1

European origins

Image: Martin Zenker

Lawns — and by lawns we mean closely mown grassy spaces — began appearing in 17th- and 18th-century Britain and France as signs of wealth. This was because only aristocrats or large estates could afford to keep grass short and manageable.

Before mechanized tools, scythes, shears, or grazing animals were used to maintain lawns, so turf was largely limited to those who could own the necessary manpower or animals. Early American colonists imported these aesthetics and tried to replicate them in their architecture and homes, albeit less formally.

2

Public parks set the bar

Image: Carl Newton

Early urban park designers, strongly influenced by European landscaping ideas, laid out wide expanses of turf in city parks, showing the public a "civilized" green aesthetic. That made clipped lawns part of the civic-space ideal, and not just a private luxury.

These parks helped cement the association between grass lawns, order, leisure, and modern urban life in American culture.

3

Mechanical breakthroughs

Image: Daniel Watson

In 1830, English engineer Edwin Beard Budding patented the first mechanical lawn mower, inspired by a wool-mill reel used to trim cloth.

Budding’s design used a cylinder of blades powered by a rear roller, making it easier to cut grass evenly, and largely replaced laborious scything or grazing, cutting down the cost of maintaining such status symbols in the process.

4

Et pluribus lawnus

Image: Gang Hao

Once affordable lawn mowers—including lighter push-mower variants in America—became popular, maintaining a lawn became feasible for aspiring middle-class homeowners.

This sparked a major transformation in both private and public architecture, as many well-to-do homes that before could not afford it began attempting to replicate the European lawn style in some fashion or another.

5

Suburban dreams

Image: Venrick Azcueta

For decades, lawns remained a steady feature of American architecture and green-space design; however, it wasn’t until after WWII that the true lawn boom began. Returning veterans and government-backed mortgages fueled rapidly expanding suburbs.

Developer William Jaird Levitt and his company built thousands of nearly identical homes, each with its own front and back lawn. By the 1950s and ’60s, lawns had become central to the "American Dream," symbolizing stability, middle-class respectability, and neighborhood uniformity.

6

A bit of chemical help

Image: Victor Furtuna

After the war, synthetic fertilizers (derived partly from wartime chemical technologies) became widely available to consumers, enabling lush, uniform lawns even in soil and climate conditions unsuited to grass.

This lowered the barrier to achieving a "perfect" lawn, further popularizing lawns as part of the American identity and raising the expectations of what the perfect lawn should look like.

7

Begone, pesky weeds!

Image: Dmitry Burdakov

In addition to fertilizers, in 1944, researchers discovered 2,4‑Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), the first widely effective selective herbicide — killing broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses largely unharmed.

Deployed commercially soon after WWII, 2,4-D made maintaining uniform, weed-free lawns much easier and was quickly adopted in home lawn products.

8

Thou shalt keep thy lawn green

Image: Tiago Rodrigues

As suburbs proliferated, lawn maintenance became a shared social norm — homeowners' associations and neighborhood covenants often started to expect regular mowing and upkeep.

Keeping a well-groomed lawn became not just an aesthetic choice but also a mark of civic responsibility and conformity to norms.

9

Environmental worries

Image: Rémi Müller

By the mid- to late 20th century, the ecological cost of the lawn aesthetic became visible: heavy water use for irrigation, chemical runoff from fertilizers and herbicides, and reduced biodiversity as a consequence.

These drawbacks spurred both scientific and public debate about the sustainability of the traditional lawn model — especially in water-scarce regions, where it was both impractical and resource-intensive.

10

The birth of mixed lawns

Image: Ruben Sukatendel

Growing environmental awareness, droughts, and changing tastes have prompted many homeowners and municipalities to adopt drought-tolerant landscaping, native plants, or mixed-species yards instead of the traditional uniform turf.

As a result, today the "ideal lawn" is evolving as we speak: classic turfgrass still remains common, but alternative yard styles now offer more varied ecological, economic, and aesthetic options.

1

The horse diaper

Image: Lucia Macedo

Designed to catch manure in crowded cities—a problem once so severe that it shaped public infrastructure as well as the entrances to houses—the horse diaper was an invention meant to be strapped beneath working horses pulling carts and carriages.

The idea was to reduce disease and street filth during the horse-powered urban era. While the device saw limited use before automobiles rapidly replaced horses, similar designs are still occasionally used in modern veterinary practice.

2

The baby cage

Image: Taylor Flowe

Built as wire cages attached to apartment windows, so-called "baby cages" allowed infants to get fresh air when outdoor space was unavailable. Some models were guaranteed to safely hold over 30 pounds.

