Awesome Weird History

Tic Tacs are one of the world’s most popular breath fresheners. How did these little pill-shaped mints come to be? Weird History Food takes us all the way back to the origins of bad breath control and its evolution toward the minty flavors we know today. It turns out the same company that created Nutella and Kinder eggs came up with the Tic Tac.

Coca-Cola sells billions of cases of Diet Coke every year. How did the drink that replaced Tab in the 1980s become a sweet and fizzy juggernaut? Weird History Foods looks at the origins of carbonated beverages and low-calorie soft drinks and how Diet Coke achieved its cult-like status to leapfrog its competition.

Turkey is so closely associated with Thanksgiving that many call it “Turkey Day.” Weird History Food explores the origins of this traditional holiday meal. Historians don’t know if the pilgrims ate turkey during their celebratory feast, but that’s what we ended up with as the nation broke away from England and wanted to dine on a bird that’s more distinctly American.

Beer has been around for thousands of years, and it’s been a social lubricant for everyone from frat boys to world leaders. Weird History Food explores a few interesting facts about the bubbly brew from its origins in China and Mesopotamia through its spread around the globe to become the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage.

Stop signs are red and blue jeans are blue. But how did those universal colors come to be? Weird History dives into the origin stories of various human-made items and how they ended up being the colors they are, from yellow-green tennis balls to pink bubble gum to white doctor’s coats.