Wilhelm scream
One scream recorded in 1951 has since been reused in hundreds of films.
War of the Worlds broadcast
The 1938 ‘War of the Worlds’ radio play is famous for causing mass panic, which mostly did not happen.
Laugh track
TV laughter was once stored in a locked machine whose inventor kept its contents secret.
Happy Birthday to You
For decades a publisher charged for ‘Happy Birthday’, until a 2015 ruling found its copyright claim invalid.
Emoji
The word emoji has nothing to do with ’emotion’; it is Japanese for ‘picture character’.
Crossword
The first crossword, published in 1913, was diamond-shaped and called a ‘Word-Cross’.