1

He secretly wrote under a woman's name

While most of today's teenagers are finishing high school and wondering what their first job might be, Benjamin Franklin was already writing newspaper columns under a secret identity .

At just 16, Franklin began writing a series of satirical letters to his older brother James’s newspaper, the New-England Courant in Boston. He wrote them under the name Silence Dogood, a fictional middle-aged woman who offered witty observations about colonial life, morality, and politics. But the public wasn’t the only one "fooled" by the writer. Franklin secretly slipped the letters under the printing-house door at night so his brother wouldn’t know who was behind them. James and his friends enjoyed the letters so much that they published them without realizing that their teenage apprentice was the author. Young Benjamin eventually revealed the secret, and according to historical sources, his brother was not amused.

2

He loved "air baths"

As a Founding Father, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Postmaster General of the United States, and U.S. ambassador to France, we know plenty about Benjamin Franklin’s public life, but much less about his everyday habits.

One of the strangest was what he called his "air baths." In a letter from 1768, Franklin explained that he disliked the shock of cold-water baths. Instead, every morning he would get out of bed, remove all his clothes, and sit by the open window of his bedroom for up to an hour while he read, wrote, and worked. He believed that exposing his body to fresh air helped keep him healthy. But what’s interesting is that, despite his dislike of cold water, he still bathed regularly, and later became a fan of warm baths after experiencing them while serving as ambassador to France .

3

He dropped out of school when he was 10

Despite being one of the most intelligent and well-educated men of his time, Benjamin Franklin left school when he was still a child.

Few people know that Franklin attended grammar school for only about two years before leaving formal education at around age 10 because his family could no longer afford to keep him in school. But neither his family’s financial hardship nor his lack of formal education held him back. He educated himself through extensive reading and writing, studied science and philosophy, learned French, Italian, Spanish, and German, and eventually pursued his passion for electricity. As a consequence, the boy who had left school at 10 went on to become one of the best-known intellectuals of his era.

4

He created a musical instrument that impressed Mozart

Along with famous inventions like the lightning rod and bifocal glasses, Franklin created several other inventions that fascinated people of his time.

One of the most unusual was the "glass armonica," a musical instrument he created in 1761 while living in London, England, made of spinning glass bowls that produced tones when touched with wet fingers. The instrument became a sensation across Europe. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was so impressed that he composed Adagio and Rondo for Glass Armonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola, and Cello (K. 617) for it in 1791, and Ludwig van Beethoven also wrote music for the instrument.

5

He became a French fashion icon

Intellectual, politician, writer, inventor: these are all words that describe Benjamin Franklin. But who would have thought he was also a fashion icon?

While serving as a diplomat in France from 1776 to 1785, Franklin embraced some French customs, but he also brought a distinctly American style to Paris. At a time when the French elite wore elaborate powdered wigs, Franklin often appeared in a distinctive fur cap , which helped create his image as the charming, rustic American sage. His look became such a sensation that Parisian women began wearing tall hairstyles inspired by his fur cap, a fashion known as the coiffure à la Franklin .

6

He adopted a vegetarian lifestyle

Writing for a newspaper under a female pseudonym wasn’t the only surprising thing Franklin did at age 16.

Around that time, he also decided to become a vegetarian, something quite unusual for a young man in the early 18th century. In his Autobiography , written from 1771 until shortly before his death in 1790, Franklin recalled reading a book by Thomas Tryon that promoted a "vegetable diet" and deciding to try it. He had two good reasons: first, he disliked the idea of killing animals for food, and second, eating less meat would save money for books . But the experiment wasn't long-lasting. About a year later, during a sea voyage, Franklin watched fish being caught and noticed that some of them were eating one another. He later joked that if fish could eat each other, perhaps he could eat fish, too, and he returned to eating meat.

7

He never actually patented an invention

Inventions were a huge part of Benjamin Franklin’s life, but he didn’t make money from them . And it wasn’t because he couldn’t; he simply didn’t want to.

Franklin never patented his inventions because he believed useful ideas should be shared freely for the general good. The lightning rod, bifocals, and Franklin stove could all have brought him money, but he chose not to claim exclusive rights to them. In fact, when Pennsylvania Deputy Governor George Thomas offered him a patent monopoly for his energy-efficient stove in 1744, Franklin politely turned it down.

8

He became a millionaire, but not from inventions

Born into a humble family, Benjamin Franklin went on to become a wealthy man , but not because of his inventions.

As we’ve seen, Franklin never patented his inventions, so he didn’t make money from them. Instead, his intelligence and business sense helped him build a fortune as a printer, publisher, and investor. His Poor Richard’s Almanack, published annually from 1733 to 1758, became hugely popular, selling roughly 10,000 copies a year. Over time, Franklin accumulated enough wealth to retire from active business while he was still relatively young.

