Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Washington Irving was a man of many talents, one of which involved—wait for it—coining words. This one will be especially fun for you New Yorkers. Ever heard of Gotham? That's Irving. And knickerbocker? Irving, too. (Source.)
The Santa we love today was of course perfected by Coca-Cola, but guess who came up with the idea of fat Old Saint Nick riding around in a magic sleigh—er, carriage? That's right, our buddy Washington Irving. (Source.)
This is the last one, we promise. Washington Irving is also the reason you thought Columbus was trying to prove that the Earth was round. (They already knew that, History class.) Read Irving's entire made-up history on Google Books.
Ah, the wonders of technology. Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" was the first visual version of the story where the actor playing the Horseman didn't have to hide his head. Thanks to the magic of CGI, it was poofed away in editing. (Source.)
Time didn't stop forever in Sleepy Hollow; the economic recession hit the town hard in 2009. But we're pretty sure it'll never lose its charm. (Source.)