While alarming today and ultimately abandoned due to obvious safety concerns, the designs likely inspired some of the baby-proofing nets used today.

3

The pneumatic subway

Image: Eddi Aguirre

In the late 1860s, American entrepreneur and inventor Alfred Ely Beach set out to prove the feasibility of a human-sized pneumatic subway system beneath New York City, capable of moving both people and cargo using nothing more than air pressure.

The prototype was set up as a public attraction and carried passengers along a tunnel just over 300 feet long, from a station to a dead end. Despite its initial success, bureaucratic obstacles and high costs halted expansion, leaving it as a functional but largely forgotten underground experiment.

4

The mechanical horse

Image: Gabriel Tovar

Created for exercise and riding practice, the mechanical horse used a system of gears, cranks, and pedals to simulate walking and trotting motions while the rider sat in a saddle-like seat. It was marketed to urban riders and cavalry trainees who lacked access to stables or live horses.

Though bulky and impractical for widespread use, the device anticipated modern fitness machines by replicating real-world movements for conditioning and skill retention, rather than simple repetitive exercise.

5

The first metal detector

Image: Fer Troulik

After a failed assassination attempt on President James Garfield, Alexander Graham Bell hastily built an early metal detector in an effort to locate the bullet lodged in his body. The device functioned as intended, but it was unable to find the bullet because metal bed springs interfered with the signal.

Despite this setback, Bell’s early design proved the concept and directly influenced the development of modern metal detectors.

6

The pet-powered butter churn

Image: Matt Bero

In an inventive twist on animal-powered machinery, some 19th-century American farmers rigged small treadwheels for dogs, cats, or even goats to generate kinetic energy for churning butter. The animal ran inside the wheel, turning a rope or pulley connected to the churn.

While technically functional, the system was limited by the animal's willingness to cooperate and the small amount of power it generated.

7

The umbrella hat

Image: Claudio Schwarz

Robert W. Patten, often called the "Umbrella Man," patented one of the first commercially successful hands-free umbrella hats. It strapped a small umbrella directly to the wearer’s head, providing both sun and rain protection while keeping the hands free for work or walking.

His original design even included a mosquito net attached to the canopy. Patten didn’t enjoy much commercial success but became somewhat of an eccentric and comical popular figure, partly due to a series of comics that were inspired by his unusual invention.

8

The one-wheel motorcycle

Image: CJ Toscano

In 1971, American inventor Kerry McLean built and refined a monowheel—a one‑wheeled motorized vehicle in which the rider and engine sit inside the wheel’s circumference.

Since then, various attempts have been made to build on his original design, but it remains a niche vehicle used primarily for entertainment rather than practicality, as riders must be highly skilled simply to turn or even stay upright.

9

The first talking doll

Image: Holly Ward

In 1890, Thomas Edison embedded miniature versions of one of his most popular inventions —the phonograph—inside dolls so they could recite nursery rhymes.

While the idea was innovative, the technology was not yet there. The recordings were fragile, distorted, and often failed to work properly. The dolls were pulled from the market within weeks due to customer complaints, making it one of Edison’s rare commercial failures.

10

The glass harmonica

Image: Francesco Bovolin

Faithful to his eccentricity and inventive spirit, Benjamin Franklin redesigned the existing glass harp into a rotating spindle of glass bowls, played by touching the spinning rims with wet fingers, which he called the "glass harmonica."

The instrument produced eerie, sustained tones unlike anything else of its era. However, its fragile nature made it somewhat impractical, and the rotating mechanism posed a potential danger to the player if anything went wrong.

1

A rivalry becomes a business success

During the Great Depression, Harland Sanders ran a humble Shell station in Corbin, Kentucky. Back then, business was cutthroat, and Sanders found himself in a bitter feud with Matt Stewart, a rival gas station owner who kept painting over Sanders’ highway signs to redirect traffic. After several warnings went unheard, Sanders marched over to confront Stewart.

When Stewart was caught in the act, a physical confrontation quickly escalated. Stewart drew a pistol and shot a Shell manager who was accompanying Sanders, killing him on the spot. Sanders retaliated by firing back and wounding Stewart, who was later arrested and sentenced to prison for murder. With his main competitor safely behind bars, Sanders was able to expand his service station, perfect his pressure-frying method, and ultimately transform his business into a massive commercial success.

2

The KFC you know today exists thanks to Wendy’s

Although you may view KFC and Wendy’s as distinct competitors, the reality is that the chicken giant owes its structural identity to Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s. In the 1960s, Thomas worked as a head chef and regional manager for the Colonel’s franchises.

