Today, July 29th, is National Lipstick Day. Did you know fish scales are used in lipstick to make it shimmer and reflect light?
A claquer was a professional applauder who was hired by French theaters and opera houses in the 1800s.
On July 28, 1996, a man’s body washed up on a trawler in the UK seas. There was no identification on the body except a 25-year-old Rolex Oyster on his wrist. As Rolex maintains such meticulous service records, they were able to ID the victim and ultimately the murderer.
On July 28, 1996, a man’s body washed up on a trawler in the UK seas. There was no identification on the body except a 25-year-old Rolex Oyster on his wrist. As Rolex maintains such meticulous service records, they were able to ID the victim and ultimately the murderer.
The bumps on raspberries are called "drupelets."
The first commercial product manufactured in the US and exported to Europe was a glass bottle made in Jamestown in 1608.
The longest continuous dramatic performance was 23 hr 33 min 54 sec achieved by the 27 O'Clock Players in New Jersey, USA, on July 27, 2010. They performed The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, a play written in a continuous loop and said to be totally pointless and plotless.
The longest continuous dramatic performance was 23 hr 33 min 54 sec achieved by the 27 O'Clock Players in New Jersey, USA, on July 27, 2010. They performed The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, a play written in a continuous loop and said to be totally pointless and plotless.
The Wright brothers based the design of their first self propelled plane on the way buzzards spread their wings.
The Smithsonian says more patents have been issued for mousetraps than any other device.
In ancient Greece women didn't start counting their age until their wedding day, rather than the actual day they were born. They believed the wedding date was the real start of a woman's life.
In ancient Greece women didn't start counting their age until their wedding day, rather than the actual day they were born. They believed the wedding date was the real start of a woman's life.
Calling ground beef a 'burger’ dates from the invention of mechanical meat grinders in the 1860s.
Betel, a sort of chewing gum, is chewed by about 60% of men in Myanmar and almost 25% of the women.
Chuck Berry had a degree in cosmetology from the Gibbs Beauty College.
Fifty years before women were allowed to enrol into medical school, Margaret Ann Bulkley dressed as a man to study medicine and become her alter-ego, Dr James Barry. She obtained a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh Medical School, then served first in Cape Town, South Africa and subsequently in many parts of the British Empire. It was only when she died from dysentery on July 25, 1865 that her secret was exposed after 46 years working as an army doctor.
Harriet Beecher Stowe rewrote Uncle Tom's Cabin when she had dementia in her later years. She imagined that she was engaged in the original composition, and for several hours every day she penned long passages of the book almost exactly word for word.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for the first time at the 1904 Olympics
Chuck Berry had a degree in cosmetology from the Gibbs Beauty College.
Fifty years before women were allowed to enrol into medical school, Margaret Ann Bulkley dressed as a man to study medicine and become her alter-ego, Dr James Barry. She obtained a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh Medical School, then served first in Cape Town, South Africa and subsequently in many parts of the British Empire. It was only when she died from dysentery on July 25, 1865 that her secret was exposed after 46 years working as an army doctor.
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| Photograph of Dr James Barry; approx late 1840s |
Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for the first time at the 1904 Olympics
Jesse Owens won the 200-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics, while his teammate, Mack Robinson, finished second. Mack's little brother, Jackie, later would break the color barrier in major-league baseball.
The Emperor Nero won seven Olympic titles in total, including for acting, probably by bribing the judges.
The modern recurve bow used in the Olympic archery competition is based on a design from 1500 BC.
William Austin Burt was awarded a patent for the typographer, the first practical typewriting machine on July 23, 1829. It used a dial instead of keys to select each character. As innovative as it was, even in Burt's hands, the machine was slower than handwriting.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle sponsored a boxer at the Ancient Greek Olympics.
One of the founders of sleep research, Eugene Aserinsky, died on July 22, 1998 in a car crash after falling asleep at the wheel.
In 1979 starlings were in such large numbers in London that they stopped Big Ben by landing on the hands.
The first chocolate bar was created by JS Fry Sons of Bristol, England in 1847.
The modern recurve bow used in the Olympic archery competition is based on a design from 1500 BC.
William Austin Burt was awarded a patent for the typographer, the first practical typewriting machine on July 23, 1829. It used a dial instead of keys to select each character. As innovative as it was, even in Burt's hands, the machine was slower than handwriting.
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| Burt demonstrating his typographer |
The Greek philosopher Aristotle sponsored a boxer at the Ancient Greek Olympics.
One of the founders of sleep research, Eugene Aserinsky, died on July 22, 1998 in a car crash after falling asleep at the wheel.
All of Mr. Rogers' cardigan sweaters worn on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood were knitted by his mother.
The first chocolate bar was created by JS Fry Sons of Bristol, England in 1847.
Silent reading is actually a recent phenomenon. Only the most skilled readers of the Middle Ages could read silently.
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| Miss Auras, by John Lavery, depicts a woman reading a book |
The singer of the song "Wuthering Heights," Kate Bush, shares the same birthday as Emily Bronte, the author of the original Wuthering Heights novel.
The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
"Budgerigar” is a version of the Aboriginal for ‘good bird’.
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| Budgerigar |
Until 1986, if you worked for the American brewing company Anheuser-Busch, you could drink
as much beer as you liked during the work day.
The first regularly scheduled in-flight movie, By Love Possessed, was shown for the first time on a TWA flight to first class passengers on July 19, 1961.
An average men's match at Wimbledon takes two-and-a-half hours during which the ball is in play for only 20 minutes.
You blink about 84,000,000 times a year.
The Ancient Greeks revered radishes and made gold replicas of them to be offered to the god Apollo.
In the United States, 1,712 surnames cover 50% of the population, and about 1% of the population has the surname Smith.
A 10-year-old Hungarian girl called Jadwiga was crowned King of Poland on October 16, 1384. Her title either reflected the Polish lords' attempt to hinder her future husband from adopting the same title without further act or only emphasized that she was a queen regnant. She reigned for 15 years until her death on July 17, 1399.
The first regularly scheduled in-flight movie, By Love Possessed, was shown for the first time on a TWA flight to first class passengers on July 19, 1961.
The 10,000 year old Pesse canoe, the world's oldest known boat, was found in a Dutch peat bog.
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| The Pesse canoe. By http://museaindrenthe.nl/ |
An average men's match at Wimbledon takes two-and-a-half hours during which the ball is in play for only 20 minutes.
You blink about 84,000,000 times a year.
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| Radishes |
In the United States, 1,712 surnames cover 50% of the population, and about 1% of the population has the surname Smith.
A 10-year-old Hungarian girl called Jadwiga was crowned King of Poland on October 16, 1384. Her title either reflected the Polish lords' attempt to hinder her future husband from adopting the same title without further act or only emphasized that she was a queen regnant. She reigned for 15 years until her death on July 17, 1399.
Lucy Slowe was the first the first African-American woman to win a major sports title. She won the national title of the American Tennis Association's first tournament in 1917.
Red is the last color to go when people lose their eyesight. Red is also the first color to return when they regain it.
Before joining the rock band Queen, their guitarist Brian May studied Astrophysics at Imperial College. He completed his dissertation in 2007.
Mao Zedong enjoyed swimming. On July 16, 1966 the 72-year-old Chinese leader chose to join 5,000 other swimmers in Wuhan’s 11th annual Cross-Yangtze Competition. He allegedly swam 10 miles (16 km) in just over an hour from the Wuhan Bridge over the Yangtze to prove his fitness and to prove himself invincible.
Boomerangs were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb in excellent condition. Some of them were capped with gold.
In a May 2015 interview, Pope Francis said he has not watched television since July 15, 1990.
The reason the portrait of Winston Churchill looks grumpy on the £5 banknote, is because the photographer had just snatched the cigar out of Churchill's mouth.
Before joining the rock band Queen, their guitarist Brian May studied Astrophysics at Imperial College. He completed his dissertation in 2007.
Boomerangs were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb in excellent condition. Some of them were capped with gold.
In a May 2015 interview, Pope Francis said he has not watched television since July 15, 1990.
The reason the portrait of Winston Churchill looks grumpy on the £5 banknote, is because the photographer had just snatched the cigar out of Churchill's mouth.
Before whistles were introduced, ice hockey referees used a cowbell. They had to switch to whistles when fans started bringing their own cowbells to disrupt game play.
On July 14, 2000, the French celebrated the first Bastille day of the new millennium with the world's largest ever picnic. It ran intermittently along the 600 miles of the Méridien Vert, a line that passes through 337 villages and towns.
France's Just Fontaine, holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup; all his 13 goals were scored in the 1958 tournament.
On July 14, 2000, the French celebrated the first Bastille day of the new millennium with the world's largest ever picnic. It ran intermittently along the 600 miles of the Méridien Vert, a line that passes through 337 villages and towns.
England’s first coffee shop was opened by a Turkish Jew named Jacob at Oxford University in 1650.
The Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg suffered from Triskaidekaphobia, which is the fear of the number 13. As 7+6=13 he feared he would die aged 76. And he did: Schoenberg passed away in Los Angeles on Friday, July 13, 1951, at 13 minutes to midnight.
The Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg suffered from Triskaidekaphobia, which is the fear of the number 13. As 7+6=13 he feared he would die aged 76. And he did: Schoenberg passed away in Los Angeles on Friday, July 13, 1951, at 13 minutes to midnight.
The first public radio broadcast took place in early 1910 when opera was transmitted to several receivers in New York City.
A black hole the size of a hydrogen atom would exert a pull from 2,000 feet away.
"Shampoo" comes from a Hindi word: The word "shampoo" entered the English language in the 18th century from the Hindi word chāmpo, which meant "to press, knead, or soothe" (like in a massage). It originally referred to a head massage, not specifically hair washing.
Scottish soldier Captain Robert Barclay-Allardice, (1779-1854) once walked 1000 miles in 1000 consecutive hours. His remarkable walking feat was performed at Newmarket between June 1 and July 12, 1809, during which he walked 1 mile (1.6 km) in each of 1000 successive hours, to win an initial wager of 1000 guineas.
Before the 1920s, surfboards were at least 100 pounds (45 kgs) and up to 16 feet 4.88 meters) long.
"Shampoo" comes from a Hindi word: The word "shampoo" entered the English language in the 18th century from the Hindi word chāmpo, which meant "to press, knead, or soothe" (like in a massage). It originally referred to a head massage, not specifically hair washing.
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| By thejbird - https://www.flickr.com/ |
Duke Ellington had synesthesia, a neurological condition where he experienced notes as colors and textures.
Scottish soldier Captain Robert Barclay-Allardice, (1779-1854) once walked 1000 miles in 1000 consecutive hours. His remarkable walking feat was performed at Newmarket between June 1 and July 12, 1809, during which he walked 1 mile (1.6 km) in each of 1000 successive hours, to win an initial wager of 1000 guineas.
Before the 1920s, surfboards were at least 100 pounds (45 kgs) and up to 16 feet 4.88 meters) long.
The British Army's first radar system, the Gun Laying radar, used up the nation's entire stockpile of chicken wire.
The world record for fasting is held by a 456 pound (207 kg) man who was able to survive due to his excess fat. Starting in June 1965, Scotsman Angus Barbieri fasted for 382 days consuming only tea, coffee, sparkling water and vitamins. He ended his fast on July 11, 1966, when he reached his goal weight of 180 pounds (82 kg).
Eric Clapton was expelled from Kingston College of Art because he was playing the guitar in class.
The size of a polo field is 300 by 160 yards (270 by 150 m), the largest playing field in sports.
The most times to unholster and holster a gun in one minute is 44 and was achieved by Will Roberts in Calico, California, on July 10, 2014.
The oldest known pet cat was found in a 9500-year-old grave in Cyprus.
Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was the first athlete to be disqualified at the Olympics for drug use after he drank two beers before his shooting event at the 1968 Summer Olympics to calm his nerves. His disqualification followed the introduction of anti-doping regulations by the International Olympic Committee the previous year.
The average height of an NBA basketball player is 6 foot 7 inches (2.007 metres).
On July 8, 1941 the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney along with the rest of her squadron attempted to shoot down the planet Venus thinking it was a high altitude bomber. Venus managed to survive the engagement.
Kim Jong-il became supreme leader of North Korea on July 8, 1994 after the death of his father, Kim il-sung. A big film fan, he had a collection of 20,000 movies in a private movie theater beneath a Pyongyang bunker. He wrote a 300-page book called On the Art of the Cinema that every filmmaker in North Korea was forced to read.
Chocolate was a novelty during the 1700s in England. To be eaten it was “stewed for hours,” deprived of “cocoa butter,” “reboiled with milk and flavouring,”and, just before serving, thickened with eggs.
USA's first ever television show was broadcast by NBC/RCA on July 7, 1936. It was seen by only a few hundred people who had access to the new television. The first ever program featured newsreel items, as well as a variety show of sorts, which included female dancers performing a water lily dance, a fashion show and some comic bits.
The chocolate bar Snickers, which is manufactured at the M&M's/Mars plant alongside Metra’s Elgin-to-Chicago Milwaukee West Line tracks, was named after the Mars family’s favorite horse.