9

He made his first invention at 11 years old

Franklin invented a pair of hand paddles for swimming when he was just 11 years old. His aquatic skills later earned him an induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

10

He helped create America's first volunteer fire company

1

Postal "Army" (of Sorts)

Image: Emily Powers

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), founded in 1775, is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency . It protects the USPS, its employees, and its customers from crimes such as mail fraud, theft, and identity theft.

USPIS agents investigate mail-related crimes, provide security at postal facilities, and work to stop illegal drugs from being transported through the mail system.

2

Zip codes

Image: Tareq Ismail

ZIP codes were introduced by the USPS in 1963 to improve mail sorting and delivery. The five-digit code, short for Zone Improvement Plan, pinpoints specific geographic areas.

The digits represent a region, a city or county, and a local delivery zone . Today, ZIP codes are also used to study demographics and help businesses target mailings to particular areas.

3

The Postal Anthem

Image: Keagan Henman

The "United States Postal Service Anthem," composed by Jack Stamp (yes, that is his real name), honors the USPS and its long-standing service to the nation. It’s a musical tribute to the dedication of postal workers and the agency’s role in American life.

The lyrics highlight the USPS’s core values: honesty, integrity, and reliability, while celebrating its impact on U.S. history and everyday citizens.

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4

Guaranteed delivery

Image: Victória Kubiaki

The USPS is legally required to deliver to every U.S. address, no matter how remote . This includes over 153 million addresses, even in hard-to-reach areas.

To meet this huge challenge, USPS uses curbside mailboxes, local post offices, and partnerships with community centers. Virtual mailbox services, such as Stable, also help remote residents access and manage their mail online.

5

A lot of mail

Image: Sam LaRussa

Every day, the USPS handles over 400 million pieces of mail, including 162 million First-Class items. It delivers worldwide to more than 180 countries through its Global Express Guaranteed service and processes approximately 44% of the world’s mail . That is a lot of mail, by any standard.

To manage this massive volume, USPS uses advanced automation tools and operates over 34,000 retail locations, keeping its system fast, efficient, and reliable.

6

Going out West

Image: Jim Strasma

In the 19th century, the USPS played a vital role in developing the American West, providing new settlements with access to mail, supplies, and communication. Post offices and mail routes connected remote areas to the rest of the country.

This network helped settlers stay in touch with loved ones, receive news, and trade goods. Without the USPS, much of the frontier would have remained isolated.

7

Post office in a tavern

Image: Kevin Snow

‍ The first USPS office was established in Boston in 1775, inside a tavern associated with Benjamin Franklin , who served as the first Postmaster General. Franklin viewed mail delivery as key to America’s independence and began developing a postal network.

The office supported routes to Philadelphia and New York, and by 1789, post offices existed in all 13 colonies.

8

A floating post office

Image: Alessio Billeci

The Halibut Cove Post Office in Homer, Alaska (ZIP code 99603, in case you are interested), is unlike any other: it floats on water!

This tiny post office operates from a houseboat that’s permanently docked , serving the local community right from the harbor.

9

Bad handwriting department

Image: Kit (formerly ConvertKit)

We are not sure as to how often this happens, but it must be often. When automated equipment at a USPS processing plant cannot read a piece of letter mail, an image of the mail is captured and sent to the Remote Encoding Center (REC). At the REC, employees review the image and manually enter the address information .

The information is matched up with a valid address, the data is transmitted back to the equipment at the plant, and a barcode is printed on the letter, which can be read by the processing machines.

10

Mail a brick

Image: Math

Yes, you can mail a brick through the U.S. Postal Service. Just write the recipient’s address and return information directly on the brick with a permanent marker .

Once it’s weighed and stamped with the correct postage, your brick is ready to ship.

11

Someone mailed a kid

Image: Jonathan Borba

In 1913, shortly after the Parcel Post service began, some parents mailed their children to relatives. One baby in Ohio was sent to his grandmother just a few miles away .

The child arrived safely, but the incident led to new rules banning people from being sent through the mail.

1

Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil

The story seems almost too perfect: an obscure bluesman meets the Devil at a Mississippi crossroads, trades his soul for extraordinary musical ability, and returns as a guitar genius. Robert Johnson’s short, mysterious life made him an ideal subject for such a legend.

There is no historical evidence that Johnson ever claimed to have made such a bargain . The supernatural interpretation grew partly from songs such as "Me and the Devil Blues" and "Hell Hound on My Trail," as well as older traditions involving crossroads and Faustian bargains.

2

The FBI found dirty lyrics in "Louie Louie"

This myth has some truth to it: the FBI really did investigate a rock song because people thought its lyrics were obscene. The Kingsmen released their famously garbled version of Richard Berry’s "Louie Louie" in 1963. Soon, teenagers began passing around supposedly filthy versions of what singer Jack Ely was mumbling. A complaint eventually reached Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and federal investigators got involved.