He was a marketing whiz who personally convinced Colonel Sanders to star in his own television commercials, cementing his status as a living mascot. Furthermore, Thomas created the iconic red and white striped bucket design. He became so wealthy from his shares and success at KFC that he used his payout to establish his own burger empire, Wendy’s, in 1969.

3

The secret recipe's security

The legendary blend of "11 herbs and spices" is one of the most famously guarded secrets. Did you know KFC keeps the recipe locked inside a top-secret vault at the corporate headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky?

The vault, encased in thick layers of concrete, is protected by motion sensors, security cameras, and 24/7 guards. To ensure the formula is never leaked, KFC splits the production pipeline: two different companies are hired to mix separate halves of the spice blend. Neither company knows the other's ingredients, and a computer system automatically combines the two halves before the seasoning is shipped out to individual franchises.

4

KFC for Christmas in Japan

In the United States, a Christmas dinner consists of roasted turkey or ham. In Japan, however, Nativity food comes in a cardboard bucket. This wild tradition dates back to 1974, sparked by Takeshi Okawara, the manager of the country's first KFC branch.

After overhearing homesick Western expats lamenting how difficult it was to source a holiday turkey in Japan, Okawara launched the national "Kentucky for Christmas" campaign, which exploded into a cultural phenomenon. Today, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families celebrate Christmas Eve with KFC, with patrons placing their orders months in advance to avoid long lines.

5

Colonel Sanders hated KFC

By 1964, 73-year-old Colonel Snaders felt he was no longer cut out for the pace of corporate life. He sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken company to a group of investors for $2 million, under a contract that allowed the brand to continue using his likeness.

As executives changed the original recipes to cut costs, Sanders grew to hate the food KFC was serving. He began travelling the country, showing up unannounced at franchises to taste the food, throw public tantrums, and openly tell the media that the new gravy tasted like "wallpaper paste" or "sludge". He even attempted to open a rival restaurant and sued KFC for using his image, leading the company to counter-sue him. Eventually, KFC paid him an additional million dollars just to stop making public scenes.

6

KFC Double Down

KFC has never been afraid of pushing nutritional boundaries, but in 2010 they certainly hit another level. The Double Down features bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, and a Colonel's special sauce encased between two seasoned, crispy slabs of fried chicken breast instead of bread buns.

The item sparked a media frenzy, with health advocates calling it a dietary disaster and foodies treating it as a dare. Ultimately, it proved to be a commercial hit. As it turns out, when it comes to extreme fast food, consumers are more than willing to ignore the carbs in favor of deliciousness.

7

That time KFC ran out of chicken

A fried chicken restaurant running out of its main ingredient sounds like a nightmare, but in 2018, it became real for KFC in the United Kingdom. In an effort to optimize logistics and save money, management switched its delivery contract to DHL. The transition went completely wrong, resulting in a supply chain jam that left over 900 UK locations with no chicken to fry.

Hundreds of stores were forced to shut down temporarily, sparking nationwide outrage, with desperate citizens even calling the police to complain. KFC managed to restore its reputation by leaning into self-deprecating humor, purchasing newspaper advertisements that featured an empty bucket rearranged to read "FCK".

8

The problem with the slogan in Chinese

When international fast food brands began expanding into foreign territories in the late 1980s, errors were very common. KFC experienced this firsthand when it opened its first store in Beijing, China, in 1987. The company wanted to proudly display its world-famous catchphrase, "Finger-Lickin' Good", to tempt local diners.

Unfortunately, due to an oversight in Mandarin translation, the slogan was literally translated to "Eat Your Fingers Off". While the phrase initially startled and amused local consumers, the brand quickly corrected the translation mishap to something more culturally appropriate and appetizing.

9

KFC's video game

Decades after the Colonel’s passing, KFC’s marketing division decided to lean into modern internet subcultures. In 2019, the brand shocked the gaming community by releasing an official, anime-style video game titled I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator.

Developed as a visual novel, the free game places the player in a culinary school alongside a young and handsome romanticized version of Colonel Sanders. The goal of the game is to successfully navigate cooking school battles while attempting to woo the chicken chef. Against all odds, the game became a viral sensation.

10

KFC releases its own console

Following the unexpected success of their video game, KFC’s marketing team announced the KFConsole in 2020. Many assumed it was an April Fool’s joke, but it turned out to be a genuine gaming PC.

The most bizarre feature of the console is its custom "Chicken Chamber". This specialized compartment uses the heat generated by the computer’s internal components to keep pieces of fried chicken warm and crispy while you play video games.