The world record for fasting is held by a 456 pound (207 kg) man who was able to survive due to his excess fat. Starting in June 1965, Scotsman Angus Barbieri fasted for 382 days consuming only tea, coffee, sparkling water and vitamins. He ended his fast on July 11, 1966, when he reached his goal weight of 180 pounds (82 kg).
Eric Clapton was expelled from Kingston College of Art because he was playing the guitar in class.
The size of a polo field is 300 by 160 yards (270 by 150 m), the largest playing field in sports.
The most times to unholster and holster a gun in one minute is 44 and was achieved by Will Roberts in Calico, California, on July 10, 2014.
The oldest known pet cat was found in a 9500-year-old grave in Cyprus.
Swedish pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall was the first athlete to be disqualified at the Olympics for drug use after he drank two beers before his shooting event at the 1968 Summer Olympics to calm his nerves. His disqualification followed the introduction of anti-doping regulations by the International Olympic Committee the previous year.
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| Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall |
The average height of an NBA basketball player is 6 foot 7 inches (2.007 metres).
On July 8, 1941 the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney along with the rest of her squadron attempted to shoot down the planet Venus thinking it was a high altitude bomber. Venus managed to survive the engagement.
The Ancient Egyptians made at least 24 varieties of wine. Its importance was indicated by the fact that while most gods were only worshipped locally, Sesmu - the god of wine - was worshipped throughout the country.
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| Grape cultivation, winemaking, and commerce in ancient Egypt c. 1500 BC |
Kim Jong-il became supreme leader of North Korea on July 8, 1994 after the death of his father, Kim il-sung. A big film fan, he had a collection of 20,000 movies in a private movie theater beneath a Pyongyang bunker. He wrote a 300-page book called On the Art of the Cinema that every filmmaker in North Korea was forced to read.
Chocolate was a novelty during the 1700s in England. To be eaten it was “stewed for hours,” deprived of “cocoa butter,” “reboiled with milk and flavouring,”and, just before serving, thickened with eggs.
The chocolate bar Snickers, which is manufactured at the M&M's/Mars plant alongside Metra’s Elgin-to-Chicago Milwaukee West Line tracks, was named after the Mars family’s favorite horse.
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair sung and played guitar in a band called Ugly Rumours while at university.
The dollar was unanimously chosen as the official currency for the United States on July 6, 1785. In the 1700’s, you could sell a fresh deerskin of a buck for one dollar – hence, the term “buck.”
In Switzerland, rabies was virtually eliminated after scientists placed chicken heads laced with live attenuated vaccine in the Swiss Alps, which the foxes (the main carriers of the virus) ate and therefore immunized themselves.
The game of backgammon was first played over 5000 years ago.
The dollar was unanimously chosen as the official currency for the United States on July 6, 1785. In the 1700’s, you could sell a fresh deerskin of a buck for one dollar – hence, the term “buck.”
An adult male polar bear typically weighs around 351kg (775lb) or the weight of about five men.
The game of backgammon was first played over 5000 years ago.
Due to its acute sense of smell, the bloodhound is the only animal whose evidence is admissible in an American court
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| Bloodhound |
The phrase "jet lag" was once called "boat lag", back before airplanes existed.
The usual date of The Earth’s aphelion, when its orbit takes it furthest from the Sun, is July 4.
The usual date of The Earth’s aphelion, when its orbit takes it furthest from the Sun, is July 4.
The Alaskan town of Glacier View doesn’t get dark enough for fireworks on Independence Day. Instead, they drive cars off a cliff.
The artichoke belongs to the sunflower family.
Today, 60 per cent of the world's buttons are made in one Chinese town, Qiaotou, which churns out 16 billion buttons a year. In addition, Qiaotou makes 80 percent of the world's zippers.
Today, 60 per cent of the world's buttons are made in one Chinese town, Qiaotou, which churns out 16 billion buttons a year. In addition, Qiaotou makes 80 percent of the world's zippers.
President Woodrow Wilson kept a flock of sheep on the White House lawn. He sold the wool and gave the money to the Red Cross.
Up to the age of about 6 months babies can breathe and swallow at the same time.
The surrounding trees at Bleinheim Palace are planted in groups to represent the Battle of Bleinheim.
Early developments in radio were called 'wireless telegraphy', which is why the radio used to be called the wireless.
The surrounding trees at Bleinheim Palace are planted in groups to represent the Battle of Bleinheim.
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| Family listening to the first broadcasts around 1920 with a crystal receiver. |
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair sung and played guitar in a band called Ugly Rumours while at university.
Nike's first "Just Do It" advertisement debuted on July 1, 1988. Nike ad agency executive Dan Wieden credits the inspiration for the slogan as being the last words spoken by convicted murderer Gary Gilmore before being shot to death by a firing squad in Utah in 1977.
The 1789 discovery of uranium in the mineral pitchblende is credited to German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth. Uranium was named by Klaporth after the newly discovered planet Uranus.
The actress Pamela Anderson was the first baby born on July 1, 1967, Canada’s 100th birthday. She was referred to in the press as Canada’s “Centennial Baby.”
The record for most trees planted in 24 hrs by an individual is held by Canadian Antoine Moses who planted 23,060 trees in one July day in Alberta in 2021.That's an average of planting a new tree every 3.5 seconds!
Nike's first "Just Do It" advertisement debuted on July 1, 1988. Nike ad agency executive Dan Wieden credits the inspiration for the slogan as being the last words spoken by convicted murderer Gary Gilmore before being shot to death by a firing squad in Utah in 1977.
The 1789 discovery of uranium in the mineral pitchblende is credited to German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth. Uranium was named by Klaporth after the newly discovered planet Uranus.
The actress Pamela Anderson was the first baby born on July 1, 1967, Canada’s 100th birthday. She was referred to in the press as Canada’s “Centennial Baby.”
The record for most trees planted in 24 hrs by an individual is held by Canadian Antoine Moses who planted 23,060 trees in one July day in Alberta in 2021.That's an average of planting a new tree every 3.5 seconds!
The supernova SN 1006 first appeared in the constellation Lupus and was widely seen on Earth beginning in 1006. It was, in terms of apparent magnitude, the brightest stellar event in recorded history, exceeding roughly 16 times the brightness of Venus.
George Washington had only one tooth in his mouth by the time he was inaugurated in 1789. He contacted a leading dentist in Philadelphia who produced state of art dentures made from exotic and lasting material: hippopotamus ivory.
The word “biscuit” comes from "bis coctus," twice baked. They were originally ships’ rations for Roman sailors.
The first tennis rackets, strung with sheep gut, appeared in the 15th century. Before players used their hands.
The word “biscuit” comes from "bis coctus," twice baked. They were originally ships’ rations for Roman sailors.
The first tennis rackets, strung with sheep gut, appeared in the 15th century. Before players used their hands.
Abraham Lincoln was the only US president who was also a licensed bartender.
Both Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel went blind after eye operations by charlatan surgeon John Taylor. Taylor was one of the most flamboyant quacks of his age, travelling from town to town in a coach decorated with pictures of eyeballs.
The stick that returns to the thrower was first described in detail and recorded as a "boumarang" in 1822. It'd now known as a boomerang
Both Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel went blind after eye operations by charlatan surgeon John Taylor. Taylor was one of the most flamboyant quacks of his age, travelling from town to town in a coach decorated with pictures of eyeballs.
The stick that returns to the thrower was first described in detail and recorded as a "boumarang" in 1822. It'd now known as a boomerang
Stephen Hawking tried to lure time travelers to his house by throwing a party on June 28, 2009, then sending out invitations later. Nobody showed up.
France is the country most reliant on nuclear power generating 71% of the country's total electricity, a larger percent than any other nation. It turned to nuclear in response to the 1973 oil crisis. The situation was summarized in a slogan, "In France, we do not have oil, but we have ideas."
The yen was officially adopted as Japan's national currency by the Meiji government in an Act signed on June 27, 1871. The Yen's name comes from the Japanese word "えん (en)," which literally means "round."
On June 26, 1862, Joseph Wells, cricketer father of the noted author H.G. Wells became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in county cricket.
France is the country most reliant on nuclear power generating 71% of the country's total electricity, a larger percent than any other nation. It turned to nuclear in response to the 1973 oil crisis. The situation was summarized in a slogan, "In France, we do not have oil, but we have ideas."
When George II of Great Britain and his forces defeated the French in Dettingen, Bavaria on June 27, 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession it was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle.
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| George II at the Battle of Dettingen by John Wootton |
The yen was officially adopted as Japan's national currency by the Meiji government in an Act signed on June 27, 1871. The Yen's name comes from the Japanese word "えん (en)," which literally means "round."
On June 26, 1862, Joseph Wells, cricketer father of the noted author H.G. Wells became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in county cricket.
Miami Beach pharmacist Benjamin Green invented the first suntan cream by cooking cocoa butter in a granite coffee pot on his wife's stove, and then testing the batch on his own head. His invention was introduced as Coppertone Suntan Cream in 1944.
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| Original Coppertone ad |
The first ballpoint pens went on sale in 1945 at Gimbels department stores for $12.95.
The oldest extant soccer ball, circa 1540, was made of two oblong pieces of crudely-sewn leather. It was found stuffed behind paneling in the Stirling Castle bedroom of Bloody Queen Mary.
Because the eyes of a rabbit are positioned on the side of its head, they can see behind them without turning around.
The oldest extant soccer ball, circa 1540, was made of two oblong pieces of crudely-sewn leather. It was found stuffed behind paneling in the Stirling Castle bedroom of Bloody Queen Mary.
Because the eyes of a rabbit are positioned on the side of its head, they can see behind them without turning around.
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| By JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) |
David I, who was the king of Scotland 1124-1153, gave tax rebates to subjects with good table manners.
The name Chicago is derived from a Fox Indian term for 'place of the skunk'.
The name Chicago is derived from a Fox Indian term for 'place of the skunk'.
The longest journey by skateboard was 12,159 km (7,555 miles). New Zealander Rob Thomson started his journey in Leysin, Switzerland on June 24, 2007 and finished it in Shanghai, China, on September 28, 2008.
Sliding bookcases were used in the United States during Prohibition to hide secret rooms or spaces containing liquor.
Gamal Abdel Nasser became President of Egypt on June 23, 1956. He was elected by 99.9 per cent of the electorate, helped by the fact that he was the only candidate. Nasser held the post until his death in 1970.
Gamal Abdel Nasser became President of Egypt on June 23, 1956. He was elected by 99.9 per cent of the electorate, helped by the fact that he was the only candidate. Nasser held the post until his death in 1970.
The combination of strawberries and cream was first created by Thomas Wolsey in the court of King Henry VIII.
A similar game to basketball was played by the Olmecs in Mexico in 1000BC.
Superman's origin was inspired by the biblical story of Moses, whose parents abandoned him as a baby to save his life.
Osama Bin Laden was a keen footballer in his youth, playing center forward and he supported the English club Arsenal.
The giraffe's blood pressure is two or three times that of a healthy man and may be the highest in the world
The Romans called Australia ‘Terra Australis Incognita’ – ‘unknown land of the South’.
Superman's origin was inspired by the biblical story of Moses, whose parents abandoned him as a baby to save his life.
Tama was a female calico cat who gained fame for being a station master and operating officer at Kishi Railway Station on the Kishigawa Line in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. She died aged 16 on June 22, 2015.
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| Station Master Tama |
Osama Bin Laden was a keen footballer in his youth, playing center forward and he supported the English club Arsenal.
The giraffe's blood pressure is two or three times that of a healthy man and may be the highest in the world
Everywhere above the Arctic Circle has 24 hours of sunlight on the day of the summer solstice
Over 87 million cards are sent each year on Fathers Day making it the fourth most popular day for sending cards.
Over 87 million cards are sent each year on Fathers Day making it the fourth most popular day for sending cards.
Congo (1954-1964) the chimpanzee was known for his "lyrical abstract impressionist" paintings. In 2005 Congo's paintings were included in an auction at Bonhams alongside works by Renoir and Warhol. American collector Howard Hong purchased three of Congo's works for over $26,000. One of Congo's paintings is below.
The term "decibel" used to denote noise volume is named after Alexander Graham Bell
A pint of milk in a supermarket can contain milk from over a thousand different cows
A pint of milk in a supermarket can contain milk from over a thousand different cows
A stag beetle lives underground for five years before emerging to mate for a few weeks, then die.
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| Golden stag beetle By fir0002flagstaffotos [at] gmail.comCanon 20D |
In 1879 Werner von Siemens, the founder of Siemens, demonstrated the first ever electric locomotive in Berlin.
Ancient Egyptian doctors had their patients eat seeds from a beetle to relieve pain.
Ancient Egyptian doctors had their patients eat seeds from a beetle to relieve pain.
The "swoosh" logo was created in 1971 by a graphic design student Carolyn Davidson and was purchased by Blue Ribbon for $35. The intention was to convey motion in its design. it was first used by Nike on June 18, 1971.
Astronomer is an anagram of moon starer.
The word “dude” was coined by Oscar Wilde and his friends as a hybrid of duds” (slang for clothes) and “attitude”.
