“Of all the modern conveniences, we might think of chewing gum — a variety of which can be found at any drugstore’s checkout counter — among the most mundane. But while chewing substances have a timeless place in history, our modern perception of gum can be traced back to a strange meeting of the minds in Staten Island between a glassmaker and an exiled Mexican president desperate for funds.” How an Exiled Mexican President Accidentally Invented Chewing Gum.

+ The rise, flop and fall of the comb-over.