Some names are too great not to be used

Was JC Penney a real person? 10 names turned into successful brands

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Let’s face it, some people have better-sounding names than others. And some of them have the nerve and the pride to slap their personal denomination on their products. A sign of trust, you might say. Sure, everybody knows who Henry Ford is. But what about Glen Bell Jr or James Cash Penney? Take a look at the following brands and discover the people brave enough to give their companies their names.

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Let us start the list with a name that is immersed in the world of soups (pun intended). The Knorr brand was founded by Carl Heinrich Knorr in 1838, and it didn’t start in the line of business it is today. First, he supplied chicory to the coffee industry. After that, the founder began experimenting with drying vegetables and seasonings, which led to the launch of the first dried soups across Continental Europe in 1873.

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This legendary motorcycle company was founded by two childhood friends, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, who started working on the model of a small engine in the early 1900s, which led to the creation of the company we know today.

Later on, 2 more Davidsons, William, and Walter, joined the venture. The company developed quickly, and in 1903, it began selling motorcycles on a very limited basis.

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Some names just sound too cool not to do anything with them. For example, this clothing label was founded by professional tennis player Fred Perry. It all started in the late 1940s, when he and Tibby Wegner, an Austrian footballer, created the first sweatband. Later, Perry and Wegner created their version of a tennis shirt. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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Naming the business after yourself is a common practice in the high-fashion industry. And Alexander McQueen is no exception. He was a London-based, English designer who used to work as the head designer of the Givenchy fashion line.

In 2004, he started his menswear line. In his early years, he worked in a tailor shop that created theater costumes and he used many of the ideas he learned there in his future collections.

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A bouncy-sounding name like Boeing didn’t exactly seem destined for a great future in the aviation industry, but it was. In the early years, William Boeing didn’t work in aviation but sold timber. During the exposition in Seattle in 1909, he saw a manned flying machine for the first time and became interested in the concept.

Seven years later, he went into business with engineer George Conrad Westervelt and founded the Pacific Aero Products Co. The company’s name was changed to Boeing Airplane Company the following year. In the beginning, Boeing aircraft only transported mail, but that changed soon.

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Just like Knorr, Lipton is a name forever linked to a product, but it wasn’t always like that. Before he got involved in the tea trade, Sir Thomas Lipton had worked as an accountant, a door-to-door salesman, and a grocery assistant. After gaining experience, he opened his first provision shop and later established a chain of groceries. Then he focused his efforts on tea.

According to Sir Lipton, his secret to success was selling the best goods at the cheapest prices, harnessing the power of advertising, and always being optimistic.

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Just like in the case of Harley-Davidson, Baskin-Robbins is a brand formed by the names of its two founders: Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins, who were brothers-in-law.

Irv started Snowbird Ice Cream, and Burt launched Burton Ice Cream Shop. Both were successful. And when the number of stores grew, they decided to drop the separate identities, and all the stores became Baskin-Robbins.

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Sometimes it's harder to picture a person behind the brand name if the name is also a common word. But it happens. Taco Bell is named after its founder, entrepreneur Glen Bell Jr, who launched a drive-in after seeing the success of McDonald’s.

Bell saw that there was room for growth beyond burgers and launched several successful taco drive-ins and restaurants with other partners before launching Taco Bell in 1962.

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And moving on from Taco Bell, we must now talk about those who inspired him. Their story is the basis for the 2016 movie The Founder (a great watch, and a hypnotizing performance by Michael Keaton) and it started when brothers Dick and Mac McDonald decided to make a burger restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

The company as we know it today was founded by Raymond Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman who was so impressed by their burger restaurant that he became their agent and set up franchises around the US. Years later, he bought the rights to the McDonald's name.

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Just like with the Fred Perry case, it would have been a shame for a name as great as JC Penney to end up nowhere. The real James Cash Penney was born in Hamilton, Missouri, and opened a retail store on April 14, 1902.

In 1909, Penney moved his company headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah to be closer to banks and railroads. By 1912, Penney had 34 stores in the Rocky Mountain States. In 1913, all stores were consolidated under the J. C. Penney banner we know today.