The American War of Independence's Battle of Bunker Hill between the Colonists and British was fought on June 17, 1775 outside of Boston. Thousands of Bostonians sat on rooftops, in trees, on church steeples, and in the rigging of ships in the harbor to watch the American revolutionaries battle the British.
The word “dude” was coined by Oscar Wilde and his friends as a hybrid of duds” (slang for clothes) and “attitude”.
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| The Battle of Bunker Hill, by Howard Pyle, 1897 |
Iceland has the highest number of writers, books published, and books read per capita than any other country, with one in ten Icelanders expected to publish a book.
When a flaming object fell on a picnic table in Mississauga, Ontario on June 16, 1979, it drew worldwide attention and speculation as to its true nature. It was eventually revealed that the object, described as a flat, dark green rock with a diameter of 8 inches was a Frisbee thrown by the neighbor as a prank.
When a flaming object fell on a picnic table in Mississauga, Ontario on June 16, 1979, it drew worldwide attention and speculation as to its true nature. It was eventually revealed that the object, described as a flat, dark green rock with a diameter of 8 inches was a Frisbee thrown by the neighbor as a prank.
Vladimir Putin walks with his right arm held immobile and left arm swinging due to his KGB training - keeping his gun arm close.
A strawberry isn't a berry but a banana is.
Wind is essential for trees to reach maturity. The stress from wind allows trees to grow stronger, and without wind, a tree will eventually collapse under its own weight.
Wind is essential for trees to reach maturity. The stress from wind allows trees to grow stronger, and without wind, a tree will eventually collapse under its own weight.
The bidet got its name from a French word meaning ‘pony’ as it looks like an undersized horse.
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| Bidet |
The French actress Sarah Bernhardt collected chairs. She filled all the homes she lived in with them.
In the 1500s baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"
In the 1500s baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"
One acre (4047 square meters) of wheat can produce enough bread to feed a family of four people for about ten years.
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| Wheat field |
The comic actress Lucille Ball was stricken by rheumatoid arthritis early in her career and spent 2 years re-learning how to walk.
Up to June 13, 1920, parents had used the US postal service to post their children in order to save rail fares. On that date, sending children by Parcel Post was officially forbidden with the ruling that children are not "bees and bugs", the only postable livestock.
George Washington was naturally a redhead and did not wear a wig. Instead, he powdered his hair, which was naturally long and lustrous, to make it white.
In 1784, Yorkshire locksmith Joseph Bramah devised a ‘pick-proof lock’ offering a prize for the first to open it. American locksmith Alfred Charles Hobbs finally opened it 67 years later and received a prize of 200 Guineas — just over £20,000 or $28,5000 today.
The first perfect game in baseball history was achieved by John Lee Richmond on June 12, 1880. Before the game against Cleveland, Worcester Worcesters pitcher Richmond was up all night taking part in college graduation events, and went to bed at 6:30 AM. He caught the 11:30 AM train for Worcester and then pitched a perfect game in the afternoon contest to beat Cleveland, 1–0.
No cat can both purr and roar. Some big cats such as lions and tigers cannot purr, but instead roar.
The first popular superhero was Mandrake the Magician. The syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk, began publication on June 11, 1934. Superman arrived four years later.
The red beetroot was considered by the Ancient Greeks to be medicinal, whilst its juice was used as a hair dye.
Up to June 13, 1920, parents had used the US postal service to post their children in order to save rail fares. On that date, sending children by Parcel Post was officially forbidden with the ruling that children are not "bees and bugs", the only postable livestock.
George Washington was naturally a redhead and did not wear a wig. Instead, he powdered his hair, which was naturally long and lustrous, to make it white.
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| George Washington |
In 1784, Yorkshire locksmith Joseph Bramah devised a ‘pick-proof lock’ offering a prize for the first to open it. American locksmith Alfred Charles Hobbs finally opened it 67 years later and received a prize of 200 Guineas — just over £20,000 or $28,5000 today.
The first perfect game in baseball history was achieved by John Lee Richmond on June 12, 1880. Before the game against Cleveland, Worcester Worcesters pitcher Richmond was up all night taking part in college graduation events, and went to bed at 6:30 AM. He caught the 11:30 AM train for Worcester and then pitched a perfect game in the afternoon contest to beat Cleveland, 1–0.
The Japanese ‘Peace Bell’ at the United Nations headquarters, New York, was cast in 1952 from coins presented by 64 countries.
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| The Japanese Peace Bell by Rodsan18 at English Wikipedia. |
No cat can both purr and roar. Some big cats such as lions and tigers cannot purr, but instead roar.
The first popular superhero was Mandrake the Magician. The syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk, began publication on June 11, 1934. Superman arrived four years later.
The red beetroot was considered by the Ancient Greeks to be medicinal, whilst its juice was used as a hair dye.
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| Red beetroot |
The word 'beggar' is derived from Flemish priest Lambert le Bègue (d c1187) who helped homeless widows and orphans.
Chaucer referred to a cat flap in the Millers Tale section of Canterbury Tales.
Chaucer referred to a cat flap in the Millers Tale section of Canterbury Tales.
The teddy bear was named after Theodore Roosevelt. The American president's childhood nickname was "Teedie," but his adult nickname was "Teddy" (which he despised and considered improper, preferring "T.R.")
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| Pixiebay |
In the 11th century King Canute was the first ruler to issue passports when he issued documents to pilgrims on their pilgrimage to Rome.
Alexander the Great ordered his armorers to make helmets much larger than those worn by his troops. These were left for the enemy to find in the hope that they would be afraid to fight the "giant" soldiers.
The world's largest pizza was created at the Los Angeles Convention Center in January 2023. YouTuber Airrack teamed up with Pizza Hut to bake a colossal pizza measuring 13,990 square feet (1,296.72 m²), officially certified by Guinness World Records in January 2023. The enormous pizza comprised 13,653 lbs (6,193 kg) of dough, 4,948 lbs (2244 kg) of tomato sauce, over 8,800 lbs (3991 kg) of cheese, and around 630,496 pepperoni slices.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry were both in Afghanistan at the same time, before they met. Meghan was doing a USO tour with other celebrities for the U.S. troops while Harry was stationed in the Middle East.
The author George Sand opened a puppet theater in Nohant in 1847, showing plays written by her son.
When playing with female puppies, male puppies will often let them win, even if they have a physical advantage.
Alexander the Great ordered his armorers to make helmets much larger than those worn by his troops. These were left for the enemy to find in the hope that they would be afraid to fight the "giant" soldiers.
The author George Sand opened a puppet theater in Nohant in 1847, showing plays written by her son.
The plural of “computer mouse” has long been disputed. Some say “mice”, some say “mouses”.
Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with the ears.
Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with the ears.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built by 100,000 people working 10 hours a day for 23 years.
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| The Great Pyramid of Giza By Nina; |
Leo Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim took longer than planned to complete West Side Story because every Thursday they downed pens to solve fiendishly difficult crosswords from the BBC magazine The Listener.
The first household detergent, Persil, went on sale in Dusseldorf, Germany on June 6, 1907. In addition to soap, it contained both sodium PERborate and sodium SILcate, hence PERSIL.
The fighting on D Day was so intense that 4% of the sand on Normandy beaches today is made up of shrapnel from D-Day that has broken down.
An acre of corn is as beneficial to the environment as an acre of forest trees. Both have large leaf areas that absorb lots of carbon dioxide and release oxygen during the entire summer period.
The first household detergent, Persil, went on sale in Dusseldorf, Germany on June 6, 1907. In addition to soap, it contained both sodium PERborate and sodium SILcate, hence PERSIL.
The longest ever beard was that of the Norwegian Hans Langseth. It measured 17ft 6in when he died in Iowa, in 1927.
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| Hans Langseth |
The fighting on D Day was so intense that 4% of the sand on Normandy beaches today is made up of shrapnel from D-Day that has broken down.
An acre of corn is as beneficial to the environment as an acre of forest trees. Both have large leaf areas that absorb lots of carbon dioxide and release oxygen during the entire summer period.
Meryl Streep originally applied to Law School but slept in on the morning of her interview and took it as a sign she was destined for other things.
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| 1979 photograph by Jack Mitchell |
The asterisk derives from the 2,000 year-old character used by Aristarchus of Samothrace called the asteriskos.
On June 4, 1986, professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich was in a motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. Doctors were unable to save his right foot, eventually amputating it. He continued wrestling while secretly wearing a prosthetic - even showering in his boots so no one would know. Erich's injury wasn't public knowledge until his death from suicide seven years later.
Each dolphin has his own unique vocal whistle. Because each whistle is unique, dolphins are able to call to each other by mimicking the whistle of a dolphin they want to communicate with. It's the equivalent of calling each other by name.
On June 4, 1986, professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich was in a motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. Doctors were unable to save his right foot, eventually amputating it. He continued wrestling while secretly wearing a prosthetic - even showering in his boots so no one would know. Erich's injury wasn't public knowledge until his death from suicide seven years later.
Each dolphin has his own unique vocal whistle. Because each whistle is unique, dolphins are able to call to each other by mimicking the whistle of a dolphin they want to communicate with. It's the equivalent of calling each other by name.
In the later part of his life, George III of the UK suffered from recurrent, and eventually permanent, mental illness. Once when driving through Windsor Great Park, George commanded his carriage driver to stop. The king walked over to an oak tree, shook hands with one of its branches and talked to it for several minutes believing he was conversing with the king of Prussia.
As a result of BBC's anti product placement policy, Ray Davies of The Kinks was forced to make a round-trip flight from New York to London and back on June 3, 1970. He interrupted the band's American tour to change "Coca-Cola" to "cherry cola" in his recording of "Lola" in order to prevent a ban on the song.
Beijing is considered to the bicycle capital of the world as it has many parking lots dedicated to bikes alone. About 400 million of the world’s one billion bicycles are in China.
Nestlé, under the brand name Libby's, produces 85% of the world's canned pumpkin at their plant in Morton, Illinois.
The so-called Battle of Santiago took place during the World Cup on June 2, 1962. The football match between hosts Chile and Italy became so violent that police were called onto the field by English referee Ken Aston to escort players who had been sent off.
The King of France obtained a ceasefire during the Hundred Years War so he could visit Saint Thomas Becket's tomb at Canterbury.
The first recorded theft of a motor car occurred in Paris on June 1, 1896, when a Peugeot belonging to Baron de Zuylen was stolen by his mechanic.
The giant panda is the only species of bear that does not move its ears to pick up sound.
As a result of BBC's anti product placement policy, Ray Davies of The Kinks was forced to make a round-trip flight from New York to London and back on June 3, 1970. He interrupted the band's American tour to change "Coca-Cola" to "cherry cola" in his recording of "Lola" in order to prevent a ban on the song.
Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside of their skin. There are about 200 dry, yellow seeds on each berry.
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| Pixiebay |
Beijing is considered to the bicycle capital of the world as it has many parking lots dedicated to bikes alone. About 400 million of the world’s one billion bicycles are in China.
Nestlé, under the brand name Libby's, produces 85% of the world's canned pumpkin at their plant in Morton, Illinois.
The so-called Battle of Santiago took place during the World Cup on June 2, 1962. The football match between hosts Chile and Italy became so violent that police were called onto the field by English referee Ken Aston to escort players who had been sent off.
The King of France obtained a ceasefire during the Hundred Years War so he could visit Saint Thomas Becket's tomb at Canterbury.
The first recorded theft of a motor car occurred in Paris on June 1, 1896, when a Peugeot belonging to Baron de Zuylen was stolen by his mechanic.
The giant panda is the only species of bear that does not move its ears to pick up sound.
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| By J. Patrick Fischer - Wikipedia Commons |
Marilyn Monroe had a higher IQ (163) than that of Albert Einstein (160).
In Thailand, it was considered a capital offense punishable by death if someone touched the queen. On May 31, 1880, Sunanda Kumariratana, first wife of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Siam (now Thailand) drowned when her royal boat capsized on the way to the Palace. The many witnesses to the accident did not dare to touch the queen while she was drowning.
The record for widest tornado recorded was broken on May 31, 2013 by the 2.6 mile-wide (4.2 km) wedge tornado (rated EF3) that hit El Reno, Oklahoma.
The members of Led Zeppelin gave their drummer John Bonham a Harley Davidson for his 25th birthday on May 31, 1973. He promptly rode the motorcycle up and down the hallways of his hotel, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The next day, he wrote a check for the damages and said "Oh, and keep the bike."
Manchester United football club have never lost a Premier League game at Old Trafford when leading at half-time. This is an impressive streak dating back to May 1984.
Spanish military engineer and physicist Emilio Herrera Linares designed and built a full-pressure space suit "escafandra estratonáutica" in 1935, which was to have been used in a stratospheric balloon flight planned for early 1936.
In Thailand, it was considered a capital offense punishable by death if someone touched the queen. On May 31, 1880, Sunanda Kumariratana, first wife of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Siam (now Thailand) drowned when her royal boat capsized on the way to the Palace. The many witnesses to the accident did not dare to touch the queen while she was drowning.
