From the BB gun to actual radioactive material, some of the most popular toys of the past century have also been the most hazardous.
In 1908, the Wright Brothers began testing what would become the first U.S. Army airplane. Many people who witnessed these tests had never seen a man take flight. Within ten years, entire battles would be fought in the sky.
On November 23, 1954, General Motors celebrated their 50 millionth car by throwing a massive parade in Flint, Michigan – the home of Chevrolet's Motor Division. The celebration featured bands, dancers, floats, and the 50 millionth car itself, a gold-plated Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe.
In a Mail Call video, R. Lee Ermey answers a question from Rusty of Laurel Hill, Florida, who wants to know what the first helicopter used in combat was. Ermey explains that Russian emigrant Igor Sikorsky was the inventor of this helicopter, called the R-4. The year of 1943 was when Sikorskys R-4 became the worlds first helicopter to go into mass production; it was also the first helicopter in U.S. Military service and the first to operate from a ships deck. After a few modifications, the helicopter became the YR-4B and on April 25th, 1944 it became the first helicopter to ever fly in combat. Pilot LT. Carter Harmon used the YB-R4 to rescue 4 men who had crash landed in extremely rough terrain.
In this video clip of History's Mail Call, host R. Lee Ermey takes a look at what kind of rockets were the first used in combat. In 1807 William Congreve created the Congreve Rocket which was used in the Napoleonic Wars. It weighed 32 pounds and could fire 2,000 yards in about 29 seconds.
History Uncut The History Channel: 1987 - A young Gates, donned with oversized glasses that refuse to stay in place, answers questions from the press about his dazzling new software Microsoft Excel, which "really improves the quality of your output." This video clip is courtesy of The History Channel.