Apartment living is something we take for granted today, the option for those who can't afford or don't desire a private home. But how did this type of living situation become popular in the United States? In mid-19th century New York, people lived in townhouses, boarding houses or tenements....

In 1900, there were about 8,000 registered automobiles in the United States. They were a genuine novelty. Those that attempted to go on 'road trips' met with a frustrating reality -- there were no drivable roads, no unified road maps, no nation-wide infrastructure of gas stations or amenities....

That string of multi-colored Christmas lights wrapped around your tree (or your house) is far more influential to American history than you might think.  The first electric Christmas lights debuted in 1882, shortly after the invention of the incandescent light bulb itself, in the New York home...