Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which phone book section listed household names and numbers alphabetically?
White Pages covered private homes from A to Z, while paid business ads filled the Yellow Pages by trade.
Which three-digit number gave US callers directory assistance for missing listings?
Operators looked up new or unlisted numbers for callers whose bulky printed directories lacked the listing.
On a manual typewriter, which part started a new line when pushed sideways?
Pushing the lever slid the carriage back and rolled the platen up to ready a fresh line.
Why did round typewriter erasers include a small brush?
The abrasive eraser shaved ink from the page, and the brush cleared grit without smudging corrections.
Which analog calculating tool did NASA engineers use to verify Apollo trajectory numbers?
NASA engineers carried slide rules to check Apollo flight math before pocket calculators arrived.
What did office typists place between sheets of paper to duplicate letters and receipts?
Striking typewriter keys pressed the inked sheet against the blank page, leaving a duplicate without retyping.
What does "Cc" stand for in email headers?
Offices once sent one typed memo to two people with carbon paper, so email kept carbon-copy language for extra recipients.
Which secretary invented Liquid Paper correction fluid in the 1950s?
She mixed early batches in a home blender and later sold Liquid Paper to Gillette in 1979.
Where must the dark coating on carbon paper face to copy a typed letter?
Only the coated face carries transfer ink, so a sheet loaded backward leaves the lower page blank.
Why did receipt books place carbon paper between the white original and yellow duplicate?
Handwriting pressure on the top receipt pushed carbon ink onto the ticket below, giving seller and customer matching records.