Fact of the Day
Archive

The original chainsaw was not used by lumberjacks, but doctors. Before the modern Cesarean section (C-section) was perfected and became safe, doctors had to find ways to help when a baby was too large to pass through the birth canal. In the late 18th century, two Scottish doctors, John Aitken and James Jeffray, developed a tool to make a procedure called a symphysiotomy easier. Provided by: BBC Science Focus

Picasso was not just a painter—he was also a sculptor, ceramicist, stage designer, poet, playwright, and print writer. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1846, Henry David Thoreau had a brush with the law that spawned his other great contribution to American letters. Walking through town, he ran into the tax collector, who demanded that he pay his poll tax. Thoreau refused because he did not want his money going to support the Mexican War, which Thoreau saw as an indefensible attempt to extend the reach of American slavery. Provided by: Encyclopedia.com

Canada geese can travel 1,500 miles in a day if the weather permits. These birds tend to fly around 40 miles per hour during migration, though that can increase up to 70 miles per hour if they catch a strong tailwind. Provided by: Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Elvis Presley was a natural blond. Provided by: HistoryFacts.com

Electrons might live forever. Scientists have estimated the minimum lifetime of the electron is about 6.6 × 1028 years – this is 66,000 ‘yottayears’. Since this is about 5 quintillion times the age of the Universe, even if electrons don’t live forever, they may as well do!

Beavers don't actually live in dams. Technically, beavers live in a lodge that they build behind a dam, within a deep pool of water.

The Mozilla Firefox logo is not a fox; it's actually a red panda. One of the red panda's nicknames is the red fox. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, seasonal lag means that the coldest period usually follows the solstice by a few weeks. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1942, Enrico Fermi, an Italian physicist, led the

In 2019, a South Korean man was arrested for operating a fake lottery site. He and a group of 14 others had stolen over $41 million from over 340 individuals who had visited the site. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Eating foods high in monounsaturated fats (such as avocados and nuts) is linked to higher general intelligence and better brain connectivity. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A grasshopper's ears are found not on its head, but rather, on its belly. Provided by FactRetriever.com