The record for widest tornado recorded was broken on May 31, 2013 by the 2.6 mile-wide (4.2 km) wedge tornado (rated EF3) that hit El Reno, Oklahoma.
The members of Led Zeppelin gave their drummer John Bonham a Harley Davidson for his 25th birthday on May 31, 1973. He promptly rode the motorcycle up and down the hallways of his hotel, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The next day, he wrote a check for the damages and said "Oh, and keep the bike."
Manchester United football club have never lost a Premier League game at Old Trafford when leading at half-time. This is an impressive streak dating back to May 1984.
Spanish military engineer and physicist Emilio Herrera Linares designed and built a full-pressure space suit "escafandra estratonáutica" in 1935, which was to have been used in a stratospheric balloon flight planned for early 1936.
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| Space suit designed by military engineer Emilio Herrera Linares for stratospheric balloon |
The medium of exchange for many of the ancients was barley. It was replaced by metal coins around 625BC in Greece.
Spanish ultrarunner Ricardo Abad holds the world record for running a marathon every day for 607 consecutive days. He started on October 1, 2010 and finished on May 29, 2012. Abad ran all these marathons alongside working 8 hour shifts in a factory.
The Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball's first all-professional team, won 130 games in a row between 1869 and 1870.
In the 1950s, the Egyptian Secret Service had their spy in London buy all of the James Bond books so they could analyze British espionage methods believing it was based on reality.
The world record for pancake eating was broken by competitive eater Matt Stonie at the World Pancake Eating Championship, held in Chico, California on May 28, 2016, when he shoved down 113 silver-dollar pancakes in eight minutes.
Spanish ultrarunner Ricardo Abad holds the world record for running a marathon every day for 607 consecutive days. He started on October 1, 2010 and finished on May 29, 2012. Abad ran all these marathons alongside working 8 hour shifts in a factory.
London-born engineer Alan Blumlein (1903-1942) invented stereo sound
recording in 1931, after getting frustrated that the sound from a single
speaker at the cinema did not match the action on screen.
The Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball's first all-professional team, won 130 games in a row between 1869 and 1870.
In the 1950s, the Egyptian Secret Service had their spy in London buy all of the James Bond books so they could analyze British espionage methods believing it was based on reality.
The world record for pancake eating was broken by competitive eater Matt Stonie at the World Pancake Eating Championship, held in Chico, California on May 28, 2016, when he shoved down 113 silver-dollar pancakes in eight minutes.
Salvador Dali once arrived to an art exhibition in a limousine filled with turnips.
French Jesuit priest and grammarian Dominique Bouhours died on May 27, 1702. His last words were "I am about to - or I am going to - die: either expression is correct."
The Golden Gate Bridge's two main cables are long enough to circle the world at the equator more than three times.
In 1783 the best chess player of his age, Frenchman François-André Danican played and won three chess games simultaneously while blindfolded. Witnesses signed affidavits since they doubted future generations would believe such a feat was possible.
French Jesuit priest and grammarian Dominique Bouhours died on May 27, 1702. His last words were "I am about to - or I am going to - die: either expression is correct."
The sperm whale makes a series of clicking noises that can reach as high as 230 decibels making it the loudest animal in the world.
The Golden Gate Bridge's two main cables are long enough to circle the world at the equator more than three times.
In 1783 the best chess player of his age, Frenchman François-André Danican played and won three chess games simultaneously while blindfolded. Witnesses signed affidavits since they doubted future generations would believe such a feat was possible.
Soviet weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev set 80 world records between 1970 and 1977 more than any other athlete in any sport.
The Sami people of northern Finland use a measure called Poronkusema: the distance a reindeer can walk before needing to urinate.
Mahatma Gandhi temporarily lost one of his most prized possessions on May 25, 1947 when a thief took the five shilling watch which for 25 years had dangled from his loincloth. The thief is believed to have mingled with crowds which mobbed the leader of the Indian independence movement at Kanpur railway station on his way to Delhi. The thief felt remorse and returned it six months later.
Holstein cow Blosom was the tallest cow ever standing at 190 centimeters, or just a little over 6.2 feet. Blosom passed away on May 25, 2015 from an irreparable leg injury.
Mahatma Gandhi temporarily lost one of his most prized possessions on May 25, 1947 when a thief took the five shilling watch which for 25 years had dangled from his loincloth. The thief is believed to have mingled with crowds which mobbed the leader of the Indian independence movement at Kanpur railway station on his way to Delhi. The thief felt remorse and returned it six months later.
Holstein cow Blosom was the tallest cow ever standing at 190 centimeters, or just a little over 6.2 feet. Blosom passed away on May 25, 2015 from an irreparable leg injury.
Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis came 24th in the US women's archery championship in 1999.
Drilling began on May 24, 1970 on the Kola Peninsula in Russia, of the Kola Superdeep Borehole. It eventually reached 12,262 metres (40,230 ft), making it the deepest hole ever drilled and the deepest artificial point on Earth. The Kola Borehole has been abandoned since 2006 and only a small metal wield covers the hole.
Drilling began on May 24, 1970 on the Kola Peninsula in Russia, of the Kola Superdeep Borehole. It eventually reached 12,262 metres (40,230 ft), making it the deepest hole ever drilled and the deepest artificial point on Earth. The Kola Borehole has been abandoned since 2006 and only a small metal wield covers the hole.
Wendy's is named after founder Dave Thomas' daughter, Melinda—she couldn't pronounce Rs and Ls as a kid, calling herself “Wenda.”
The oldest examples of glass are Egyptian beads dating from 12,000 BC.
Fleming Koch and Nina Tolgard, both of Denmark, were married on May 23, 1988 in the world's first underwater wedding ceremony, which took place in Mauritius.
A Carmelite monk, Père Sebastian Jean Truchet, invented the ear trumpet.
James J. Ritty, owner of a tavern in Dayton, Ohio, invented the cash register in 1879 to stop employee theft.
Arthur Conan Doyle was obsessed with skiing long before it became an established pursuit. He was among the pioneers in making skiing, originally a Norwegian form of travel, into an international sport, and is credited with making it popular in Switzerland.
The Tokyo Skytree, which opened to the public on May 22, 2012, is the tallest tower in the world standing 634 meters (2,080 ft) tall. A broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower in Sumida, it is the third tallest (man-made) structure on Earth, after after the Merdeka 118 (678.9 m or 2,227 ft) and the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m or 2,722 ft).
Fleming Koch and Nina Tolgard, both of Denmark, were married on May 23, 1988 in the world's first underwater wedding ceremony, which took place in Mauritius.
A Carmelite monk, Père Sebastian Jean Truchet, invented the ear trumpet.
James J. Ritty, owner of a tavern in Dayton, Ohio, invented the cash register in 1879 to stop employee theft.
Arthur Conan Doyle was obsessed with skiing long before it became an established pursuit. He was among the pioneers in making skiing, originally a Norwegian form of travel, into an international sport, and is credited with making it popular in Switzerland.
Pilots aren't allowed beards due to the shape of an oxygen mask.
On May 21, 1898, the first car bumper was fitted. The bumper was fitted to a prototype vehicle at the Imperial Wesseldorf wagon factory in Moravia (now Czech Republic). The car set off on a test drive to Vienna and the bumper fell off after less than ten miles.
On May 21, 1898, the first car bumper was fitted. The bumper was fitted to a prototype vehicle at the Imperial Wesseldorf wagon factory in Moravia (now Czech Republic). The car set off on a test drive to Vienna and the bumper fell off after less than ten miles.
Duffel bags are named after a town of Duffel, Belgium, where they were first made.
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| US military-issued duffel bags.By Bahamut0013 |
Jonathan Davis, lead singer for the nu metal group Korn, played in his high school bagpipe band.
The first Band-Aid adhesive bandages were 3 ins (7.6 cms) wide and 18 ins (45.7 cms) long. People cut off as much as they needed.
The father of English hymnody Isaac Watts was only 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall with a large head, but was known for his generosity, humanity and godliness. One lady turned down his matrimonial proposal by saying, "I like the jewel but not the setting."
The English new wave band Duran Duran got their name from an astronaut in the 1968 Jane Fonda movie Barbarella.
When a farmer was injured by a fallen tree branch in 2003, an eastern grey kangaroo which had been hand-reared, named Lulu saved his life by alerting his family members to his location. She received the RSPCA Australia National Animal Valour Award on May 19, 2004.
On May 19, 1999 when Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released into theaters, an estimated 2.2 million full time employees missed work in America to watch the Star Wars movie. it cost the US an estimated $293 million dollars from loss of productivity.
The earliest known bank was the Egibi Bank of Neuchanezar in Babylon, which was established in 575BC.
There are around 35,000 museums in the United States has more museums, a greater number than the combined total of Starbucks and McDonald's locations.
The first Band-Aid adhesive bandages were 3 ins (7.6 cms) wide and 18 ins (45.7 cms) long. People cut off as much as they needed.
The father of English hymnody Isaac Watts was only 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall with a large head, but was known for his generosity, humanity and godliness. One lady turned down his matrimonial proposal by saying, "I like the jewel but not the setting."
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| Isaac Watts |
The English new wave band Duran Duran got their name from an astronaut in the 1968 Jane Fonda movie Barbarella.
When a farmer was injured by a fallen tree branch in 2003, an eastern grey kangaroo which had been hand-reared, named Lulu saved his life by alerting his family members to his location. She received the RSPCA Australia National Animal Valour Award on May 19, 2004.
On May 19, 1999 when Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released into theaters, an estimated 2.2 million full time employees missed work in America to watch the Star Wars movie. it cost the US an estimated $293 million dollars from loss of productivity.
The earliest known bank was the Egibi Bank of Neuchanezar in Babylon, which was established in 575BC.
There are around 35,000 museums in the United States has more museums, a greater number than the combined total of Starbucks and McDonald's locations.
The Prague astronomical clock was first installed in 1410, making it the oldest one in the world still working.
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| The Prague astronomical clock By Krzysiu "Jarzyna" Szymański |
Bacteria can live for centuries, as evidenced by the discovery of bacteria from the ancient Egyptian tombs.
The largest egg on record weighed 5 lb 11.36 oz (2.589 kg) and was laid by an ostrich at a farm owned by Kerstin and Gunnar Sahlin in Borlänge, Sweden, on May 17, 2008.
The inventor of the ATM, John Shepherd-Barron, was lying in the bath when he came up with the idea of a cash dispenser.
The Academy Award was rumored to have gotten its nickname of Oscar for its resemblance to a film librarian’s Uncle Oscar.
Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 16. 1975. Tabel was also the first woman to ascend all Seven Summits by climbing the highest peak on every continent.
The largest egg on record weighed 5 lb 11.36 oz (2.589 kg) and was laid by an ostrich at a farm owned by Kerstin and Gunnar Sahlin in Borlänge, Sweden, on May 17, 2008.
The inventor of the ATM, John Shepherd-Barron, was lying in the bath when he came up with the idea of a cash dispenser.
The Academy Award was rumored to have gotten its nickname of Oscar for its resemblance to a film librarian’s Uncle Oscar.
Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 16. 1975. Tabel was also the first woman to ascend all Seven Summits by climbing the highest peak on every continent.
The English philosopher Jeremy Bentham owned a cat called Langbourne whom he fed on macaroni.
Before Johann Gutenberg started upon his printing press in the 1450s, there were about 30,000 books in Europe.
Snow beer is the best-selling beer brand in the world despite mainly being sold only in China.
The human eye can detect more shades of green than any other color.
On May 14, 2008 there were 5,586 companies with over 200 years of history across 41 countries. More than 3,000 of those were in Japan and 837 in Germany.
Before Johann Gutenberg started upon his printing press in the 1450s, there were about 30,000 books in Europe.
Snow beer is the best-selling beer brand in the world despite mainly being sold only in China.
Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to win a Formula One race by winning the Spanish Grand Prix on May 15, 2016 aged 18 years and 228 days.
The human eye can detect more shades of green than any other color.
On May 14, 2008 there were 5,586 companies with over 200 years of history across 41 countries. More than 3,000 of those were in Japan and 837 in Germany.
The word 'bagel' comes from the Yiddish word 'beygal,' which itself is from the German 'beugel,' meaning 'ring.'
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| Three Montreal-style bagels: one poppy and two sesame bagels |
Scottish engineer James Watt, best known for his steam engine invented a mechanized method of copying manuscripts, the copying press, in the late 18th century. It became a commercial success and was widely used in offices even into the twentieth century.
The first place where a barcode was scanned was a packet of Wrigley’s chewing gum sold in June 1974 in Troy, Ohio.
The capture of the Tripolitan city of Derna on May 13, 1805 was the first time the United States flag was raised in victory on foreign soil. The capturing of the city ended the First Barbary War.
The word mile comes from the largest unit of land measure used by the Romans, the "milia passuum" meaning 1,000 paces. The Roman army, marching through uncharted territory, used to place a stick in the ground every 1,000 paces (where each pace was 2 steps).
The word “barbecue” comes from a word Arawak Indians in Haiti used. It first appeared in print in 1653.