Fist bumps, waves, and salutes

From ancient Rome to memes: 12 hand gestures explained

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Hand gestures are everywhere—so ingrained in our daily lives that we often don’t realize how frequently we communicate through them. Whether expressing emotions, adding context to our words, or simply enhancing spoken communication, gestures are a vital part of our shared culture, passed down through generations for centuries. From ancient Rome to the modern day, here are 12 hand gestures and their fascinating origins explained.

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The exact origins of the thumbs-up gesture remain uncertain, but its earliest documented use dates back to Roman gladiators, where a thumbs-up or thumbs-down was believed to signal life or death in the arena. Today, the gesture is nearly universal, thanks to its popularization through media, travel, and even emojis. However, it carries offensive meanings in certain cultures, and for divers, it signifies "ascend," rather than approval—so context matters!

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Believe it or not, the V sign originally began as an insulting gesture, though with the back of the hand facing outward. A more positive meaning, however, was popularized during World War II when Winston Churchill used it as a "V for Victory" symbol. The double-entendre of the gesture likely added to its appeal—flipping the hand’s orientation easily turned it into a mocking snub toward the enemy. In the 1960s, the gesture took on new meaning during the counterculture movements, evolving into an enduring symbol of peace.

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The wave as a friendly greeting traces back to medieval times when knights raised their visors to show they meant no harm. Its simplicity and universal appeal have made it a common gesture worldwide, transcending language barriers. However, in some countries like Nigeria and South Korea, certain types of waving can still carry offensive connotations.

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The handshake might be one of the oldest hand gestures on this list, so it’s hard to be sure of its origins. Yet, there is evidence that it was already in use 3,000 years ago, as a way to seal alliances. In ancient Greece it was called dexiosis, and was practised as early as the 5th century BC. While the gesture is found in many cultures, the specifics as to when and how it should be used vary significantly.

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Pointing likely originated as a practical gesture to indicate objects or directions, making it one of humanity's oldest forms of communication. Fascinatingly, it is the first communicative gesture to develop in human infants, and linguists believe it plays a crucial role in language acquisition. However, despite its universal utility, many cultures consider pointing at other people with the index finger to be rude or disrespectful.

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The military salute, like the wave, originates in the medieval practice of knights raising their helmets as a gesture of recognition and peaceful intentions. By the 18th century, it had evolved into a formal military custom to signify respect and camaraderie. Today, variations of the salute can be seen across armed forces worldwide, each adapted to reflect the unique traditions and protocols of different nations.

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While the phrase "give me five" was already slang for a type of handshake, the high five most likely evolved from the "low five," a gesture rooted in African-American culture since the 1920s. The first documented use of the high five occurred in 1977, credited to Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It quickly became associated with sports, symbolizing shared triumphs and camaraderie.

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The fist bump can trace its origins to boxers who were instructed to touch gloves at the start of a contest. However, its popularization is a relatively recent phenomenon, gaining traction in sports and youth culture during the 1990s as a more casual alternative to the handshake. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fist bump became a common greeting, as shaking hands was discouraged to help slow the spread of the virus.

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While the origins of clapping as a form of applause are difficult to pinpoint, it is a common practice in many cultures. One of its earliest documented uses dates back to ancient Roman theater, where audiences clapped or waved pieces of cloth to express approval for performances. The percussive sound of clapping has also found its place in music, particularly in genres like funk, gospel, doo-wop, and flamenco.

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The "OK" gesture, made by forming a circle with the thumb and index finger, became popular in 19th-century America as a symbol for "all correct." However, its origins trace back to classical antiquity, where a thumb and forefinger touching was thought to mimic kissing lips, often used as a romantic gesture. It wasn’t until Roman rhetoricians began using it during public speeches that the gesture gained its modern connotation of approval or assent.

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The crossed fingers gesture, often used to wish for luck, has its origins in ancient Christianity, where it was likely adopted for its resemblance to the Cross of Christ. Over time, it also became associated with telling lies, especially among children who use it as an excuse for telling a white lie or invalidating a promise.

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Though likely as old as human frustration itself, the facepalm gesture became globally famous through internet memes, becoming a shorthand for disappointment or exasperation in both real life and online. Surprisingly, it’s not exclusive to humans—primates have been observed using similar gestures to signal a desire for solitude or to avoid social interaction.