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FACT-OF-THE-DAY ARCHIVE
"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
- Marcus Aurelius

DEC 2010


Previous Archives

DATEFACT OF THE DAY
12/1/10     Some scientists consider Antarctica a desert because the majority of the continent receives less than 10 inches of precipitation annually. - Provided by The World Almanac 2011
12/2/10     In 1608, Shakespeare's acting company, The King's Men, opened the Blackfriar's Theatre, the template on which all later indoor theaters are based. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/3/10     The blue whale can weigh over 200 tons but feeds exclusively on krill - a crustacean smaller than a child's finger. The massive mammals gain much of their weight while they are nursed by their mothers, with a blue whale calf gaining approximately 250 pounds every day during its first three weeks of life. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/4/10     Words form only 7% of our communication with anyone, including spouses. Tone of voice accounts for 38% and body language is responsible for 55% of the messages spouses receive from each other. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/5/10     According to a Time Magazine article published in 1945, the longest pregnancy on record is 375 days (as opposed to the usual 280 days). Amazingly, the delivered baby was only 6 pounds, 15 ounces. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/6/10     Romans discovered that mixing lead with wine not only helped preserve wine, but also gave it a sweet taste and succulent texture. Chronic lead poisoning has often been cited as one of the causes of the decline of Rome. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/7/10     Laughing lowers stress hormones (like cortisol, epinephrine, and adrenaline) and strengthens the immune system by releasing health-enhancing hormones. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/8/10     The wedding phrase "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe" symbolizes continuity, optimism for the future, borrowed happiness, fidelity, and wealth or good luck, respectively. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/9/10     Mexico is located in the 'Ring of Fire,' one of the earth's most violent earthquake and volcano zones. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/10/10     Due to jobs, kids, TV, the Internet, hobbies, and home and family responsibilities, the average married couple spends just four minutes a day alone together. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/11/10     Mars' red color is due to iron oxide, also known as rust, and has the consistency of talcum powder. Literally, the metallic rocks on Mars are rusting. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/12/10     Salt is the most common seasoning mentioned in the Bible. Salt was a vital mineral that was not only essential to life, but also preserved other foods critical for survival. Salt was so important that it was also often used as a form of currency or as a unit of exchange. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/13/10     The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was one of the main causes of the Great Depression. 'Black Thursday,' 'Black Monday,' and 'Black Tuesday' are all correct terms to describe the Crash because the initial crash occurred over several days, with Tuesday being the most devastating. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/14/10     That the Great Wall is a single, continuous wall built all at once is a myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of wall segments built by various dynasties to protect China's northern boundary. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/15/10     Grinning or pulling the lip is a sign of aggression in monkeys, along with yawning, head bobbing, and jerking the head and shoulders forward. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/16/10     Modern plastic surgeons are exploring the potential of cloning technology as a method of body rejuvenation and are looking into the secrets of the growth within the womb where scarless growth and healing take place. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/17/10     In Shakespeare's time, theaters had no curtain and used little or no scenery. Playwrights described the setting within the text of the performance. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/18/10     According to one report, it would take 800 marijuana joints to kill a person - but the cause of death would be carbon monoxide poisoning. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/19/10     CNN reports that the current economy is the biggest stress on married couples in the past 60 years. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/20/10     From 1850 to 1942, marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia as a useful medicine for nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains and was easily obtained at the local general store or pharmacy. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/21/10     Chronic stress floods the brain with powerful hormones that are meant for short-term emergency situations. Chronic exposure can damage, shrink, and kill brain cells. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/22/10     Garlic, a traditional vampire repellent, has been used as a form of protection for over 2,000 years. The ancient Egyptians believed garlic was a gift from God. In several cultures, brides carried garlic under their clothes for protection, and cloves of garlic were used to protect people from a wide range of illnesses. Modern-day scientists found that the oil in garlic, allicin, is a highly effective antibiotic. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/23/10     During the Viking spacecraft missions to Mars, scientists were worried about contaminating the Martian environment with microbes from Earth. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/24/10     The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, gift-giving, reflection and thanks. To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection available HERE >>.
12/25/10     The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, gift-giving, reflection and thanks. To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection available HERE >>.
12/26/10     Nearly $72 billion is spent on weddings every year in the United States. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/27/10     In battle, Romans sometimes grouped together and held their shields all around them in a move called 'the tortoise.' - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/28/10     A Yule log is an enormous log that is typically burned during the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25-January 6). Some scholars suggest that the word yule means 'revolution' or 'wheel,' which symbolizes the cyclical return of the sun. A burning log or its charred remains is said to offer health, fertility, and luck as well as the ability to ward off evil spirits. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/29/10     It is estimated that the single "White Christmas" by Irving Berlin is the best selling single of all time, with over 100 million sales worldwide. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/30/10     Americans spent $16 billion on bottled water in 2007. For the price of a bottle of Evian, a person could buy 1,000 gallons (3,785.4 liters) of tap water. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
12/31/10     The first results from the 2010 Census are in, and the U.S. population stands at 308,745,538. That represents 27.3 million more people than in 2000, or 9.7 percent increase in the U.S. population. - Provided by Population Reference Bureau


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