Business Insider (November 15, 2024): The United States has had 60 presidential elections starting in 1789. New parties have come and gone, while new states expanded the electoral map.
Video timeline: 0:00 – Intro 0:28 – First Party System (1792-1824) 1:30 – Second Party System (1828-1854) 2:40 – Third Party System (1854-1895) 5:46 – The Early 1900s (Progressive Era) 7:14 – Fifth Party System – FDR/New Deal Coalition 9:48 – Sixth Party System (1964-present) 16:42 – Credits
Maps show us how each state has voted over time — and who have been the winners and losers along the way.
Insider(April 6, 2024): From the $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford to the Chinese Fujian carrier, a high stakes race is underway between the US and China for aircraft carriers. We compare the two superpowers’ fleets, their capabilities and missions.
South Sea pearls are the largest cultured-pearl variety, sometimes reaching over 20 millimeters in diameter. The Pinctada maxima oyster can take up to five years to produce a single South Sea pearl, whereas more common freshwater oysters can take as little as three months and create dozens of pearls. This long cultivation process makes South Sea pearls rarer — and more expensive. A single South Sea pearl can cost $1,500, and a necklace can reach over $200,000. So, how are these pearls grown? And what makes them so expensive?
Tanners at the Chouara Tannery have been transforming animal hides into leather since the 11th century. The tanning process has gone unchanged since then, but it relies on heavy chemicals that threaten the health of workers. Some say they are not willing to take that risk. We traveled to the world’s oldest leather tannery in Fez, Morocco, to find out how this ancient craft is still standing.
In 2001, the founder of Mitticool ceramics learned many of his customers in India don’t have regular access to electricity. So he invented a fridge made out of clay. It keeps food 8 degrees cooler than the outside air, but it doesn’t need any electricity to run. And while other ceramics companies in the region shut down, Mitticool is thriving thanks to the success of the powerless, eco-friendly fridge.
Durian is the king of fruits in Asia, and demand is off the charts. Farmers in Malaysia are cashing in on the craze. And even the royal family wants in. But this growing business has come at a cost. Now, small farmers are stuck in a ruthless land battle with a big corporate and the local government.
This $30 million Super Scooper is the only plane in the world that was designed specifically to fight wildfires. The aircraft performs a dangerous dive down to a body of water, scoops up 1,400 gallons of water in 12 seconds, and drops its load of water on raging forest fires. We went inside this massive aircraft to find out how it works, what it takes to fly it, and why it’s considered the most efficient aerial-firefighting aircraft in the world.
Each week, e-grocer FreshDirect delivers 100,000 grocery boxes direct to customers’ doors. It all happens from its Bronx warehouse, the size of 11 football fields. Using an advanced AI system, temperature controls, nine miles of conveyor belt, and a fleet of delivery trucks, the company is able to cut out three steps in the normal grocery store supply chain. Business Insider visited the warehouse to see how the company moves 3 million grocery items a week in the face of unprecedented pandemic demand.