Today in 1927, the release of The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie," though in Japan even silent films had voices thanks to live performers known as benshi. Plus: this month at Peddlers Village in Pennsylvania, it’s Scarecrows in the Village.

Think Again, Al Jolson: Japan’s Silent Movie Culture Is Still Going Strong (Peter Tasker)

Scarecrows in the Village (Peddlers Village)

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Today in 1932, the London newspaper The Times published its first edition with a brand new typeface: Times New Roman. And it's been a big deal ever since, even in the computer age. Plus: today in 2023, the end of a very long era for a book club in southern California.

Where Did Times New Roman Come From? (New York Public Library)

28 years ago, a book club began reading one novel. It’s finally reached the end (Orange County Register)

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Today in 1998, the debut of the Furby. This 90s phenomenon became so popular that it actually raised some concerns in the national security community. Plus: if you’re into toys cars, then you may want to head to the Matchbox Road Museum in Newfield, New Jersey.

How Old Is Your Furby? (Computer History Museum)

New Jersey’s Matchbox Road Museum Is Die-Cast Car Heaven (The Drive)

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Today in 2008, the state of Maryland formally recognized Smith Island Cake as its official state dessert. It’s yellow cake and chocolate frosting in layers and layers and layers. Plus: for inspiration on this National Homemade Cookies Day, you might try the cookie recipe that's inscribed on a gravestone in Brooklyn.

Maryland's Smith Island Cake Has A Romantic History (Southern Living)

Cemetery Recipes: Spritz Cookies (Chantal Larochelle)

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Today in 1861, the birthday of William Wrigley, Jr., who made a huge fortune selling a small product: chewing gum. But that wasn't originally the way he expected to make it big. Plus: a man driving home from a workout has a massive heart attack, but fortunately he crashed in front of a cardiologist's office.

How Wrigley Chewed Its Way to Gum Greatness (JSTOR)

Virginia man's 'miracle' survival after massive heart attack crashes car at cardiologist's doorstep (WTVR)

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Today is National Coffee Day, and there is a micronation in Sweden that has a cup of coffee on its flag, along with a cuckoo bird. Which should tell you that this is no ordinary place. Plus: a Chinese cafe chain makes a splash with a drink called Sweet Little Rain.

Önneköp (Arnold’s Cannibal Museum)

Republic of Önneköp (Atlas Obscura)

Magical Cup of Coffee Comes with Floating Cotton Candy Cloud That “Rains” Sugar (My Modern Met)

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This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from April 2019, a visit to Organ Piper Pizza, a restaurant just outside Milwaukee with a giant pipe organ. Plus: police in respond to reports of a man on a train, sharpening a big carving knife. Turns out it was just a professional ham cutter on his way to work.

Remembering the Dining Fad of ‘Pizza and Pipes’ (CityLab)

False alarm: Knife-wielding man on Metro revealed to be expert ham cutter (El Pais)

This week we're replaying some of our favorite pizza-themed episodes. In this episode from January 2020, a bold group of pizza researchers studies how to stretch your pizza budget to get the most pizza, and found that the answer is all about the geometry of circles. Plus: the Cocoa Press is a 3D printer for chocolate, freeing this popular dessert from bar shapes and other molds.

One 18″ Pizza Is More Pizza Than Two 12″ Pizzas, Math Shows Us Why – Primer Tackling the Serious Issues (Primer Magazine)

Evan and the chocolate factory (University of Pennsylvania)

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