I love random twists of history like the following. Is there a name for them?

Switzerland leads in luxury watches because in 1541, Calvin banned jewelry. The lawyers managed to argue that watches were about function, not decoration, and that’s how we got Rolex and Patek Philippe.

The British drink sherry and port because during the Napoleonic wars, their access to French claret was cut off. They turned to peripheral countries, whose grapes weren’t as good.

The USA relies on employer-funded health care because in 1942, Roosevelt imposed a wage freeze. Employers had to find a different way to compete for workers, and we’ve been living with the consequences ever since.

Sport utility vehicles dominate the world because in the late 1970s, the USA passed a law mandating miles-per-gallon averages for cars. Automakers figured out that by building bigger vehicles classed as trucks, they could get around the rules.

[28 May 2024]