MEMORIES
This communication device used a rotary dial before push-button phones became common.
Rotary Telephone - The iconic rotary dial with holes for your finger, as we know it today, was introduced around 1907.
This singer recorded the hit songs "Daydream Believer," and "Put your Hand in the Hand."
Anne Murray - is a legendary, multi-Grammy-winning Canadian country and pop singer who famously broke boundaries as the first Canadian female solo artist to score a No. 1 hit on the U.S. Billboard charts.
This appliance uses a magnetron to heat food quickly.
Microwave Oven - The microwave oven was invented by American engineer Percy Spencer in 1945. He accidentally discovered that electromagnetic waves from an active radar tube (magnetron) could rapidly heat food when a candy bar in his pocket melted.
This type of herb is commonly paired with tomatoes and is a key ingredient in pesto.
Basil - During the Middle Ages, the French started calling it l'herbe royale (the royal herb). In Italy, it became a romantic symbol; women would place it on windowsills to signal availability to suitors.
This Canadian physician helped found modern insulin treatment for diabetes.
Frederick Banting - Banting won the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery. This breakthrough transformed diabetes from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition, saving millions of lives globally and establishing a philanthropic precedent by intentionally keeping insulin affordable and accessible to the public.
Families often recorded favorite songs from the radio onto these portable magnetic media.
Cassette tapes - It was invented in 1962 by Dutch engineer Lou Ottens and his team at the electronics company Philips. Seeking a portable and affordable alternative to bulky reel-to-reel tapes, Ottens used a small wooden block as a physical template to size the new format.
This instrument belongs to the woodwind family and is often featured in Jazz music.
Saxophone - The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax (Antoine-Joseph Sax), a Belgian instrument maker and musician, in the early 1840s. He patented his invention on March 21, 1846, in Paris.
Before central heating became common, coal and wood was often burned in this room feature for warmth.
Fireplace - Fireplaces were predominantly replaced as the primary source of home heating during the early to mid-20th century (roughly 1920 to 1950). Innovations like cast-iron radiators, floor furnaces, and central forced-air systems made homes far more comfortable and rendered open wood-burning fires obsolete for functional heating.
This cooking method involves submerging food in hot oil.
Deep-frying - The iconic British staple of deep-fried fish and chips was born when Joseph Malin opened the country's first fish and chip shop around 1860.
This famous scientist developed the theory of relativity.
Albert Einstein - Fun Fact: Einstein published On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies in 1905, eventually laying the groundwork for modern technologies like GPS navigation, lasers, and our understanding of nuclear energy.
Before GPS, travelers often used this folded paper guide to find roads and highways.
Road Maps - FUN FACT: Mapmakers once intentionally drew fake towns, known as "paper towns" or "phantom settlements," onto road maps. These were used as copyright traps—if a rival mapmaker copied their work, the fake town would prove they stole it.
"Que Sera, Sera," was made famous by this actress and singer.
Doris Day - "Que Sera, Sera" is Doris Day’s signature song. It debuted in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 film The Man Who Knew Too Much. Despite winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song, Day initially hated it and called it a "forgettable children's song."
Guests were traditionally invited to sit in this room, sometimes called the front room.
The Parlour - Parlours became functionally extinct in everyday domestic architecture between 1900 and 1920. As society shifted away from strict Victorian formality, homes were redesigned to feature open, comfortable "living rooms" rather than rigid, off-limit rooms used only for entertaining guests or holding wakes.
What year was the first canned food preservation method was patented by Nicolas Appert?
1810 - In the early 1800s, he invented the method of preserving food by sealing it in airtight glass containers and sterilizing it in boiling water, laying the foundation for the modern food industry.
This explorer reached Newfoundland in 1497 while sailing for England.
John Cabot - He became the first recorded European to reach mainland North America in the year 1497.
Families gathered around this device for evening entertainment before television became common.
Radio - Guglielmo Marconi is credited with the first practical wireless communication system in 1895 and filed the first patent for wireless telegraphy in England in 1896.
This musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein features the songs "Do-Re-Mi" and "Edelweiss."
The Sound of Music - FUN FACT: Julie Andrews kept being knocked over by a helicopter while filming the movie's legendary opening sequence.
Before fitted closets became common, clothing was often stored in this large freestanding cabinet.
An Armoire (Wardrobe) - The armoire was popularized during the reign of King Louis XIV by André-Charles Boulle, the King's master cabinetmaker.
This Canadian province is famous for producing most of the world's maple syrup.
Quebec - Often called the "Europe of North America," it boasts unique European-style architecture and is the only province in Canada with French as its sole official language
This artist painted the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City.
Michelangelo - He spent about four years painting the ceiling of the Sistine chapel under commission from Pope Julius the Second in 1508 - 1541.
This historic event in 1969 saw humans land on Earth's natural satellite for the first time.
Apollo 11 Moon Landing - FUN FACT: Moon soil clung tightly to the astronauts' suits and tracked into the lunar module. When the cabin was re-pressurized, the dirt gave off a strong, pungent odor resembling spent fireworks or wet fireplace ashes.
This British band released hits such as "Hey Jude" and "Let it Be."
The Beatles - Paul McCartney wrote the title track after having a dream about his late mother, Mary. During a time of immense stress in the band, she offered him comfort and reassurance with the words to "let it be".
What year was the first electrical refrigerator made?
The first practical electric refrigerator for home use was invented in 1913 by American Fred W. Wolf. However, the modern vapor-compression refrigeration technology was first patented decades earlier in 1834 by Jacob Perkins. [1, 2]
This type of spice, derived from a crocus flower, is one of the world's most expensive seasonings.
Saffron - The most celebrated dishes that includes Saffron include Paella (Spain), Risotto alla Milanese (Italy), Bouillabaisse (France), and Saffransbullar (Sweden).
This South-African leader became the country's first Black president in 1994.
Nelson Mandela - An Anti-apartheid leader, Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years before becoming South-Africa's first Black President in 1994.