Bathroom Readers' Institute's Blog, page 6
June 22, 2023
Interview with Contributor to Strange USA!
Brian Boone, contributor to Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader and the Strange series, sits down with the WGVU Morning Show to share the historical oddities, roadside rarities, unique eats and amazing Americans in the exciting new release—Strange USA. Click here to listen to the interview!
June 7, 2023
They Almost Fought in the ‘Star Wars’
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…by which we mean Hollywood, in the 1970s and then again in the 1990s, a young filmmaker named George Lucas put together an ambitious space-set sci-fi saga. Star Wars would eventually expand to a dozen movies, a bunch of TV shows, some cartoons, and bragging rights […]
It Was the Best of Summers, It Was the Worst of Summers
Summer is here again, but only time will tell if it will be a good or a bad one — or go down in history for some reason. Let’s go with Uncle John on a time-traveling trip through some of the most notable summers of all time (for better or for worse). The Summer of […]
June 5, 2023
Six Bizarre Basketball Records
The 2023 NBA finals are finally here, so Uncle John thought he’d pull together some of his most bizarre basketball records. Here are some of the greatest—and weirdest—things to ever happen in hoops. Least dribbles with the most points: In December 2016, the Golden State Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 142 to 106 thanks to […]
May 22, 2023
Finding Ursula
Most Disney top-10 lists include The Little Mermaid…and it’s usually near the top. Here’s how a minor character in Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale became one of the most beloved villains in Disney’s history. RETURN TO FORM Walt Disney Animation Studios was reborn in the 1990s, thanks to Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The […]
May 16, 2023
4 Celebrated Inventors for AAPI Heritage Month
In 1978, President Carter established the first week of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. In 1992, Congress expanded and renamed the concept, creating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Here are some notable and ingenious members of the AAPI community who improved and revolutionized life in the U.S. (and the modern world) with […]
May 1, 2023
Uncle John’s May Day Quiz
Don’t panic — it’s just a fun little trivia quiz about May Day. For thousands of years, people around the world have celebrated May 1 in a wide variety of ways. How much do you know about May Day? Test yourself!
April 18, 2023
Sneak Peek at Strange USA
Our love of all things fact and trivia has us itching for the release of Strange USA. If you’re a fan of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, you’ll find all sorts of interesting facts in the Strange series that’ll keep your trip to the john just as exciting. Don’t believe us? Take a look at this […]
April 13, 2023
Uncle John’s Quiz for Independent Bookstore Day
Uncle John is obviously into bookstores and loves to celebrate their whole undeniable and unique vibe, so April 29 is a pretty big deal at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute. How much do you know about some of the world’s greatest proprietors of books? Get lost in the stacks with this quiz.
April 12, 2023
An Earth Day Origin Story
Good news: This entire article is 100 percent planet-friendly! Here’s how we got a holiday celebrating the environment and arguing for its preservation. SILENT SPRING Author and biologist Rachel Carson won a National Book Award for The Sea Around Us, one of three 1950s bestsellers about the ocean. As the years wore on, she observed continually […]
