How a desperate brewer invented the first cupholder in Napoleonic France, more than 200 years ago
"Ever since Napoleon and France marched into present-day Belgium in 1795 to unapologetically annex a significant amount of territory, coachmen were forced to obey a law stating they weren’t allowed to have a drink with their passengers. They were demoted to servants, and drinking with their boss—in this case, the passengers hitching a ride—was illegal."