The first place where a barcode was scanned was a packet of Wrigley’s chewing gum sold in June 1974 in Troy, Ohio.
The capture of the Tripolitan city of Derna on May 13, 1805 was the first time the United States flag was raised in victory on foreign soil. The capturing of the city ended the First Barbary War.
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| William Eaton leading the attack on Derna |
The word mile comes from the largest unit of land measure used by the Romans, the "milia passuum" meaning 1,000 paces. The Roman army, marching through uncharted territory, used to place a stick in the ground every 1,000 paces (where each pace was 2 steps).
The word “barbecue” comes from a word Arawak Indians in Haiti used. It first appeared in print in 1653.
Wrestling was so popular in Ancient Greece that, just as nowadays we may invite a friend for a round of golf or a game of bowls, Greeks asked each other to go wrestling together.
The 2015 and 2018 world champion of French Scrabble can't speak a word of French. New Zealander Nigel Richards managed to memorize the whole French Scrabble dictionary.
The waltz developed from the Bavarian country dance called the ländler. It was first introduced to English ballrooms on May 11, 1812. Most observers considered the waltz disgusting and immoral due to the physical contact involved. The Victorian Ladies' Pocket Book of Etiquette devoted ten pages into denouncing the dance.
Barcelona FC’s Camp Nou is currently the largest stadium in Europe with a seating capacity of 99,354.
The 2015 and 2018 world champion of French Scrabble can't speak a word of French. New Zealander Nigel Richards managed to memorize the whole French Scrabble dictionary.
The waltz developed from the Bavarian country dance called the ländler. It was first introduced to English ballrooms on May 11, 1812. Most observers considered the waltz disgusting and immoral due to the physical contact involved. The Victorian Ladies' Pocket Book of Etiquette devoted ten pages into denouncing the dance.
Barcelona FC’s Camp Nou is currently the largest stadium in Europe with a seating capacity of 99,354.
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| Oh-Barcelona.com from Barcelona, Spain - The Camp Nou Stadium |
General Ulysses Grant believed that onions would prevent dysentery and other physical ailments amongst his Union Civil War soldiers. He wired the following message to the War Department on May 11, 1864: "I will not move my army without onions." In response the U.S. government immediately sent three trainloads of onions to the front.
The Italian cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci was one of the first Europeans to suggest that the lands discovered by Europeans across the Atlantic were not part of Asia, as Christopher Columbus believed, but instead a "New World." In 1507, a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller created a world map in which he labeled the new continent “America” in honor of Americus Vespucius, the Latinized version of Amerigo Vespucci's name.
The Italian cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci was one of the first Europeans to suggest that the lands discovered by Europeans across the Atlantic were not part of Asia, as Christopher Columbus believed, but instead a "New World." In 1507, a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller created a world map in which he labeled the new continent “America” in honor of Americus Vespucius, the Latinized version of Amerigo Vespucci's name.
In 1912 Lovey's String Band travelled from Trinidad to New York City to make the first calypso recordings.
The word "Christian" only appears three times in the Bible.
When Carter Wilkerson tweeted Wendy's asking how many retweets he needed for a year of free chicken nuggets, Wendy's replied with "18 Million". He accepted the challenge and tweeted "HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS ." The tweet prompted the hashtag #NuggsForCarter. He collected nearly 3.5 million retweets in a little over a month, becoming on May 9, 2017, the most-retweeted of all time, at which point Wendy's gave him a year of free nuggets. It still is the second most retweeted tweet in the English language
On May 9, 2012, tennis player Samuel Groth of Australia served an ace recorded at 263 km/h (163.4 mph) during an ATP Challenger event in Busan, South Korea. The serve came during Groth's second-round match against Uladzimir Ignatik (Belarus). It's the fastest ever recorded serve.
When Carter Wilkerson tweeted Wendy's asking how many retweets he needed for a year of free chicken nuggets, Wendy's replied with "18 Million". He accepted the challenge and tweeted "HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS ." The tweet prompted the hashtag #NuggsForCarter. He collected nearly 3.5 million retweets in a little over a month, becoming on May 9, 2017, the most-retweeted of all time, at which point Wendy's gave him a year of free nuggets. It still is the second most retweeted tweet in the English language
On May 9, 2012, tennis player Samuel Groth of Australia served an ace recorded at 263 km/h (163.4 mph) during an ATP Challenger event in Busan, South Korea. The serve came during Groth's second-round match against Uladzimir Ignatik (Belarus). It's the fastest ever recorded serve.
You cannot snore and dream at the same time. People normally snore when in deep sleep and at the same time we dream when sleeping soundly but still snoring and dreams do not go hand in hand.
The collective noun for starlings is a murmuration. The name may come from the sound their wings make when a vast cloud of them sweeps through the skies.
The collective noun for starlings is a murmuration. The name may come from the sound their wings make when a vast cloud of them sweeps through the skies.
The Löwenmensch figurine a lion-headed figurine from the Swabian Alps in Germany is the oldest known statue in the world, dating to 30,000-40,000 years ago.
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| Löwenmensch By Thilo Par |
George Washington caught smallpox during a trip to Barbados in 1760. As a result he was permanently scarred.
On May 7, 1988, the U.S. city of Boston held the world's first convention for people who said they had been abducted by aliens.
Thailand's capital city is actually named Krung Thep ("city of angels"). Foreigners persist on calling it Bangkok.
An Irish suffragette named Mary Maloney followed Winston Churchill around for a week ringing a very large bell every time he tried to speak. Her most famous “interruption” was on May 6, 1908 while Churchill was campaigning in Dundee, Scotland.
Sigmund Freud never learned how to read a railway timetable and was almost always accompanied on journeys in case he got lost. Often it was his sister-in-law Minna accompanying him as his wife Martha disliked travelling.
The Solar System can never come into perfect alignment. The last time the eight major planets appeared even in the same part of the sky was over 1,000 years ago, in the year AD 949, and they won’t manage it again until May 6, 2492.
NASA believes the value of minerals on the asteroid belt exceeds $600,000,000,000,000,000,000.
On May 7, 1988, the U.S. city of Boston held the world's first convention for people who said they had been abducted by aliens.
Starbucks uses round tables to make solo coffee drinkers feel less alone.
An Irish suffragette named Mary Maloney followed Winston Churchill around for a week ringing a very large bell every time he tried to speak. Her most famous “interruption” was on May 6, 1908 while Churchill was campaigning in Dundee, Scotland.
Sigmund Freud never learned how to read a railway timetable and was almost always accompanied on journeys in case he got lost. Often it was his sister-in-law Minna accompanying him as his wife Martha disliked travelling.
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| Sigmund Freud by Max Halberstadt, c. 1921 |
The Solar System can never come into perfect alignment. The last time the eight major planets appeared even in the same part of the sky was over 1,000 years ago, in the year AD 949, and they won’t manage it again until May 6, 2492.
NASA believes the value of minerals on the asteroid belt exceeds $600,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Washington state has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined.
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| Glacier Peak, Washington |
Mary Lies was the first woman to be issued a US patent. She was granted on May 5, 1809 a patent for the rights to a technique for weaving straw with silk and thread to make bonnets.
The at-sign symbol, @, wasn't originally used the way we use it today. In a mercantile document sent by Florentine Francesco Lapi from Seville to Rome on May 4, 1536, @ was used to denote a unit of measure – an amphora (clay jar) of wine, which is equivalent to about 1/13th of a barrel.
The shortest US president on record was James Madison, who was 5 feet 4 inches tall (1.63 meters) and weighed less than 100 lbs (45 kgs).
The at-sign symbol, @, wasn't originally used the way we use it today. In a mercantile document sent by Florentine Francesco Lapi from Seville to Rome on May 4, 1536, @ was used to denote a unit of measure – an amphora (clay jar) of wine, which is equivalent to about 1/13th of a barrel.
The shortest US president on record was James Madison, who was 5 feet 4 inches tall (1.63 meters) and weighed less than 100 lbs (45 kgs).
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| James Madison By James Sharples (1751/52-1811) |
In the 19th century cures for baldness were made from bear's grease, beef marrow, onion juice, butter and flower water.
In Italy, spaghetti is usually eaten only with a fork, or with a fork and a spoon. Many Italians see using a knife to eat spaghetti as bad manners, except to prepare them for small children.
The human brain is about 85% water.
The Greek orator Demosthenes was an ancient stammerer who is said to have cured himself by learning to speak with pebbles in his mouth.
In Italy, spaghetti is usually eaten only with a fork, or with a fork and a spoon. Many Italians see using a knife to eat spaghetti as bad manners, except to prepare them for small children.
Raja Harishchandra, the first full-length Indian feature film, was released on May 3, 1913. With a storyline based on the legend of Raja Harishchandra, it marked the beginning of the Indian film industry.
The human brain is about 85% water.
The Greek orator Demosthenes was an ancient stammerer who is said to have cured himself by learning to speak with pebbles in his mouth.
The lower left side of Sylvester Stallone's face has been paralyzed from birth resulting in his slurred speech. Stallone's facial paralysis was the result of a doctor misusing tongs during his birth, severing the nerves in the newborn's lower left cheek
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| Sylvester Stallone in 2012 By Georges Biard |
A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber.
The first cooked meals on a scheduled flight were introduced on May 1, 1927 by Imperial Airways. Their London to Paris 'Silver Wing' service included a steward, a four-course luncheon and drinks from a bar.
The first cooked meals on a scheduled flight were introduced on May 1, 1927 by Imperial Airways. Their London to Paris 'Silver Wing' service included a steward, a four-course luncheon and drinks from a bar.
The world's largest sports stadium is in North Korea's capital Pyongyang. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, also known as the May Day Stadium, was completed on May 1, 1989 with a capacity said to be 150,000.
Toy balloons were invented by English scientist Michael Faraday in 1824. He used balloons to store gases.
The first televised FA Cup Final took place on April 30, 1938 between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End. Preston won 1-0 thanks to a penalty dispatched by George Mutch in the last minute of extra time. More people - 93,000 - saw the game at Wembley than on TV, as there were fewer than 10,000 sets in Britain.
The word 'zipper' was introduced by Goodrich's 1925 rubber galoshes called "Zipper Boots". The abbreviation zip was also first recorded in 1925.
In 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture classified batter-coated French fries as a vegetable.
This first modern UK police force was founded in 1829 by Robert Peel. That's why the Brits call them 'Bobbies'.
Georges Bouton was the nominal winner of the 'world's first motor race' on April 28, 1887, when he drove his first four-seater steam quadricycle, two kilometers from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne. He was the only entrant.
Badgers are very clean-living and will not defecate in their setts but have communal latrines elsewhere.
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| The 100th Anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung. By Nicor |
Toy balloons were invented by English scientist Michael Faraday in 1824. He used balloons to store gases.
The first televised FA Cup Final took place on April 30, 1938 between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End. Preston won 1-0 thanks to a penalty dispatched by George Mutch in the last minute of extra time. More people - 93,000 - saw the game at Wembley than on TV, as there were fewer than 10,000 sets in Britain.
The South American Goliath birdeater is the world's largest spider, according to Guinness World Records, with leg spans of 11 inches (28 cms) and bodies nearly 5 inches (13 cms) long. The spider can weigh more than 6 oz. (170 grams) — about as much as a young puppy.
The word 'zipper' was introduced by Goodrich's 1925 rubber galoshes called "Zipper Boots". The abbreviation zip was also first recorded in 1925.
In 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture classified batter-coated French fries as a vegetable.
A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox set the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball on April 29, 2015. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests.
This first modern UK police force was founded in 1829 by Robert Peel. That's why the Brits call them 'Bobbies'.
Georges Bouton was the nominal winner of the 'world's first motor race' on April 28, 1887, when he drove his first four-seater steam quadricycle, two kilometers from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne. He was the only entrant.
Badgers are very clean-living and will not defecate in their setts but have communal latrines elsewhere.
Henry J Heinz started making baked beans in 1895. He advertised them as “oven-baked beans in a pork and tomato sauce.”
African officials built in 1999 a special polling station in the remote Drakensberg mountain area where there was only one registered voter. Sure enough, he stayed home and didn't vote.
When Geraldine Apponyi married King Zog of Albania on April 27, 1938 she became the first American woman to become a queen.
The French freethinker Voltaire once prophesied that in "another century and there will not be a Bible on Earth." Ironically a century after his death his home was occupied by the Geneva Bible Society.
The cocoa plant was considered to be so precious by the Aztecs that they sometimes used it as money.
A newborn baby has around 300 bones. Many of these fuse together to leave an adult’s 206.
At the temperature -20°C or below Emperor Penguins form a huddle to stay warm. The temperature inside the huddle sometimes gets so hot (37°C) that some penguins come out and eat ice to cool off a bit.
Sherlock Holmes Baffled was the first film to feature Conan Doyle's fictional detective. It was a 30-second silent spoof released in the US on April 25, 1900. Sherlock Holmes has been depicted on screen over 255 times, a world record for the most portrayed literary human character in film and TV.
African officials built in 1999 a special polling station in the remote Drakensberg mountain area where there was only one registered voter. Sure enough, he stayed home and didn't vote.
