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Saint Nicholas was a monk who was born in the 3rd century in modern-day Turkey. He was said to have given away all his inherited wealth to the poor and sick as he traveled. Over the years he became the patron saint of children, and was celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. 

In America, Saint Nicholas first became popular in New York City in the late 1700s, which at that time still had a strong Dutch culture. The name Santa Claus evolved out of the Dutch nickname for Saint Nicholas, “Sinter Klass.” Short stories and poems in the 1800s began to popularize his magical image of how we picture him today.

Illustration of Olive Oyl with her hands on Popeye's shoulders and a red heart on a white background

Popeye the sailor and Olive Oyl are cartoon characters created by C. E. Segar. Olive Oyl was first introduced in 1919 as the main character in the comic strip Thimble Theatre but with Popeye’s introduction in 1929 the comic was renamed Popeye. The two are portrayed as a loving couple challenged by Popeye’s rival Bluto. Throughout the comics Popeye must fight to defend his girlfriend’s honor. The couple has appeared in comic books, comic strips and movie shorts. In 1980, "Popeye the Movie" was released, starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall.

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Roy Rogers was an actor who starred in over 100 movies with his horse Trigger. Known as the “Singing Cowboy,” he and his wife Dale Evans had their own television series. Their song Happy Trails, is considered to be one of the top 100 western songs in history. Rogers and Trigger made many personal appearances. It was not unusual to see Trigger being led up 3-4 flights of stairs in hospitals to visit sick children. After Trigger's death, he was stuffed and put on display at the Roy Rogers museum.

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Hopalong Cassidy was first introduced as a cowboy hero in a novel written by Clarence Mulford in 1904. Then in the 1930's and 40’s, he was portrayed by silent movie star William Boyd. Boyd portrayed Cassidy as a good guy, helpful, honest, and a friend to everyone he met. He didn't kiss girls, drink or smoke and always caught the villains. Boyd was so well liked in this role, he received over 15,000 fan letters each week. At the age of 60, Boyd finally hung up his guns and retired from show business. 

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Charles L. “Sonny” Liston (1932-1971) was a heavyweight boxer born in Arkansas before moving to St. Louis, Missouri where he was incarcerated in 1950 for robbery. It was in prison that Liston began boxing and earned his nickname, Sonny, from a fellow inmate. Upon parole, Liston began his professional boxing career, ultimately winning 50 of 54 fights, 39 of those by knockout. Liston was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.

Trouble followed Liston throughout his life, including involvement with organized crime and drugs, during his career and in retirement. Drugs likely played a role in his ultimate death. Liston’s body was discovered by his wife in January 1971, along with drug paraphernalia, though no cause of death was officially listed.

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The Houston Oilers was a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas from 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Tennessee and becoming the Tennessee Titans.The Oilers were a charter member of the American Football League, winning the championship in 1960 and 1961 and making frequent appearances in championship games until 1993.The team name refers to the role of the oil industry in the history of the state of Texas and the logo is an oil derrick. 

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The American Political Items Collectors (APIC), founded in 1945, is a non profit organization that promotes the study, collection, and preservation of political campaign memorabilia. Every two years, they hold a national convention where both collectors and the general public gather to attend seminars, exhibit collections, and attend auctions to buy, sell, and trade items. In 1997, the annual convention was held at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. Dealers exhibiting and selling pieces in their collections likely distinguished themselves by wearing special ribbons with their pins.

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The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers was founded in 1888 by 19 machinists in Atlanta, Georgia. Thomas Talbot organized 18 of his fellow workers and voted to form a trade union. At this time, machinists earned 20-25 cents an hour and worked ten-hour days. Employers were hostile to organized labor during that period so the order met in secret for several years. The term, “boomers,” referred to men that traveled the railway lines looking for work, spreading the word about the union. It wasn’t long until there were 189 lodges organized. Over the next century, the union member numbers continued to grow, and the organization eventually affiliated with the International Metalworkers Federation. Today, their membership numbers are over 800,000.

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True Value Hardware began in 1948 when John Cotter founded Cotter & Company. In 1963, Cotter acquired Hibbard, Spencer, and Bartlett, and with the purchase came the True Value trademark. Today, True Value home improvement supplies, appliances, and hardware in over 4400 stores in more than 60 countries. Through the True Value Foundation, they support charitable causes by donating products and services to organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Painting a Brighter Future, and Habitat for Humanity. 

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The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. was established in 1850 by five Philadelphia Quakers. In the 1950s or 1960s, the company changed its name to Pennsalt Chemicals Corporation. At the time of its creation there weren't any allocations for chemical companies, so they were founded as a salt company instead. Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. was mainly known for producing caustic soda, but also made soaps and candles for their clients. The most recent acquisition and name change in 2004 resulted in Pennsalt being renamed as Arkema. They are known for specializing in three areas: high performance materials, industrial specialties, and coating solutions.