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

The smallest monkey in the world is the pygmy marmoset, with a body as little as 5 inches (12 cm) and a tail length of about 7 inches (17 cm). As a comparison, they are about the size of a hamster, can fit in the palm of a human hand, and they weigh the same as a pack of cards. Provided by FactRetriever.com

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

The Islamic year is 11 days shorter than the year used in the Western world. This is because the Western year is based on the orbit of the Earth around the Sun instead of on the phases of the moon. Provided by FactRetriever.com

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

If people who normally had low fiber suddenly doubled their intake, they could lower their risk of colon cancer by 40%. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Researchers speculate that humans laughed before they could speak. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Finland consumes more caffeine than any other country, with the average adult consuming 400 mg each day. Following Finland are Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Octopuses have the largest brain of any other invertebrate. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A bristlecone pine tree nicknamed Methuselah is believed to be the oldest tree in the world. Its exact location is kept a secret to protect it from vandals and tourists. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While the Santa Maria was the official flagship, Columbus frequently complained about its clumsiness and slowness. His favorite ship was the Nina, which was swifter and smaller. Provided by FactRetriever.com

When allergic dermatitis caused by reaction to metals is severe enough, handling coins or touching a doorknob can be enough to cause blistering or scaling of the skin. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Danes have a term Janteloven (The Law of Jante), created in 1933 by a Danish/Norwegian writer. It is often quoted in public debate in Denmark and consists of “Ten Commandments,” all boiling down to “You are no better than I am.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

One in three gamers has experienced fraud while paying online games. Provided by FactRetriever.com

An illegal firework that was designed to simulate the sound of gunfire is called the M-80, or the “military rifle fire simulator.” Also sometimes called “salutes,” M-80s have caused people to lose fingers and even hands. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The current flag of Taiwan was adopted on December 17, 1928, after the unification of China. Its colors—blue, white, and red—represent nationalism, democracy, and social well-being; the Three People's Principles of Taiwan. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Before the advent of Wi-Fi, the spectrum of radio frequencies used by Wi-Fi were referred to by some as “the garbage bands”—for being largely useless. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Though it is the most difficult of the visible planets to see, Mercury's existence has been known since ancient Sumerian times, roughly 5,000 years ago. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Refrigerators in the U.S. consume about the same energy as 25 large power plants produce each year. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The longest known cave system on earth is in Kentucky at the Mammoth Cave National Park. It stretches for more than 390 miles, and that’s just what has been explored. Scientists believe it may be over 600 miles long. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The northern hawk owl is able to hear prey as much as 12 inches under the snow. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Saturn is not the only planet with rings. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune also have rings, although they are much fainter and less spectacular than Saturn’s. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The world’s oldest bottle of wine dates back to A.D. 325 and was found near the town of Speyer, Germany, inside one of two Roman sarcophaguses. It is on display at the town’s Historisches Museum der Pfalz. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The American Professional Football Association was formed in 1920; two years later it changed its name to the National Football League (NFL), which would ultimately become the major league of American football. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The letter π is the first letter of the Greek word “periphery” and “perimeter.” The symbol π in mathematics represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words, π is the number of times a circle’s diameter will fit around its circumference. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sharks kill about 12 people a year. People kill about 11,417 sharks—an hour. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Berlin’s Zoologischer Garten is the largest zoo in the world both in terms of number of species (1,500) and animal population (14,000). Germany boasts more than 400 registered zoos. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A new person is added to the United States national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes—that's 144 people per day. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A group of lizards is called a "lounge." Provided by FactRetriever.com

Given that the world is about 25,000 miles in circumference and that the average walking rate is 3 miles per hour, it would take a person walking nonstop approximately 347 days to walk around the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The worst volcanic disaster of the twentieth century is considered to be the eruption of Mt. Pelée in 1902 on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean which killed 30,121 people. Only two people survived: a shoemaker living on the edge of the island and a prisoner who had been locked in a dungeon cell with thick stone walls. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Dubbed the "Marathon Man," Belgian runner Stefaan Engels ran the marathon distance every day for a year, totaling 9,569 miles (1,5401 km). Provided by FactRetriever.com

Soviet spy Colonel Oleg Penkovsky provided valuable information about the status of the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons to both the CIA and British intelligence. The KGB arrested him on October 22, 1962, in Moscow and most likely executed him shortly after. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Taiwan boasts the largest collection of Chinese art in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Horses cannot breathe through their mouth, only through their nose. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Approximately 63% of youth suicides in the U.S. are kids who live in a home without a father. Provided by FactRetriever.com