When Geraldine Apponyi married King Zog of Albania on April 27, 1938 she became the first American woman to become a queen.
The French freethinker Voltaire once prophesied that in "another century and there will not be a Bible on Earth." Ironically a century after his death his home was occupied by the Geneva Bible Society.
The cocoa plant was considered to be so precious by the Aztecs that they sometimes used it as money.
Test pilot Tim Ferguson landed a Jaguar fighter jet aircraft on the M55 motorway in Lancashire, England on April 26, 1975, shortly before it was opened to the public, to demonstrate the jet’s abilities.
A newborn baby has around 300 bones. Many of these fuse together to leave an adult’s 206.
At the temperature -20°C or below Emperor Penguins form a huddle to stay warm. The temperature inside the huddle sometimes gets so hot (37°C) that some penguins come out and eat ice to cool off a bit.
Other than humans, only armadillos and squirrels can contract leprosy.
American Chad Fell holds the record for "Largest Hands-free Bubblegum Bubble" at 20.0 inches (50.8 cm) achieved on April 24, 2004. He blew the bubble at the Double Springs High School, Winston County, Alabama, USA.
Flying squirrels cannot really fly but can spread flaps of skin between their limbs to become effective gliders over distances up to 300 feet.
American Chad Fell holds the record for "Largest Hands-free Bubblegum Bubble" at 20.0 inches (50.8 cm) achieved on April 24, 2004. He blew the bubble at the Double Springs High School, Winston County, Alabama, USA.
Flying squirrels cannot really fly but can spread flaps of skin between their limbs to become effective gliders over distances up to 300 feet.
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| A flying squirrel gliding. By Angie spuc |
The Russian composer Alexander Borodin was one of the foremost chemists of his time. He was especially noted for his work on aldehydes.
A badminton shuttlecock can easily reach speeds of 180 km/h (112 mph) during a match.
William Shakespeare used over 30,000 words in his plays, many which he invented himself. He introduced some 3,000 words into the English language including "accommodation", "assassination", "obscene" and "submerged.” As a comparison, an educated 20th century person has a vocabulary of 15,000 words and the King James Bible has a vocabulary of 8000 words.
Among the 135,000 birthday presents Shirley Temple received for her ninth birthday on April 23, 1937 was a prize Jersey calf from schoolchildren in Oregon.
Vladimir Lenin owned nine Rolls Royces including the world's only one to be adapted with skis at the front for snow-driving.
'Miss Dromedary,' a beauty contest for camels, was first held in Saudi Arabia on April 22, 1995. Emir Sultan ibn Mohammad ibn Saud al-Kebir donated the $500,000 prize money.
The original of the Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist was a young pickpocket whose trial Charles Dickens attended in his journalist days and whose sentence of 7 years transportation he regretfully recorded.
The Circus Maximus was arguably the largest structure in ancient Rome, with the capacity to seat 250,000 people according to Pliny (roughly a quarter of Rome's population at the time).
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) was given corgi as an 18th-birthday gift on April 21, 1944. She named her Susan and adored her pet corgi so much that she took her on honeymoon.
The punishment for serving bad beer in ancient Babylon was drowning.
The largest simultaneous broadcast of a TV drama series was achieved by Game Of Thrones, when its second episode of season five was shown in 173 different territories on April 20, 2015.
A badminton shuttlecock can easily reach speeds of 180 km/h (112 mph) during a match.
William Shakespeare used over 30,000 words in his plays, many which he invented himself. He introduced some 3,000 words into the English language including "accommodation", "assassination", "obscene" and "submerged.” As a comparison, an educated 20th century person has a vocabulary of 15,000 words and the King James Bible has a vocabulary of 8000 words.
Vladimir Lenin owned nine Rolls Royces including the world's only one to be adapted with skis at the front for snow-driving.
The original of the Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist was a young pickpocket whose trial Charles Dickens attended in his journalist days and whose sentence of 7 years transportation he regretfully recorded.
The Circus Maximus was arguably the largest structure in ancient Rome, with the capacity to seat 250,000 people according to Pliny (roughly a quarter of Rome's population at the time).
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) was given corgi as an 18th-birthday gift on April 21, 1944. She named her Susan and adored her pet corgi so much that she took her on honeymoon.
The largest simultaneous broadcast of a TV drama series was achieved by Game Of Thrones, when its second episode of season five was shown in 173 different territories on April 20, 2015.
The Madre de Deus, built in Lisbon, Portugal in 1589 was the largest ship in the world in her time. The carrack was 165 feet (50 meters) in length, had 47 feet (14 meters) of beam and could carry 900 tons of cargo. It had 7 decks, 32 guns plus other arms and 600 to 700 crew members.
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| The arrival of the Great Carrack 'Madre de Dios' at Dartmouth Harbour |
Adolf Hitler esteemed Clark Gable above all other actors, and during the war offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and return Gable unscathed to him.
The English word “word” was first used in 725 AD.
The English word “word” was first used in 725 AD.
Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the world’s almonds.
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| Goodfield's Dipped Treats Double Dipped Almond |
Garlic was used as an antibiotic during World War II.
On the 20:45 news bulletin on Good Friday, April 18, 1930, the BBC Radio reported, "There is no news." Instead, they played piano music for the rest of the 15-minute segment. The wireless service then returned to broadcasting from the Queen's Hall in Langham Place, London, where the Wagner opera Parsifal was being performed.
Banshee is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger Mabillard, it opened on April 18, 2014. The roller coaster features 4,124 feet (1,257 m) of track making it the longest inverted roller coaster.
Crosswords were so popular among U.S. commuters in the 1920s that the Baltimore Ohio Railroad provided dictionaries for passengers.
The first periodical called a magazine was the Gentleman's Magazine launched by Edward Cave in January 1731. In an age of lousy yellow journalism, the punchy periodical featured stories about fire-eating as well as essays by a young upstart named Samuel Johnson.
On the 20:45 news bulletin on Good Friday, April 18, 1930, the BBC Radio reported, "There is no news." Instead, they played piano music for the rest of the 15-minute segment. The wireless service then returned to broadcasting from the Queen's Hall in Langham Place, London, where the Wagner opera Parsifal was being performed.
Banshee is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger Mabillard, it opened on April 18, 2014. The roller coaster features 4,124 feet (1,257 m) of track making it the longest inverted roller coaster.
Crosswords were so popular among U.S. commuters in the 1920s that the Baltimore Ohio Railroad provided dictionaries for passengers.
The first periodical called a magazine was the Gentleman's Magazine launched by Edward Cave in January 1731. In an age of lousy yellow journalism, the punchy periodical featured stories about fire-eating as well as essays by a young upstart named Samuel Johnson.
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| By Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers - http://www.rarenewspapers.com, Wikipedia |
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
The fastest time to eat a jam doughnut with no hands and without licking the lips is 11.41 seconds. The record was achieved by Philip Joseph Santoro in San Francisco, California, on April 17, 2014.
A giant Oreo cookie weighing 73.4 kg (161 lb 13 oz) was produced on April 16, 2018. Baked in Manama, Bahrain, the supersize snack was made with the real dough and cream used in regular-sized Oreos. With a normal Oreo weighing 11.3 g, this it was 6,495 times bigger than what you find in a standard packet.
The modern flip-flop descends from the Japanese zōri, which became popular in the decade after World War II when American soldiers brought them back home.
The fastest time to eat a jam doughnut with no hands and without licking the lips is 11.41 seconds. The record was achieved by Philip Joseph Santoro in San Francisco, California, on April 17, 2014.
A giant Oreo cookie weighing 73.4 kg (161 lb 13 oz) was produced on April 16, 2018. Baked in Manama, Bahrain, the supersize snack was made with the real dough and cream used in regular-sized Oreos. With a normal Oreo weighing 11.3 g, this it was 6,495 times bigger than what you find in a standard packet.
The modern flip-flop descends from the Japanese zōri, which became popular in the decade after World War II when American soldiers brought them back home.
After D-Day, flying ace Johnnie Johnson organized a supply run of Spitfires with barrels of beer slung under each wing to bring the "necessities of life" to pilots on front-line airfields in Normandy.
Irish Titanic passenger Jeremiah Burke sent a good bye message in a bottle during the sinking. It subsequently washed up near his home, where his handwriting was recognized by his mother.
Irish Titanic passenger Jeremiah Burke sent a good bye message in a bottle during the sinking. It subsequently washed up near his home, where his handwriting was recognized by his mother.
The Northwestern most point in the contiguous U.S. is Cape Flattery on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
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| The view to the north from Cape Flattery By Dicklyon |
The kilt was part of Assyrian soldiers' uniform.
In South Korea, there is a day called Black Day (April 14), where single people eat noodles to lament their loneliness. This is in opposition to Valentine's Day and White Day, the days for couples.
The average cumulus cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds, which is the same as 100 elephants.
“Old Bet” the first elephant ever seen in America arrived from Bengal zoo on April 13, 1796 and was exhibited in New York. She was known for her ability to draw corks from bottles using only her trunk.
Aspirin was the first drug sold in water-soluble tablets.
The word "OXYPHENBUTAZONE" is theoretically the highest possible scoring word in Scrabble, netting 1778 Points. It has never been played.
The Stanford Daily reported on April 12, 1928 that Mathias Blau of Chicago convinced his wife to have all her teeth pulled. He then refused to buy her dentures because it was "cheaper to feed her soup than solid food." Mrs Blau took him to court and her husband was told to get her two new sets of teeth and at least a beef steak a week.
Astronauts don't do laundry but rather eject their clothes into space to burn up in the atmosphere.
In April 2026, the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission swung during their spaceflight around the far side of the moon. This put them 252,760 miles (406,771 km) away from Earth, the furthest that humans have ever been from their home planet.
In South Korea, there is a day called Black Day (April 14), where single people eat noodles to lament their loneliness. This is in opposition to Valentine's Day and White Day, the days for couples.
In 1998 Nestlé trademarked the tubular packaging of Smarties. It later sued Masterfoods Denmark who marketed M&Ms in a similar package. The Danish Supreme Court ruled that a basic geometrical shape couldn't be trademarked and the trademark should be removed.
The average cumulus cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds, which is the same as 100 elephants.
“Old Bet” the first elephant ever seen in America arrived from Bengal zoo on April 13, 1796 and was exhibited in New York. She was known for her ability to draw corks from bottles using only her trunk.
Aspirin was the first drug sold in water-soluble tablets.
The word "OXYPHENBUTAZONE" is theoretically the highest possible scoring word in Scrabble, netting 1778 Points. It has never been played.
The Stanford Daily reported on April 12, 1928 that Mathias Blau of Chicago convinced his wife to have all her teeth pulled. He then refused to buy her dentures because it was "cheaper to feed her soup than solid food." Mrs Blau took him to court and her husband was told to get her two new sets of teeth and at least a beef steak a week.
Cats have fewer taste buds than humans and are the only mammals that can't taste sweetness.
Astronauts don't do laundry but rather eject their clothes into space to burn up in the atmosphere.
In April 2026, the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission swung during their spaceflight around the far side of the moon. This put them 252,760 miles (406,771 km) away from Earth, the furthest that humans have ever been from their home planet.
Archie Thompson set the world record for goals scored by a footballer in an international match with 13 on April 11, 2001, as Australia played American Samoa in Coffs Harbour in a qualifier for the 2002 World Cup. Australia won 31-0.
People normally snore when in deep sleep and at the same time we dream when sleeping soundly but we do not snore and dream at the same time.
Turtle gender depends on sand temperature while the egg is incubating. Warmer temperatures produce female hatchlings, while cooler temperatures produce male hatchlings.
At the age of 96 years and 222 days, South African Mohr Keet achieved the record for the oldest bungee jumper. The plunging pensioner jumped 216m (708ft) off a bridge on April 10, 2010.
The rock guitarist Eric Clapton was brought up by his maternal grandparents and he believed that his mother was actually his sister.
Apple Computer Company's, Apple 1 went on sale in 1976. It retailed for a bizarrely priced $666.66.
The mathematics master of Harrow predicted to the Mathematical Association in a speech on April 9, 1953 that by 2003, schoolchildren would be working out sums on calculating machines and there would be no multiplication tables. He said: "Each maths room will have its calculating machine, and the child on duty for the day will do any calculating needed."
The town of Romney, West Virginia, changed hands between Union and Confederate forces 56 times during the American Civil War.
A London watchmaker received the first patent for a fire escape on April 8, 1766. It consisted of a wicker basket on a pulley and a chain.
People normally snore when in deep sleep and at the same time we dream when sleeping soundly but we do not snore and dream at the same time.
Turtle gender depends on sand temperature while the egg is incubating. Warmer temperatures produce female hatchlings, while cooler temperatures produce male hatchlings.
At the age of 96 years and 222 days, South African Mohr Keet achieved the record for the oldest bungee jumper. The plunging pensioner jumped 216m (708ft) off a bridge on April 10, 2010.
The rock guitarist Eric Clapton was brought up by his maternal grandparents and he believed that his mother was actually his sister.
