Motorcycles are not merely part of the iconography of culture. They are also among the many inventions woven into the fabric of history, and they reflect the spirit of freedom and adventure of the historical figures who rode them. How well do you know your motorcycles in history?
Category Archives: History
Quiz: American motorcycle manufacturers (that no longer exist)
In the beginning, it was down to a bunch of backyard grease monkeys, factory owners and manufacturing magnates to kit-bash, jury-rig and cobble together the first motorized two-wheelers. Although few of them stayed in the game, their legends live on in the steel and chrome of today’s hogs, choppers and scoots. How well do you remember the now-defunct greats?
American motorcycle manufacturers (that no longer exist) quiz
Which single piece of currency is worth the most?
Daniel Webster once said, “He who tampers with the currency robs labor of its bread.” That might be true, but it hasn’t prevented governments at home and abroad from revaluating, reissuing and just generally messing with these printed portraits of presidents and potentates. Was there ever a $100,000 bill? Find out as I reveal…
From the clubhouse to the moon
Whether you regard golf as the epitome of Zen mind or, as Mark Twain put it, “a good walk spoiled,” you’ve probably wondered where and how such a peculiar pastime originated. Who would devise a sport that “consists of putting little balls into little holes with instruments very ill adapted to [the] purpose,” as one Oxford tutor noted? And furthermore, who thought that an expanse of hummocky, pitted grassland would make an ideal setting for it?
The Scots, that’s who.
Actually, the origins of golf are not quite that cut-and-dried. You might be surprised at who lays claim to the sport’s origin. You might also be astounded at the long history of women and minorities on the links, and some of the historic traditions and great players that have made the game what it is today.
Island vacations that feel so fine you can’t control your brain
Island vacationers don’t just want to get away from it all. They want to get far, far away from anything resembling it all—preferably in some idyllic spot that offers natural beauty, soothing surf and diverse diversions when needed. In this article, I’ll break down my picks for the 10 best island options, taking into account factors such as fun, history, access, privacy, cost, popularity, beauty, climate, amenities and, of course, that elusive “wow factor.”