These Weird Historical Trends Probably Wouldn't Catch On Today

Fern Collecting

Ferns might be pretty standard these days, but during the mid-1800s, Victorian women in London loved collecting ferns. This phenomenon was known as "pteridomania," or better titled as "fern fever."  Teens and young adult women loved collecting them so much, that the fern began to be used as a symbol of beauty, youth, and inhibition. Nothing says forever young like a fern, apparently.

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The More You Know

  • The "Like" button on Facebook was supposed to be the "Awesome" button.
  • Clark Kent (Superman in DC Comics) is also a character in the Marvel universe, where he's actually just a mild-mannered reporter and nothing more.
  • The horse on the Wyoming license plate is named Steamboat.
  • There is a museum of bad art.
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