Apple Computer Company's, Apple 1 went on sale in 1976. It retailed for a bizarrely priced $666.66.
The mathematics master of Harrow predicted to the Mathematical Association in a speech on April 9, 1953 that by 2003, schoolchildren would be working out sums on calculating machines and there would be no multiplication tables. He said: "Each maths room will have its calculating machine, and the child on duty for the day will do any calculating needed."
A strand of spider silk long enough to encircle the whole Earth would weigh just over a pound. An inch-thick rope of spider's silk can withstand up to 140,000 pounds of pressure.
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| Pixiebay |
The town of Romney, West Virginia, changed hands between Union and Confederate forces 56 times during the American Civil War.
A London watchmaker received the first patent for a fire escape on April 8, 1766. It consisted of a wicker basket on a pulley and a chain.
Samsung accidentally issued 2,000 employees shares of stock worth US$100,000,000,000 for 37 minutes on April 8, 2018 before realizing the error. 16 employees sold the shares which the company gave them despite receiving warnings from the company. The employees who sold their shares could have gotten US$9,000,000 each.
The record surface speed on the moon is 10.56 mph (17 km/h). It was set with the lunar rover.
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| Apollo 15 – Commander David Scott drives the Rover near the LM Falcon |
Cosmetics businesswoman Elizabeth Arden hated spectacles so much she wouldn’t employ anyone who wore them.
The city of Augusta, Georgia was named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719-1772), mother of King George III.
Alexander Bogdanov was a Russian physician who experimented with blood transfusion to gain eternal youth. He died on April 7, 1928 after injecting himself with blood from a student infected with malaria and tuberculosis, who also may have been the wrong blood type.
Today, 95% of the vanilla flavoring is done in chemical laboratories. The pure (man-made) form of the flavoring is artificially flavored with vanillin derived from lignin, a natural polymer found in wood, instead of vanilla fruits.
The soil on Mars is perfect for growing asparagus.
Donkeys have incredible memories and can recognize other donkeys they knew as long as 25 years ago.
The Earth travels through space at 660,000 mph (1,062,167 km/h).
A status referendum was held in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on April 6, 1984. All 261 registered voters participated in the vote, with 88% voting for integration with Australia. The referendum has been described as the "smallest act of self-determination ever conducted."
On April 6, 1928 the authorities in Rome banned handshaking on grounds of hygiene and suggested people instead use the ‘Roman Salute’ — a symbol of fascism. Prior to COVID, the United States and Brazil are the only major countries where firm handshakes are expected in business settings.
Zambia is the only country to have entered an Olympics as one country (Northern Rhodesia) and left the games as another. Zambia declared independence on the last day of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, was worth $25 billion when he died on April 5, 1992, but still insisted on having $5 haircuts (leaving no tip).
The Tour de France was first dreamed up by sports journalist Henri Desgrange to promote his newspaper L'Auto. The plan worked. Before the first race started in 1903 it sold 25,000 copies. Five years later it had surpassed the 250,000 mark.
A businessman Moti Shniberg tried to trademark the term "September 11, 2001." on that very day, when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were still smoldering.
The Eiffel Tower (see below) in Paris is 934ft high, plus a 79ft of antenna. It was the world’s tallest man-made structure for 41 years. It was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1930.
Colgate in Argentine Spanish translates directly to the imperative command of "hang yourself."
Nikola Tesla predicted the modern cell phone in 1926. He said in the January 30, 1926 issue of Collier's magazine: “We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance. Not only this, but...we shall see and hear one another as perfectly as though we were face to face... a man will be able to carry one in his pocket.”
The Osborne 1 often stakes a claim as the first laptop. Released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation, it weighed 10.7 kg (23.5 lb), cost $1,795, and ran the CP/M 2.2 operating system. However, the computer looked more like a sewing machine than today's sleek apparatuses.
Marlon Brando loved ice cream. In the 1980s, Brando was routinely spotted at a Beverly Hills ice cream parlor buying five gallon containers of ice cream- which he would eat all himself.
The city of Augusta, Georgia was named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719-1772), mother of King George III.
Alexander Bogdanov was a Russian physician who experimented with blood transfusion to gain eternal youth. He died on April 7, 1928 after injecting himself with blood from a student infected with malaria and tuberculosis, who also may have been the wrong blood type.
Today, 95% of the vanilla flavoring is done in chemical laboratories. The pure (man-made) form of the flavoring is artificially flavored with vanillin derived from lignin, a natural polymer found in wood, instead of vanilla fruits.
The soil on Mars is perfect for growing asparagus.
Donkeys have incredible memories and can recognize other donkeys they knew as long as 25 years ago.
 |
| Pixiebay |
The Earth travels through space at 660,000 mph (1,062,167 km/h).
A status referendum was held in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on April 6, 1984. All 261 registered voters participated in the vote, with 88% voting for integration with Australia. The referendum has been described as the "smallest act of self-determination ever conducted."
On April 6, 1928 the authorities in Rome banned handshaking on grounds of hygiene and suggested people instead use the ‘Roman Salute’ — a symbol of fascism. Prior to COVID, the United States and Brazil are the only major countries where firm handshakes are expected in business settings.
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| Benito Mussolini and Hitler, Mussolini giving the Roman salute |
Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, was worth $25 billion when he died on April 5, 1992, but still insisted on having $5 haircuts (leaving no tip).
The Tour de France was first dreamed up by sports journalist Henri Desgrange to promote his newspaper L'Auto. The plan worked. Before the first race started in 1903 it sold 25,000 copies. Five years later it had surpassed the 250,000 mark.
A businessman Moti Shniberg tried to trademark the term "September 11, 2001." on that very day, when the Twin Towers and Pentagon were still smoldering.
The Eiffel Tower (see below) in Paris is 934ft high, plus a 79ft of antenna. It was the world’s tallest man-made structure for 41 years. It was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1930.
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| By Benh LIEU SONG - File:Tour_Eiffel_Wikimedia_Commons |
Nikola Tesla predicted the modern cell phone in 1926. He said in the January 30, 1926 issue of Collier's magazine: “We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance. Not only this, but...we shall see and hear one another as perfectly as though we were face to face... a man will be able to carry one in his pocket.”
The Osborne 1 often stakes a claim as the first laptop. Released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation, it weighed 10.7 kg (23.5 lb), cost $1,795, and ran the CP/M 2.2 operating system. However, the computer looked more like a sewing machine than today's sleek apparatuses.
In February 1976, Elvis Presley — who had a vast collection of police badges — was made a reserve Memphis policeman.
Vatican City has the only ATM machines with Latin instructions.
The record for the loudest purring cat is held by Merlin, a 13-year-old rescue kitty from Torquay, Devon in England. During the filming of the Channel 5 TV show, Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 2 on April 2, 2015, with a Guinness World Records adjudicator on hand to verify, Merlin registered a purr measuring 67.8 decibels, beating the previous record of 67.68 decibels set in 2011 by Smokey – another British cat.
Vatican City has the only ATM machines with Latin instructions.
The record for the loudest purring cat is held by Merlin, a 13-year-old rescue kitty from Torquay, Devon in England. During the filming of the Channel 5 TV show, Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 2 on April 2, 2015, with a Guinness World Records adjudicator on hand to verify, Merlin registered a purr measuring 67.8 decibels, beating the previous record of 67.68 decibels set in 2011 by Smokey – another British cat.
Kate Bush was the first woman to top the UK charts with a self-written song when "Wuthering Heights" reached #1 in 1978.
On April Fool's Day 1998, Burger King published an advertisement for "Left-Handed Whopper". The condiments of this whopper were supposed to be rotated 180 degrees, as to avoid spilling out toppings from the right side of the burger. It was said to be the "ultimate 'Have-it-your-way' for lefties"
On April Fool's Day 1998, Burger King published an advertisement for "Left-Handed Whopper". The condiments of this whopper were supposed to be rotated 180 degrees, as to avoid spilling out toppings from the right side of the burger. It was said to be the "ultimate 'Have-it-your-way' for lefties"
In the Middle Ages a unicorn became seen as a symbol of purity and grace, which could only be captured or tamed by a virgin. Medieval apothecaries sold “unicorn horn”, also known as “alicorn”, for its medicinal properties.
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| Fresco by Domenichino of a maiden taming a unicorn, c. 1604–05 (Palazzo Farnese, Rome) |
On April 1, 1987 Steven M Newman became the first man to walk solo around our planet Earth. The 15,000-mile trek took him four years and untold pairs of shoes to complete.
A Yale study found that Crayola crayons are the third most recognizable scent, behind coffee and peanut butter.
There have been six sinkings in the history of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. On March 31, 1921, both boats sank and the 73rd Boat Race had to be held again on 1st April.
A Yale study found that Crayola crayons are the third most recognizable scent, behind coffee and peanut butter.
There have been six sinkings in the history of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. On March 31, 1921, both boats sank and the 73rd Boat Race had to be held again on 1st April.
In 1920, Uruguay passed a law making dueling legal in order to permit a duel between a policeman and a newspaper editor. For the next 72 years, until 1992, dueling was legal in Uruguay as long as the participants had official permission.
At Oxford University Lewis Carroll was diagnosed as an epileptic, then a considerable social stigma to bear.
At Oxford University Lewis Carroll was diagnosed as an epileptic, then a considerable social stigma to bear.
Walt Disney's first cartoon star was a rabbit. Walt Disney Studios created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but after a disagreement over rights with Universal Studios, the film distributor, Disney refused a pay cut and created Mickey Mouse.
Enrico Caruso practiced in the bath, while accompanied by a pianist in a nearby room. He took two baths a day.
Walter Rothschild, who once housed one of the largest natural history collections in the world, had a famed zebra carriage. He once he drove it to Buckingham Palace to demonstrate the tame character of zebras to the public.
Walter Rothschild, who once housed one of the largest natural history collections in the world, had a famed zebra carriage. He once he drove it to Buckingham Palace to demonstrate the tame character of zebras to the public.
Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs Robinson" was originally called "Mrs Roosevelt," after Eleanor Roosevelt.
Cash register receipts are coated with obesogens, chemicals that (when touched) can make you fat.
Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending" (1914) is a short work for solo violin and orchestra. The melody came to the composer on the day Britain entered World War I, as he walked along cliffs at Margate, Kent.
Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending" (1914) is a short work for solo violin and orchestra. The melody came to the composer on the day Britain entered World War I, as he walked along cliffs at Margate, Kent.
Bobby socks were ankle-length socks commonly worn by teenage girls in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. 'Bobby' here denotes the length of the socks, as if cut short or 'bobbed.'
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| Bobby socks By Shaun Dunphy from Lindfield, UK |
The ancient Romans made soap from animal fat and wood ashes. These early soaps were used only for medical purposes.
The poet Walt Whitman volunteered as a nurse during the American Civil War. He wrote countless letters on behalf of soldiers, some of whom were illiterate or were dying, back home to their loved ones.
Seeking a more structured way to play with toy soldiers, H.G. Wells wrote in 1913, Little Wars, which provided simple rules for miniature wargaming. It is recognized today as the first recreational wargame and Wells is regarded by gamers and hobbyists as "the Father of Miniature Wargaming."
The solar energy received by the Earth in just one hour delivers enough energy to power the world's energy demands for a year.
In Eclogues 3 93 the Roman poet Virgil wrote "Latet anguus inherba" which means "a snake is lurking in the grass" thus originating the phrase "snake in the grass".
The poet Walt Whitman volunteered as a nurse during the American Civil War. He wrote countless letters on behalf of soldiers, some of whom were illiterate or were dying, back home to their loved ones.
Seeking a more structured way to play with toy soldiers, H.G. Wells wrote in 1913, Little Wars, which provided simple rules for miniature wargaming. It is recognized today as the first recreational wargame and Wells is regarded by gamers and hobbyists as "the Father of Miniature Wargaming."
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| First edition (publ. Frank Palmer, UK) |
The solar energy received by the Earth in just one hour delivers enough energy to power the world's energy demands for a year.
In Eclogues 3 93 the Roman poet Virgil wrote "Latet anguus inherba" which means "a snake is lurking in the grass" thus originating the phrase "snake in the grass".
At 655 m (2,100 ft) above sea level, Madrid is the highest capital of any European country. Below is a view of Madrid from the west, facing the Puerta de la Vega. Drawing by Anton van den Wyngaerde, 1562
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All his life, the British military hero General James Wolfe was plagued by rheumatism and consumption. He used to suffer awful remedies proffered by his mother including "a cure" based on snails and garden worms steeped in beer.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word vegetarian was first used in 1842. The word should not be confused with the word "vegetable"; it is derived from the Latin "vegetus", meaning "whole, vigorous, active."
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word vegetarian was first used in 1842. The word should not be confused with the word "vegetable"; it is derived from the Latin "vegetus", meaning "whole, vigorous, active."
Skunks do not enjoy getting sprayed by other skunks and merely tolerate their own scent.
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| Striped skunks |
A Data Scientist revealed that "Burn" is the most heavy metal word in the English language. The study was compiled by taking the frequency of a word appearing in lyrics and dividing them by the frequency of the same word as it appears in the Brown Corpus Manual.
