21 Facts about the Dark Origins of Everyday Things

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published July 23, 2025

First developed in China around the 15th century, toothbrushes originally had bristles made from the stiff hairs on the back of a pig's neck._[4]
The beaked masks of the Plague Doctor Bird Costume in the 17th century was an early attempt at air filtration. The beak was also filled with aromatic herbs, which helped boost the Europe's perfume industry._[2][19]
According to a Irish myth, a man named "Stingy Jack" tricked the devil and was condemned to roam the earth with only a carved turnip and burning coal as a light. This led to the modern-day story of the "Jack-O-Lantern."_[8]
Teddy bears are named after U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a bear that had been tied to a tree. A candy shop owner decided to create a stuffed toy bear in the president's honor and named it "Teddy's Bear."_[20]

Monopoly was originally called "The Landlord's Game"

Created in 1903, Monopoly was originally called the "Landlord's Game." It was designed to highlight the negative effects of unregulated capitalism._[12]
The ancient Aztecs viewed chocolate as food for the gods. As a symbol of the human heart and as a container for sacred liquid, chocolate was also included in human sacrifices._[3]
The invention of high heels is rooted in men's power. Royal men wore them to appear taller and more powerful. Cavalry soldiers wore them to lock into the stirrups, so they could be more stable when they shot their bow and arrows._[16]
Treadmills were invented as a punishment for prisoners in the early 19th century. Today, treadmills are used as medical diagnostic tools and fitness equipment._[15]
After seeing a man die from an accidental electrocution, dentist Alfred Southwick invented the electric chair. He thought it was a more humane method of execution than hanging._[21]
Invented in 12th-century China, sunglasses were used to hide the emotions of legal officials._[1]
The face of CPR dummy "Resusci Annie" is the face of an unknown French woman who was found dead in the Seine. A pathologist made the death mask, which soon became a pop culture icon. In the 1950s, a toy maker used the face to develop the modern CPR training manikin because her face was so serene and pleasant._[5]

The creators of the CPR dummy ("Resusci Annie") modeled her face after the death mask of an unknown French girl who drowned in Paris in the 19th century

WD-40 was invented to keep rust from forming on the Atlas missile, America's first intercontinental ballistic missile._[17]
The Kimberly-Clark company invented the material used in Kleenex tissues (Cellucotton) as a cotton substitute for medical dressings and gas mask filters._[10]
In the 1930s, BPA (Bisphenol A) was originally targeted to be an estrogen substitute for women's reproductive health, including as a treatment for postmenopausal women. However, it was found to be less effective than another synthetic (DES), so it was used as a way to create plastics instead._[6]
Pillows first emerged in Mesopotamia around 7000 BC as stone structures designed to keep insects away from people's hair, mouths, noses, and ears while sleeping. The Greeks and Romans were the first to think of putting softer material in the pillows to make them more comfortable._[18]
Sylvester Graham, a 19th-century Presbyterian minister invented graham crackers. He believed bland food, such as crackers, would help cure masturbation, while more rich foods would inflame carnal desires._[9]
Nazi Germany created the popular soda drink Fanta after a WWII embargo blocked the shipment of Coca Cola into the country._[14]
The word "deadline" is from the Civil War term for a line around a camp. If someone crossed that line, they would be shot._[22]

Deadlines were a form of crowd control in Civil War military prisons as well. In this illustration, a prisoner is being shot at the deadline in the Andersonville prison

Lysol was originally marketed as a feminine hygiene product in the early 20th century. It was heavily advertised as way to maintain "feminine freshness" and "marital happiness."_[11]
The protective seal on over-the-counter medications was invented because of the "Tylenol murders" in 1982, when cyanide-laced Tylenol pills killed seven people._[13]
In 1879, Dr. Joseph Lawrence invented Listerine as an antiseptic for surgery. The antiseptic was also the first prescription medicine to be sold over the counter to sanitize the mouth.
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