9月18日今日歷史｜從《紐約時報》創刊、蒂芙尼到《阿達一族》首播｜September 18 in History｜From The New York Times, Tiffany & Co. to The Addams Family

9月18日記錄報業、珠寶、科學、廣播與電視文化的發展，許多熟悉的生活元素都在這一天留下足跡。
September 18 connects newspapers, jewellery, science, broadcasting and television, revealing how familiar parts of modern life gradually emerged.

中文版本
9月18日是一個很適合從「日常生活與文化如何形成」角度閱讀的歷史日子。這一天留下的故事，涵蓋報紙、商業品牌、科學、廣播、電視、文字工具以及人物文化，而且不少事件至今仍然可以在我們身邊找到影響。1851年9月18日，《New-York Daily Times》首次出版，這份報紙後來就是今天世界知名的《The New York Times》。創辦人亨利・賈維斯・雷蒙德與喬治・瓊斯希望建立一份具有新聞價值、可信度及廣泛讀者群的報紙。隨著時間發展，《紐約時報》逐漸成為美國最具代表性的報紙之一，而「報紙」這種媒體形式亦成為19世紀及20世紀城市生活的重要一部分。 在沒有互聯網、社交媒體及即時新聞的年代，報紙是人們了解世界的重要窗口。城市居民每天購買報紙，可以知道政治、商業、社會、文化、體育以及世界各地發生的事情。報紙同時也是廣告、招聘、商品資訊及公共討論的平台。今天我們習慣在手機上滑動新聞，但背後「每天更新資訊、讓公眾知道發生什麼事」的新聞文化，其實已經存在了很長時間。《紐約時報》的發展正好反映新聞媒體如何從地方城市報紙逐漸走向國際影響力。9月18日同樣是商業品牌史上一個值得注意的日子。1837年，查爾斯・路易斯・蒂芙尼（Charles Lewis Tiffany）與約翰・B・楊（John B. Young）在紐約創立Tiffany and Young，後來發展成著名珠寶品牌Tiffany & Co.。公司最初是一間文具及精品店，之後逐漸轉型為珠寶商，並在美國珠寶文化中建立極高知名度。Tiffany後來最著名的特色之一，是把珠寶從單純的裝飾品逐漸變成具有品牌、設計、身份與情感象徵的商品。珠寶本身可能只是一件物品，但品牌可以讓它附帶故事、記憶與社會意義。Tiffany藍色包裝盒更成為品牌識別的一部分，甚至不用看到完整品牌名稱，很多人也能認出它。這說明現代商業不只是「製造產品」，同時也是建立視覺形象、品牌記憶及消費者關係。9月18日還與科學史上一項非常有趣的發現有關。1819年出生的法國物理學家萊昂・傅科（Léon Foucault），後來以著名的傅科擺證明地球正在自轉。1851年，他在巴黎萬神殿展示長擺實驗，利用擺動平面的變化，讓人們可以在一個室內空間直接觀察地球自轉所造成的效果。這項實驗非常有特色，因為它不需要把人送到太空，也不需要依靠複雜的現代設備，便可以透過簡單而精巧的物理裝置展示一個巨大而難以直接感覺的自然現象。傅科擺後來成為科學教育及博物館中非常著名的展示。9月18日也見證了現代廣播文化的早期發展。1927年，Columbia Phonograph Company建立了一個由16個廣播電台組成的廣播網絡，後來逐步發展成為CBS的重要前身。 廣播的出現改變了人們接收資訊與娛樂的方式。以前一個家庭只能閱讀報紙、書籍或到現場觀看表演，但廣播讓聲音可以直接進入客廳。新聞、音樂、戲劇、喜劇及體育評論都可以透過電波傳送到不同城市。廣播因此成為20世紀大眾文化的重要基礎，也為後來電視及其他電子媒體的發展建立了經驗。1964年9月18日，美國電視台ABC首播《The Addams Family》，把查爾斯・阿達姆斯筆下的古怪家庭人物帶到電視螢幕。這套黑色幽默喜劇以一個與一般家庭形象完全不同的家庭為中心，成員喜歡陰森、古怪甚至有點荒誕的事物，但彼此之間卻非常親密。 《The Addams Family》的成功，反映流行文化開始接受與主流家庭形象不同的角色。它沒有把「正常家庭」當成唯一標準，反而透過誇張、幽默及反差，讓觀眾欣賞一個完全不同的家庭世界。多年後，這個品牌持續出現在電影、動畫、電視劇及其他娛樂形式之中，成為跨越世代的流行文化符號。9月18日亦是瑞典電影明星葛麗泰・嘉寶（Greta Garbo）的出生日期。她於1905年出生，後來成為20世紀早期最具代表性的電影明星之一。她以神秘、冷靜而獨特的銀幕形象聞名，曾出演《Anna Christie》、《Grand Hotel》及《Ninotchka》等電影。 嘉寶的特別之處，不只是她的演技，而是她成功建立了一種明星形象。在電影工業逐漸由默片走向有聲電影的年代，她的外貌、表演方式及個人魅力成為電影明星文化的重要部分。今天人們談論「明星形象」、「個人品牌」甚至藝人神秘感，其實早在20世紀初的電影工業已經開始形成。科技方面，9月18日也可以追溯到現代電子閱讀的一項重要發展。1975年出生的Barrett Comiskey，是電子墨水（E Ink）技術的重要共同發明者之一。E Ink後來被廣泛應用於電子書閱讀器，讓文字可以像紙張一樣顯示，而且在閱讀時不需要像傳統液晶螢幕那樣持續發光。今天很多人使用電子書閱讀器閱讀小說、報紙或教學資料，而這項技術的核心概念，就是讓數碼閱讀盡量接近紙張閱讀的視覺體驗。從19世紀的報紙，到20世紀的廣播與電視，再到21世紀的電子閱讀，9月18日恰好把不同年代的資訊媒介串連起來。報紙把文字送到家庭，廣播把聲音送到客廳，電視把影像帶進日常生活，而電子墨水則讓數碼文字重新接近紙張。這些媒介雖然不斷更新，但背後都有一個共同目標：讓資訊、故事與文化更加容易被人接收。9月18日也提醒我們，現代生活中的品牌同樣有自己的歷史。Tiffany從一間小型商店逐漸成為全球知名珠寶品牌，說明產品與品牌可以透過設計、包裝及文化意義建立長期價值；《The Addams Family》則說明一個原本只是漫畫中的家庭，可以透過電視變成跨世代文化符號；Greta Garbo的電影生涯則展示明星文化如何隨媒體技術一起發展。這些故事看似互不相關，卻共同說明一件事情：我們今天所熟悉的生活方式，其實都是歷史累積的結果。每天閱讀新聞、購買品牌商品、看電視、聽廣播、閱讀電子書，甚至辨認一個熟悉的商標，都有一段比我們想像中更長的歷史。9月18日的故事沒有集中在單一領域，反而像一個小型的現代生活博物館，讓我們從新聞、商業、科學、媒體、娛樂及科技不同角度，看見世界如何逐步走到今天。這也是「今日歷史」最有趣的地方：歷史不一定只存在於遙遠的過去，它其實一直藏在我們每天使用的東西之中。

English Version
September 18 offers a fascinating look at how modern everyday life developed through newspapers, business brands, science, broadcasting, television and digital technology. Rather than focusing only on dramatic political events, the date reveals the quieter changes that shaped the way people receive information, enjoy entertainment, recognise brands and use technology. One of the most significant events associated with September 18 occurred in New York in 1851, when the first issue of the New-York Daily Times was published. The newspaper later became The New York Times, one of the world’s best-known newspapers. In the nineteenth century, newspapers were among the most important ways for ordinary people to understand what was happening beyond their immediate communities. A daily paper could bring political news, business information, advertisements, cultural stories, sports reports and international developments into the home. Newspapers were not simply sources of information; they also created a shared public conversation. People could read the same stories, discuss them with neighbours and form opinions about events happening far away. The rise of The New York Times reflects the wider development of professional journalism and the growing importance of newspapers in urban society. Today, people scroll through news on smartphones and websites, but the