When the United Nations was founded in 1945 there were 51 members. There are now 193.
When the United Nations was founded in 1945 there were 51 members. There are now 193.
The Iran Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world. Located near Chitgar Lake in northwestern Tehran, Iran, it has a total retail floor area of 1,950,000 square metres (21,000,000 sq ft).
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| Iran Mall overview By Anakarnia - Wikipedia |
The first song that Kurt Cobain learned to play on the guitar was AC/DC's "Back In Black."
The French philosopher Voltaire was said to have drowned 40-50 cups of coffee daily. On his death bed he quipped "I am dying of 250,000 cups of coffee."
The collective noun for starlings is a murmuration. The name may come from the sound their wings make when a vast cloud of them sweeps through the skies.
The French philosopher Voltaire was said to have drowned 40-50 cups of coffee daily. On his death bed he quipped "I am dying of 250,000 cups of coffee."
The collective noun for starlings is a murmuration. The name may come from the sound their wings make when a vast cloud of them sweeps through the skies.
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| Murmuration of starlings preparing to roost, in Scotland. By Walter Baxter |
Words in songs are called lyrics because in ancient Greece poems used to be accompanied by a lyre.
The song "White Christmas" ended the Vietnam War in 1975 – it was used as the radio code signal for the evacuation of Vietnamese people who had assisted the US from Saigon.
The song "White Christmas" ended the Vietnam War in 1975 – it was used as the radio code signal for the evacuation of Vietnamese people who had assisted the US from Saigon.
Franz Schubert often slept with his spectacles on in case he got an idea for a song in the night and wanted to write it down.
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| Schubert's glasses |
The oldest known song featuring a man talking to his girlfriend over the phone is "Hello! Ma Baby." It was written in 1899 by the songwriting team of Joseph E. Howard and Ida Emerson when only 10% of the population had telephones.
The word orange (meaning the fruit) entered the English language around 1400 — but it wasn’t used as the name of a color until the 1540s. Before then, the English speaking world referred to the orange color as geoluhread, which literally translates to “yellow-red."
The word orange (meaning the fruit) entered the English language around 1400 — but it wasn’t used as the name of a color until the 1540s. Before then, the English speaking world referred to the orange color as geoluhread, which literally translates to “yellow-red."
The Beatles played their first proper evening gig at Liverpool’s Cavern Club on March 21, 1961. They played there 292 times between 1961 and 1963, sharing just £5 a gig between them.
Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to the Solar System, being 4.37 light-years from the Sun. A car traveling 100 mph would take more than 29 million years to reach Alpha Centuri.
The SOS distress signal letters are simply a convenient and distinctive combination and are not an acronym, although they have been popularly held to stand for such phrases as "Save Our Ship," "Save Our Souls" or "Send Out Succour."
The coquí, a small frog which is endemic to Puerto Rico, is named after the sound of its mating call.
The SOS distress signal letters are simply a convenient and distinctive combination and are not an acronym, although they have been popularly held to stand for such phrases as "Save Our Ship," "Save Our Souls" or "Send Out Succour."
The coquí, a small frog which is endemic to Puerto Rico, is named after the sound of its mating call.
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| A Common Coqui |
Former Roxy Music band member Brian Eno wrote the iconic Windows 95 start-up sound on a Mac.
Whenever we sleep in a new environment for the first time, the left side of the brain stays awake and the right ear, which is connected to the left side of the brain, remains more alert to unusual sounds.
Bart to the Future, the seventeenth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons, originally aired in the United States on March 19, 2000. The show mentions billionaire Donald Trump having been President of the United States at one time, sixteen years before Trump actually successfully run for the position.
Elephants and giraffes only sleep around 3-4 hours a day—the shortest known sleep time of any land mammal. Giraffes can go for weeks without napping, needing 30 minutes to fully recharge.
A diesel engine can also be made to run on vegetable oil made from old cooking oil. This type of fuel is called biodiesel. This is not a new idea. Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his diesel engine in the 1900 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) using peanut oil fuel.
According to Guinness World Records, the longest nose on a living person was that of the late Turk Mehmet Özyürek (1949 – 2023), which measured 8.8cm (3.46in) from the bridge to the tip. Mehmet Özyürek was officially confirmed as the record holder on March 18, 2010.
Mangoes and pistachios are in the same family as poison ivy.
The color green has been associated with Ireland since at least the 1640s, when the green harp flag was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on St Patrick's Day since at least the 1680s.
St. Patrick explained the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people by showing people the shamrock. He used the three-leafed plant to illustrate the Christian teaching of three persons in one God. The shamrock has since become a central symbol for St Patrick's Day.
Whenever we sleep in a new environment for the first time, the left side of the brain stays awake and the right ear, which is connected to the left side of the brain, remains more alert to unusual sounds.
Elephants and giraffes only sleep around 3-4 hours a day—the shortest known sleep time of any land mammal. Giraffes can go for weeks without napping, needing 30 minutes to fully recharge.
A diesel engine can also be made to run on vegetable oil made from old cooking oil. This type of fuel is called biodiesel. This is not a new idea. Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his diesel engine in the 1900 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) using peanut oil fuel.
According to Guinness World Records, the longest nose on a living person was that of the late Turk Mehmet Özyürek (1949 – 2023), which measured 8.8cm (3.46in) from the bridge to the tip. Mehmet Özyürek was officially confirmed as the record holder on March 18, 2010.
Mangoes and pistachios are in the same family as poison ivy.
The color green has been associated with Ireland since at least the 1640s, when the green harp flag was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on St Patrick's Day since at least the 1680s.
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| St. Patrick depicted with shamrock in stained glass window in St. Benin's Church, Kilbennan. By Andreas F. Borchert |
The reason drinking is so prevalent on Saint Patrick's Day is because St. Patrick died during Lent and to celebrate his life properly, restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day.
The giant panda spends around 55% of its life collecting, preparing and eating bamboo. After 14 hours of eating bamboo, a panda has only digested 17% of it.
The giant panda spends around 55% of its life collecting, preparing and eating bamboo. After 14 hours of eating bamboo, a panda has only digested 17% of it.
U2 was first called "The Larry Mullen Band", but they later switched their name to "Feedback" after the awful noise they made in early rehearsals. After becoming "The Hype" for a short period of time, the band finally changed their name to "U2"
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| U2 performing at the US Festival in May 1983 By James LaMantia |
The most used hashtag in 24 hours on Twitter was #TwitterBestFandom, with 60,055,339 uses from March 16-17, 2019. #TwitterBestFandom was used as a tool to allow the general public to vote in the 14th Annual Soompi Awards. (Soompi is an English-language website providing coverage of Korean pop culture).
If the Colosseum was built today, it would cost around 39 million euros - the equivalent of almost 43 million dollars.
If the Colosseum was built today, it would cost around 39 million euros - the equivalent of almost 43 million dollars.
In medieval times the area of the present-day Slovakia was characterized by the construction of numerous stone castles. Today, Slovakia has the highest number of castles per person in the world, with 180 castles in a population of 5.4 million.
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| Bojnice Castle By Peter1170 |
When moving at top speed sloths manage about 13ft (4 meters) per minute. It takes a sloth a whole month to travel one mile on the ground.
The physicist Stephen Hawking died early in the morning of March 14, 2018. Having been born on January 8, the date of Galileo's death, he passed away on the date of Albert Einstein's birth.
The physicist Stephen Hawking died early in the morning of March 14, 2018. Having been born on January 8, the date of Galileo's death, he passed away on the date of Albert Einstein's birth.
Pringles originated in 1969 when Proctor and Gamble applied their technology for producing soap to potato chips.
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| Pringles By Glane23 - Wikipedia |
Cliquot Club Ginger Ale was the first canned soft drink. It was introduced in America in 1938.
Velcro was invented by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral. He was inspired by the adhesiveness of the burdock burrs that had got attached to his socks, jacket and his dog's fur after a walk in the Alps.
Velcro was invented by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral. He was inspired by the adhesiveness of the burdock burrs that had got attached to his socks, jacket and his dog's fur after a walk in the Alps.
The oldest known socks were found in Egypt and date back to between the years 250 and 420. They were knitted socks that were excavated from the city of Oxyrhynchus on the River Nile. The split toes were designed for use with sandals.
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| The earliest known surviving pair of socks, found in Egypt. By David Jackson |
The human body has enough fat for seven bars of soap.
More than two thirds of the female members of Congress and 80% of women business owners in the US were once Girl Scouts. This is an impressive ration considering eight percent of all women in the U.S. were Girl Scouts at some point.
History's fattest cat died at age 10 years and four months in Cairns, Australia on March 12, 1986. The neutered male house cat named Himmy was 38 inches long and weighed 46.8 pounds (21.3 kilograms) at his death. The owner Thomas Vyse had to transport Himmy in a wheelbarrow.
The average fully detached American home has about two tonnes of earthworms crawling through the soil in its yard.
Thieves stole an entire 22 tonne, 82 foot metal bridge overnight on March 11, 2013 in the Golcuk district of the Turkish province of Kocaeli.
When you get a kidney transplant they usually leave your original kidneys in your body and put the third one lower in your pelvic area.
Dublin, Ireland, is home to The National Leprechaun Museum, a museum dedicated to leprechauns. It has operated on 1 Jervis Street since March 10, 2010.
The coldest object in our solar system is not Pluto, it's Triton, one of Neptune's moons. Its surface temperature is at least 35.6 K (−237.6 °C), while Pluto's average equilibrium temperature is 44 K (−229 °C).
Super Mario is named after real-life businessman Mario Segale, who was renting out a warehouse to Nintendo. After Nintendo fell far behind on rent, Segale did not evict them but gave them a second chance to come up with the money. Nintendo succeeded and named their main character after him.
There are more Barbie dolls in Italy than there are Canadians in Canada.
More than two thirds of the female members of Congress and 80% of women business owners in the US were once Girl Scouts. This is an impressive ration considering eight percent of all women in the U.S. were Girl Scouts at some point.
History's fattest cat died at age 10 years and four months in Cairns, Australia on March 12, 1986. The neutered male house cat named Himmy was 38 inches long and weighed 46.8 pounds (21.3 kilograms) at his death. The owner Thomas Vyse had to transport Himmy in a wheelbarrow.
Thieves stole an entire 22 tonne, 82 foot metal bridge overnight on March 11, 2013 in the Golcuk district of the Turkish province of Kocaeli.
The biggest religious building in the world is a Hindu Temple, Angkor Wat, located in Cambodia. The Angkor Wat features on the flag of Cambodia (see below), the only actual building to feature on any national flag.
When you get a kidney transplant they usually leave your original kidneys in your body and put the third one lower in your pelvic area.
Dublin, Ireland, is home to The National Leprechaun Museum, a museum dedicated to leprechauns. It has operated on 1 Jervis Street since March 10, 2010.
The coldest object in our solar system is not Pluto, it's Triton, one of Neptune's moons. Its surface temperature is at least 35.6 K (−237.6 °C), while Pluto's average equilibrium temperature is 44 K (−229 °C).
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| Artist's impression of Triton By ESO/L. Calçada |
Super Mario is named after real-life businessman Mario Segale, who was renting out a warehouse to Nintendo. After Nintendo fell far behind on rent, Segale did not evict them but gave them a second chance to come up with the money. Nintendo succeeded and named their main character after him.
There are more Barbie dolls in Italy than there are Canadians in Canada.
The Romans didn't wear trousers because it was seen as uncivilized and only Barbarians wore pants.
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| Germanic trousers of the 4th century. By PBullenwächter |
WNBT-TV (now WNBC-TV), in New York, broadcast the first local color television commercial on March 9, 1954. The ad was for Castro Decorators of New York City.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
The Sun is by far the largest entity in the solar system containing 99.8% of its total mass. The Earth could fit on the sun one million times over.
During the First World War, US soldiers called their coffee “a cup of George”.
The rooster on the Kellogg's Corn Flakes box is called Cornelius. They chose a rooster because the word ceiliog, Welsh for cockerel, sounds a bit like Kellogg.
In China and Japan, it is considered polite to slurp your soup. It means your meal is too good to be graceful.
It would take approximately 3,155,524,416 Cheerios to circle the Earth at the equator.
Oreos are vegan-friendly since the cream doesn’t contain any dairy products. Because the Oreo filling contains no dairy, the FDA didn't allow it to be called 'cream'. Therefore, it was named 'creme' instead.
A snail moving at its top speed of two inches a minute would finish a marathon in just over 18 months.
The rooster on the Kellogg's Corn Flakes box is called Cornelius. They chose a rooster because the word ceiliog, Welsh for cockerel, sounds a bit like Kellogg.
In China and Japan, it is considered polite to slurp your soup. It means your meal is too good to be graceful.
It would take approximately 3,155,524,416 Cheerios to circle the Earth at the equator.
Oreos are vegan-friendly since the cream doesn’t contain any dairy products. Because the Oreo filling contains no dairy, the FDA didn't allow it to be called 'cream'. Therefore, it was named 'creme' instead.
A snail moving at its top speed of two inches a minute would finish a marathon in just over 18 months.