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Some of the earliest documented pay toilets were built around 74 AD in Rome. Emperor Titus Flavius Vespasianus created this method to erase the financial hardships resulting from the many wars that had been fought. This was not a popular choice with his people, and he was ridiculed for the decision, to which he reacted with the famous quote, Pecunia non olet, " Money does not stink ".
John Nevil Maskelyne, an English stage magician, invented the first modern pay toilet in the late 19th century. His door lock for London toilets required the insertion of a penny coin to operate it, hence the euphemism to " spend a penny ".
The first pay toilet in the United States was installed in 1910 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
They became less common in the U.S. during the 1970s, when they came under attack from feminists as well as from the plumbing industry. California legislator March Fong Eu argued that they discriminated against women because men could use urinals for free whereas women always had to pay a dime for a toilet stall. Some cities are starting to see an increase in them again. (Wikipedia)
The last time I saw any was in the early 80s, there were some cops in the restroom investigating because someone yanked all the coin boxes off the doors to the stalls.
On September 13, 1959, the Soviet Union's Luna 2 became the first man-made object to land on another celestial body when it hit the moon's surface east of Mare Imbrium.
The poem "Casey At The Bat" did not become famous until actor DeWolf Hopper (1858-1935) began reciting it on stage on August 14, 1888. He became known as an orator of the poem, having recited it more than 10,000 times. DeWolf Hopper was the father of William Hopper who played Paul Drake on the television series Perry Mason.
"Handsome" Jack Klutas & The College Kidnappers
They came up with a scheme to kidnap wealthy gangsters and hold them for ransom, after all, they had plenty of money and wouldn't go to the cops. But like everything else, there was a downside.
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