The Uncommon History of Very Common Things

Give yourself a nice shave, grab a bottle of wine and make sure to use protection. SHAVING: Ancient Egyptians were shaved head to toe and wore wigs. WINE: A buttload is an actual measurement for wine, roughly 126 gallons, or 764 bottles. CONDOMS: Early condoms were made of sheep intestines, tied on with a pink ribbon...

Hide your treasure, sip your cocktail, but don't drink the water. RUM: Modern rum is a byproduct of industrial waste. PIRATES: The most successful pirate in history was a woman. SALT: The Chinese discovered natural gas and invented plumbing while mining for salt...

Grab your favorite brew, scarf down a dog and cheer on your team. BEER: In the Middle Ages, women in labor drank their own type of beer called groaning ale. HOT DOGS: Roosevelt served hot dogs to the King & Queen of England during a royal visit. FOOTBALL: Early football games involved entire towns and often resulted in deaths...

Take a puff, take a bite, and take a chance. TOBACCO: Tobacco smoke enemas were a popular cure-all in the 18th century. CHOCOLATE: Chocolate was originally a spicy chili-infused drink loved by the Mayans. GAMBLING: China helped finance the Great Wall with funds from a state lottery...

Hit the kitchen, hit the bathroom, and then hit the gym. COFFEE: The world's most expensive coffee is made from cat poop. TOILET PAPER: The first toilet paper came in giant 2' x 3' sheets. WORKING OUT: 'Gymnasium' is Greek for 'Exercise naked,' which is how they did it...

Straighten your tie, check the time and answer that call. NECKTIES: Leather neckwear worn by soldiers, stocks were so tight wearers often passed out. CLOCKS: The British government offered a prize to anyone who could invent an accurate clock. TELEPHONES: Two different people both filed patents for the telephone on the same day...

From your face, to your base, and the people who make them. EYEGLASSES: Sunglasses became popular because syphilis makes people sensitive to light. UNDERWEAR: Giant padded codpieces were popularized by King Henry VIII. MATCHMAKERS: Valentine's Day started as a Roman festival dedicated to matchmaking...

Put on your face, strike a pose and strut your stuff. COSMETICS: Smallpox marks were filled in with human fat, straight from the executioner. CAMERAS: In the Victorian era people regularly took photos with their dead relatives. HIGH HEELS: Originally worn by men, women started wearing them to look masculine...

Address that odor, clean those pearly whites and sit for a while on the throne. DEODORANT: Roll on deodorant was inspired by the ballpoint pen. TOOTHPASTE: Children's edible toothpaste was invented by NASA for astronauts. TOILETS: Ancient Romans used outdoor communal toilets where men would also meet...

Travel by air, travel by land, or travel by sea. BALLOONS: The Union Army had a Balloon Corps during the American Civil War. BICYCLES: Cars and airplanes were made possible using technology invented for bicycles. SURFING: Innovations in surfboards were based on stolen Nazi technology after WWII...