Agents listened to the record and examined claims that its secret lyrics became clearer when the 45-rpm single was played at 33⅓ rpm. After all that effort, the FBI concluded that it could not determine that the alleged obscene words were actually being sung .

3

Gene Simmons had a cow’s tongue grafted to his own

KISS bassist Gene Simmons has one of rock’s most recognizable tongues. It became such a trademark that generations of fans wondered whether nature could really have produced it. One rumor supplied an appropriately outrageous explanation: Simmons supposedly underwent surgery and had part of a cow’s tongue grafted onto his own.

As KISS’s "Demon," he performed in makeup and armor-like costumes, breathed fire, spat theatrical blood, and repeatedly displayed that unusually long tongue. Against that background, the idea of bizarre tongue surgery somehow sounded plausible. The real explanation is considerably simpler: Simmons just has a remarkably long tongue .

4

Mamma Cass choked on a ham sandwich

Few rock myths have been as persistent, or as unfair, as the story surrounding Cass Elliot’s demise. The Mamas & the Papas singer died in London on July 29, 1974, at just 32. A ham sandwich found in her room soon became part of the story , and before long, people were saying she had choked on it.

She hadn’t. The inquest determined that Elliot died from a heart attack, and there was no evidence of food blocking her airway . Her daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, later said manager Allan Carr helped spread the sandwich explanation because he feared people would assume Elliot had died from a drug overdose. Instead, the story became an enduring and often cruel joke about the singer.

5

Alice Cooper bit the head off a live chicken

Alice Cooper’s stage shows eventually featured guillotines, fake blood, electric chairs, and plenty of other theatrical horrors. But one notorious act was never part of the show: Cooper did not bite the head off a live chicken.

The real incident happened at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival in September 1969. A live chicken somehow made its way onto the stage , with Cooper throwing it back to the crowd. By the next day, the story had mutated into Cooper slaughtering the bird himself and even drinking its blood. Frank Zappa called to ask whether the reports were true. When Cooper denied them, Zappa reportedly advised him not to correct the press.

6

KISS means "Knights In Satan’s Service"

The makeup, the fire, Gene Simmons’ Demon persona, and the lightning-bolt logo provided fertile ground for rumors about KISS. One of the longest-lasting claims was that the band’s name secretly stood for "Knights in Satan’s Service."

But that’s not true. KISS isn’t an acronym. The name emerged in 1973 while the newly formed group was searching for something to replace Wicked Lester, the name of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley’s previous band. Drummer Peter Criss mentioned that he had once played in a group called Lips. Stanley suggested going one step further: KISS . Ace Frehley later designed the famous logo, with its distinctive final two letters resembling lightning bolts.

7

Frank Zappa ate feces onstage

Frank Zappa cultivated an eccentric image. That made audiences willing to believe almost anything about him, including one especially revolting story involving an onstage gross-out competition. Different versions named different opponents, but they generally ended with Zappa supposedly eating feces.

Zappa vehemently denied the story . He once recalled encountering a musician at London’s Speakeasy club who congratulated him on the infamous stunt. When Zappa explained that it had never happened, the man was actually disappointed.

8

Marilyn Manson was Paul from The Wonder Years

According to countless schoolyard conversations, emails, and message-board posts, the nerdy Paul Pfeiffer from the ABC series The Wonder Years grew up to become shock rocker Marilyn Manson. There’s one major problem: Paul was played by Josh Saviano. Marilyn Manson was born Brian Warner. They are entirely different people.

Saviano has said he began hearing the rumor while attending college in the 1990s, just as the Internet was giving old-fashioned gossip a powerful new delivery system. His actual post- Wonder Years career was decidedly less shocking: he studied political science at Yale and later became a lawyer .

9

Jimi Hendrix gave London its wild parakeets

Anyone walking through parts of London today can encounter something unexpected overhead: flocks of brilliant green ring-necked parakeets. An explanation for this phenomenon involves Jimi Hendrix. According to the legend, Hendrix released a pair of parakeets in London in the late 1960s, and today’s population descended from them.

Scientists have investigated the story and found no evidence supporting it . Research published in the Journal of Zoology concluded that Britain’s parakeet population was more consistent with multiple escapes and deliberate releases over time rather than one rock star’s birds.

10

The Grateful Dead got their name from the Egyptian Book of the Dead

"Grateful Dead" sounds ancient, mystical, and exactly like something Jerry Garcia might have discovered in an obscure volume of esoteric wisdom. That helped produce the persistent story that the band took its name from the Egyptian Book of the Dead .

The actual source was much more familiar: a dictionary . In 1965, the group was still called the Warlocks but needed a new name. During a gathering in Palo Alto, Garcia opened a Funk & Wagnalls dictionary and encountered "grateful dead," an old folklore term involving the spirit of a deceased person rewarding someone who had performed a charitable act for the dead. The band went with it, and the rest is history.