basic idea remains familiar: information is gathered, edited and delivered regularly to a broad audience. September 18 also has an important place in the history of commercial branding. In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young established Tiffany and Young in New York, a business that eventually developed into the famous jewellery company Tiffany & Co. The company initially operated as a stationery and luxury goods store before becoming increasingly associated with jewellery. Tiffany’s later success illustrates an important change in modern consumer culture. A product can be valuable because of its materials and craftsmanship, but a brand can add another layer of meaning. Design, packaging, reputation and cultural associations can turn an ordinary object into a symbol of status, celebration or personal memory. Tiffany’s distinctive blue packaging eventually became so strongly associated with the company that the colour itself became part of the brand identity. This demonstrates how modern business is not simply about making products. It is also about creating visual recognition and emotional connections with customers. Science provides another fascinating September 18 connection. French physicist Léon Foucault was born on September 18, 1819, and later became famous for the Foucault pendulum, an elegant experiment demonstrating that the Earth rotates. In 1851, Foucault demonstrated his pendulum at the Panthéon in Paris. The experiment used the changing orientation of a swinging pendulum to provide visible evidence of Earth’s rotation. What made the demonstration particularly impressive was its simplicity. There was no need for a spacecraft or a complicated modern laboratory. A carefully designed pendulum could reveal the movement of the planet itself. The Foucault pendulum subsequently became a famous feature of science museums and educational institutions around the world. September 18 also belongs to the early history of broadcasting. In 1927, the Columbia Phonograph Company developed a radio network involving sixteen stations, an important step in the development of what would eventually become CBS.  Radio transformed the relationship between audiences and information. Before broadcasting became widespread, families depended heavily on newspapers, books and live performances for information and entertainment. Radio allowed voices, music, drama, comedy and news to enter homes directly through the air. It became one of the foundations of twentieth-century mass culture and created experiences that could be shared by millions of people at the same time. Television later expanded this idea by adding moving images to the experience. On September 18, 1964, ABC premiered “The Addams Family,” bringing the eccentric characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams to television audiences. The programme centred on a strange but remarkably close-knit family whose interests and behaviour were deliberately different from conventional ideas of family life. Its humour came partly from the contrast between the family’s unusual worldview and the supposedly normal world around them. The popularity of “The Addams Family” demonstrated that mainstream entertainment could embrace characters who did not fit traditional expectations. The franchise later expanded into films, animated series and other forms of entertainment, becoming a cultural symbol that has continued across generations. September 18 is also the birthday of Greta Garbo, born in Sweden in 1905. Garbo became one of the most recognisable film stars of the early twentieth century, known for her distinctive screen presence and enigmatic public image. She appeared in films including “Anna Christie,” “Grand Hotel” and “Ninotchka.”  