Fascinating Facts About Everyday Life in Ancient Rome

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Ancient Roman history is usually dominated by larger-than-life rulers such as Julius Caesar and eloquent senators such as Cicero. However, these men led an empire of millions of everyday citizens who were usually less concerned with conquering the world than they were with putting bread on the table and simply enjoying life. A look at the lives of typical Roman citizens reveals a culture that in many fundamental ways is not so different from ours; the ancient Romans worked, played, socialized, and expressed themselves — albeit often quite rudely. Here are six facts that offer a glimpse of what it was like to be an average citizen in one of the world’s largest and most influential empires.

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No Matter Where You Went, You Could Always Find a Public Bath

The Romans were masterful architects of public baths, called thermae. These were complex facilities with elaborate heating systems where Romans from all walks of life came together to relax, socialize, and of course, get clean. Bathing in the Roman thermae wasn’t just a simple dip in the water — there was a whole process involved. A visitor would begin by doing some light exercise followed by a hot bath, then a warm bath, and then a cold bath; they could also spend time in a steam room or get a massage. Public baths were a central part of Roman culture, and some citizens even considered them a symbol of Roman identity. In fact, baths were such an essential component of daily life that they were built in nearly every part of the Roman Empire, even in its most remote regions. Roman thermae could be found as far north as the British Isles and as far south as Egypt.

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The Empire’s Cities Were Filled With Graffiti

Archaeological evidence from well-preserved ancient Roman cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum reveals that, much like people in modern society, the denizens of ancient Rome liked to express themselves through some good old-fashioned graffiti. Since the ancient Romans lived a few millennia before the invention of spray paint, they had to make do by scratching and carving their designs and messages into plaster surfaces around the empire’s cities. Graffiti carved by everyday Romans can be found on the walls of bars, public baths, and other places where people commonly went to socialize. Ancient Roman street art ranged from simple drawings of stick figures and animals to colorful, R-rated jokes and insults. While some of the more famous Romans, such as emperors and statesmen, were commemorated through huge monuments and stately statues, graffiti was often a common person’s best shot at leaving their mark on the world, and many ancient graffiti artists included their names in the messages they left, to be remembered by future generations — even if it was just for a rude boast or scatological joke.

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5 Ways the 1970s Changed Television

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The first commercial televisions were released to the American public in 1938, and if TV was in its infancy in the ’40s, growing up through the 1950s and ’60s, the ’70s were kind of like an adolescence: The medium got a little edgier, experimenting with new approaches and pushing social boundaries. The decade marked a turning point for the small screen, ushering in the modern era of TV we know today. Here are five ways the 1970s changed television.

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Prime Time Got Real

Compared to the wholesome, idyllic worlds created in 1960s TV shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Leave It to Beaver, the shows of the ’70s were shocking in their realism, thanks in large part to writer and producer Norman Lear. He created a string of hit series such as All in the Family, Good Times, and Maude that were groundbreaking in their depictions of racial tensions, marital problems, and class struggles — all while being some of the funniest shows of all time. All in the Family starred a politically incorrect Archie Bunker espousing opinions and using language that had not been heard on “polite” TV before. The series was the top-rated show in the U.S. from 1971 to ’76, a record run at the time.

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7 Ways the Year 1968 Changed America

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It’s been referred to as the year that changed America: In 1968, the United States experienced an unprecedented upheaval of long-held values and practices that left an indelible — and still reverberating — mark on the country. Facing the assassinations of beloved leaders, protests against the Vietnam War and racial inequality, and a major shift in media and pop culture, the nation was forced to confront some of its most deeply rooted issues, and evolve in the process. While the year was marked by tragedy and division, it also led to significant progress in civil rights and political activism, inspiring a generation of Americans to fight for equality and justice, and in turn, reshape the country's social landscape. Here are seven events from 1968 that changed America.

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Richard Nixon Became President After a Divisive Election

The 1968 presidential election is still considered one of the most contentious and divisive elections in U.S. history. In March, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he would not be seeking reelection. In the ensuing months, America’s opposition to the Vietnam War escalated, and the stunning assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy sent the country into angry unrest. An already tense political climate was thrown into chaos when anti-war protesters clashed with police outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In the end, a fraught and uninspiring race between Republican candidate Richard Nixon, Democrat Hubert Humphrey, and segregationist George Wallace ended in a victory for Nixon. The contentious nature of the election contributed to a deepening sense of political polarization in the United States.

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6 Facts About the Golden Age of Hollywood

Hollywoodland sign in 1924
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When we think of Hollywood’s heyday, we’re often recalling those classics of the 1930s and ’40s that many of us watched long after they were shown in the theater. From King Kong and It Happened One Night to Casablanca and Citizen Kane, the films of the industry’s golden era still enchant and entertain. And it’s not just the movies themselves that have stood the test of time. We’re still captivated by the era’s shining stars, be it the love story of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, the bubbly innocence of Shirley Temple, or the rugged good looks of Clark Gable.

Some film historians believe that Hollywood’s golden age was ushered in by the silent films that gave us Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp and the improvisational comedy of the Marx Brothers. Others say it was 1927’s The Jazz Singer that kicked off the era, by introducing the wonder of the “talkies.” One thing is for sure: Each exciting new production found an ever-growing audience, worn down by the harsh realities of war and the Great Depression, that couldn’t get enough of the sophisticated characters, slapstick humor, swoon-worthy romances, and faraway locales that only Hollywood could deliver. For those of us who still can’t get enough of the fascinating world of Hollywood, here are six fun facts about filmmaking’s glitziest era.

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5 Puzzling Facts About the History of Crossword Puzzles

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For many wordsmiths, crossword puzzles are a beloved daily ritual. Waking up, brewing a cup of coffee, and doing the crossword in the morning is considered by some to be the perfect way to start the day. Yet there was a time not so long ago when these puzzles were considered a novelty.

The modern crossword puzzle is barely over a century old, though it was inspired in part by word puzzles such as Sator squares that date back as far as ancient Pompeii. It wasn’t until 1913 that crossword puzzles as we know them today began to take shape, and their popularity only boomed from there. These brain teasers aren’t just a great way to challenge the mind — they also boast a fascinating history full of trivia that may surprise even the most avid puzzlers out there. Here are five fun facts about the history of crossword puzzles.

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