: Following the failure of nearly five thousand banks in 1929, which promulgated the Great Depression, the Glass-Steagall Act was signed into law. As a provision, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was established to protect bank customers’ deposits in the event of future bank failures. Source: The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Business, Labor, Read More …
June 1, 1980: With only 1.7 million viewers, the first 24-hour news cycle channel CNN was launched right here in Atlanta. The low viewership did not stop Ted Turner’s vision, and within three years, CNN gained over 33 million viewers. Now, CNN reaches hundreds of millions of households worldwide, not to mention passengers at every single Read More …
May 20, 1873: Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, both immigrants to the United States, were granted U.S. patent number 139,121 for Davis’ innovative design using rivets to reinforce stress points in pants. Davis, a tailor in Reno, Nevada, regularly bought fabric from Strauss’s dry goods store in San Francisco and had reached out to him in a Read More …
May 14 1998: Last episode of Seinfeld airs on NBC. Commercials are offered at $2M for 30 seconds. Seinfeld was slow to gain a following when it first aired on NBC July 5, 1989 but by its sixth season it was number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ran for nine seasons; the final episode was Read More …
May 1, 1931: The Empire State Building opens in New York City, standing as the tallest building in the skyline for 40 years. It is now the fifth tallest building in the United States and the 28th tallest building in the world. Opening during the Great Depression, the building has been a part of many Read More …
Nov. 21, 1995: The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 5,023.55, surpassing 5,000 for the first time. Although it took from 1972-1995 for the Dow to move from 1000 to 5000, the next few years saw a rapid rise with the Dow increasing to 10,000 in 1999. The Dow Jones Averages, 1885-1995, by Phillis S. Read More …
November 14, 1904: King C Gillette patented the Gillette razor blade. This disposable razor was the first safe alternative to the straight razor, which usually required visiting a barber. By selling the replaceable razor blade along with the permanent handle, King established a successful business model still used in razor sales today. King founded the Read More …