Garbo’s importance lies not only in her performances but also in the development of modern celebrity culture. The early film industry was learning how to create and promote stars whose personalities became almost as important as the films themselves. Garbo’s reserved public image and decision to step away from the spotlight helped strengthen her mystique. The idea of a celebrity having a carefully constructed public identity is now familiar, but many of its foundations were established during the early decades of cinema. Technology provides yet another September 18 connection through the development of electronic reading. Barrett Comiskey, born on September 18, 1975, was one of the key inventors associated with electronic ink technology. E Ink eventually became widely used in electronic readers, allowing digital text to be displayed in a way that resembles printed paper rather than a conventional glowing screen.The technology helped make digital reading more comfortable and practical, particularly for people who wanted to read books for long periods. Today, e-readers allow thousands of books to be carried in a single lightweight device, yet the visual experience can still resemble a traditional printed page. When these stories are placed together, September 18 becomes almost like a small museum of modern everyday life. The newspaper represents the age of printed information. Tiffany represents the rise of modern branding and luxury retail. Foucault represents scientific ideas becoming visible through elegant experiments. Radio represents the beginning of mass electronic broadcasting. “The Addams Family” represents television’s ability to turn unusual characters into cultural icons. Greta Garbo represents the emergence of modern celebrity culture. Electronic ink represents the continuing evolution from paper to digital reading. These developments belong to different centuries and different industries, but they share an important theme: communication. Newspapers communicate through printed words. Radio communicates through sound. Television communicates through images and sound. Books communicate ideas across generations. Brands communicate identity through design and symbols. Digital reading technologies continue the long history of making written information easier to carry and access. This is one reason September 18 is worth remembering. History is often taught through major political events, but much of the world we experience every day has been shaped by quieter developments. The newspaper we read, the brand we recognise, the television programme we watch and the device on which we read a book all have histories. They were once new ideas, technologies or business experiments. Over time, successful innovations became so familiar that their origins became easy to forget. September 18 allows us to look behind those ordinary experiences and see the people and ideas that helped create them. The date also demonstrates how different forms of media constantly replace and influence one another. Newspapers came before radio, radio influenced television, television expanded popular culture, and digital technology transformed the distribution of written and visual information. Yet older forms rarely disappear completely. Newspapers continue to exist alongside digital journalism. Television remains influential alongside streaming services. Printed books continue to exist alongside e-books. Vinyl records have even returned as a popular cultural format after decades of being considered outdated. Modern life is therefore not a simple story of one technology replacing another. It is a process of adaptation, reinvention and cultural memory. September 18 captures that process particularly well. From the first issue of a newspaper to the development of a global jewellery brand, from a pendulum revealing the movement of the Earth to radio entering the home, from an eccentric television family to digital ink designed to resemble paper, the date shows how innovation can gradually become part of ordinary life. The most interesting part of history is often not the moment when something becomes famous, but the long process through which it becomes familiar. September 18 reminds us that the modern world was built not only by major events, but also by newspapers, shop windows, scientific demonstrations, radio programmes, television characters and new ways of reading. These everyday developments may seem ordinary now, but each one once represented a new possibility.

總評
9月18日從報紙、品牌、科學、廣播、電視到電子閱讀，展示現代生活如何由一項項創新逐步建立。
September 18 shows how newspapers, brands, science, broadcasting, television and digital reading gradually became part of modern everyday life.