5/28/26 - Hamburgers, Breakfast Foods, and Speling (why I'm not in the contest)

Thursday 5/28/26

Celebrate:

Amnesty International Day

International Hamburger Day

National Beef Burger Day

National Brisket Day

The Slugs Return From Capistrano Day

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Question for the ladies: Would you visit a barber to shave your legs? In the early 1970s, an unusual grooming trend briefly emerged: barbers offering to shave women’s legs. The trend was inspired in part by the popularity of miniskirts and hot pants. One Iowa barber, Al Thompson, even turned it into a side business — earning extra income and national attention when the story became one of the very first features on NPR’s All Things Considered, which debuted in 1971. The novelty sparked curiosity but also pushback, with groups like the Massachusetts Board of Registered Barbers attempting to ban the practice. Despite the buzz, the idea never fully caught on, as most women preferred shaving at home or turning to waxing salons.

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The 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee's finals are tonight.

The competition dates back to 1925, when 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser spelled gladiolus—a type of flower—correctly. Since then, 111 champions have been crowned, owing to several two-way ties and an eight-way tie in 2019.

All contestants must be younger than 15 and in eighth grade or below. Since 2003, the pronouncer has been 1980 winner Jacques Bailly, who makes eye contact with contestants and practices each word beforehand.

I would have entered when I was a kid, but...I can't spell.

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Drake has broken the record previously held by Michael Jackson for most No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 by a solo male artist as “Janice STFU” bows atop the chart following the release of his trio of albums.

With that accomplishment, Drake now ties Rihanna and Taylor Swift for most No. 1s across all acts with 14 chart toppers. The only other artists ahead of them are Mariah Carey with 19 and the Beatles with 20.

Drake occupies nine of the slots, save for Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” which hangs on at No. 5. With that, he extends his record total career count to 90 songs to hit the top 10. He also becomes the first act ever to amass more than 400 career entries on the Hot 100.

(well he did release three albums..who does that?)

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The coffee is brewing, the toaster is popping, and somewhere in every state, people are already reaching for their go-to breakfasts. For Reader’s Digest’s eighth installment of America the Tasty, they zoomed in on the foods that define mornings where you live.

New Yorkers take pride in their bagels, often citing the softer water in New York City as the reason for their superiority. A simple schmear of cream cheese will do, but hungrier New Yorkers from Brooklyn to Buffalo might go all in and make it a “BEC” by adding bacon, egg and cheese.

Pennsylvania Dutch chicken and waffles features a creamy chicken stew spooned over waffles that are often made in a grill pan, not an electric waffle maker. No, it's not the southern style with fried chicken, which I would prefer!

See every state here.

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If you think your workday stress is high, spare a thought for French tennis star Arthur Gea. Making his big debut at the French Open, the nerves clearly got the best of his stomach. Right in the middle of the very first set, he suddenly sprinted directly off the court for an "emergency bathroom break," leaving the crowd, his opponent, and commentators completely stunned. Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go—even on international television.

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - International Hamburger Day - Americans consume roughly 50 billion burgers every single year, which is enough to circle the Earth 32 times.

During World War I, the United States government tried to distance the country from anything with German names. To keep the popular food on menus without using the word "Hamburg," soldiers and restaurants briefly rebranded hamburgers as "Liberty Sandwiches." (The same thing happened to sauerkraut, which became "Liberty Cabbage.")

While the exact origin of the plain hamburger is heavily debated, the birth of the cheeseburger is generally credited to a 16-year-old kid named Lionel Sternberger. In 1924, while working at his father's sandwich shop (The Rite Spot) in Pasadena, California, he experimentally flipped a slice of American cheese onto a sizzling patty. His dad loved it, put it on the menu, and history was made.

The top 10 most popular toppings for Hamburgers

1. Cheese

2. Bacon

3. Lettuce

4. Tomato

5. Onions

6. Pickles

7. Ketchup

8. Mayonnaise/Aioli

9. Mustard

10. Mushrooms & Swiss

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