After Joachim Neumann, a civil engineering student, escaped East Berlin by pretending to be a Swiss tourist, he spent the next five months digging a tunnel from West to East Berlin. He ultimately helped his girlfriend and 57 other people escape. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Iceland uses 100% renewable electricity, making it the “greenest” country in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Laura Scudder created the first modern bag of potato chips in 1953. Previously, they were sold out of wooden barrels or scooped from behind glass counters. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Industrial Revolution allowed people to work longer and year-round. Labor was no longer tied to the season or natural lighting. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a Persian poet and Sufi master born in 1207, is the best-selling poet in the United States. A compelling figure in poetry, Rumi's poems articulate what it feels like to be alive. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Although hummus doesn't have as much healthy monounsaturated fat as guacamole, it does have approximately 2.4 grams more protein. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Unlike many mammals, bears can see in color. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Déjà vu (French for “already seen”) has never been fully explained, though some scientists believe that a neurological glitch causes an experience to be registered in the memory before reaching consciousness. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While the Grand Canyon as a whole is considered to be a semi-arid desert, it is so large that it contains five habitats: boreal forest, ponderosa forest, pinyon-juniper woodland, desert scrub, and riparian. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Colonial Americans either gave credit to each other or relied on credit from banks in England, so there were no banks in the United States until after the Revolutionary War. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1894, Russian scientist Marie Mikhaïlovna de Manacééne conducted one of the earliest experiments on extreme sleep deprivation. She found that when she deprived puppies of sleep, they all died within four or five days, despite every effort to keep them alive. The younger the puppy, the more quickly it died. Provided by FactRetriever.com

If someone reports their company for tax evasion in the U.S., he or she will receive 30% of the amount collected. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Although hummus doesn't have as much healthy monounsaturated fat as guacamole, it does have approximately 2.4 grams more protein. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Unlike many mammals, bears can see in color. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Déjà vu (French for “already seen”) has never been fully explained, though some scientists believe that a neurological glitch causes an experience to be registered in the memory before reaching consciousness. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While the Grand Canyon as a whole is considered to be a semi-arid desert, it is so large that it contains five habitats: boreal forest, ponderosa forest, pinyon-juniper woodland, desert scrub, and riparian. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Colonial Americans either gave credit to each other or relied on credit from banks in England, so there were no banks in the United States until after the Revolutionary War. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Barbie doll’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, and she is from Willows, Wisconsin. Her birthday is March 9, 1959, when Mattell first displayed her at the New York Toy Fair. [source]

Sunshine originates from a nuclear fusion in the core of the Sun, where hydrogen fuses into helium and mass converts into heat energy. This same nuclear reaction has continued for the past 4.6 billion years. [source]

The idiom "kiss and make up" first surfaced in 1826 and gained initial popularity in 1859. Since then... [read more on Refdesk].

Epinephrine injections are used to treat severe bee sting allergies. Epinephrine is another name for Adrenaline; the active pharmaceutical ingredient in the Epipen or Anapen devices. [source]

In Albania, a group of women called Burneshas live in mountain villages as men to avoid societal restrictions. They cut their hair, wear men’s clothing, practice male gestures and mannerisms, change their names, and swear celibacy. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The world's second-largest colony of emperor penguins has nearly disappeared after changes in sea/ice conditions made their breeding ground unstable. The species might lose anywhere between 50% and 70% of its global population by the end of this century. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Researchers have recently found that those who suffer from depression are at risk for low bone mineral density. Depressed women are especially at risk for developing osteoporosis. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sperm whales can dive as deep as two miles into the water, and their bodies have unique physiological adaptations to allow them to survive the intense cold and crushing pressure of these dives. They can limit circulation to the brain and other organs, slow the heart to 10 beats per minute to conserve oxygen, and collapse the lungs and rib cage to withstand pressure. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The most luminous and massive known star is R136a1 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It's 8.7 million times brighter than our Sun. Provided by FactRetriever.com

William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) holds the record for the longest inauguration speech in history at 8,578 words long and one hour and 40 minutes. Unfortunately, he gave the speech during bad weather, and a month later, he was dead from pneumonia, making his presidency the shortest on record. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Philadelphia Mint can make 1.8 million coins an hour, 32 million coins per day, and 13.5 billion coins every year. The Philadelphia facility is the largest mint in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Philadelphia Mint can make 1.8 million coins an hour, 32 million coins per day, and 13.5 billion coins every year. The Philadelphia facility is the largest mint in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In one of his sporadic attempts at public relations, Chicago gangster Al Capone (1899-1947) opened a soup kitchen during the Great Depression. For millions, soup kitchens provided the only food they would see all day. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) is regarded as the father of French opera, though he was born in Italy. He pioneered the conducting stick concept, but unfortunately, he hit his foot with a heavy conducting staff. His foot became gangrenous, ultimately killing him. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Some Viking longships had carvings of dragon heads on their prows (fronts). The Vikings called these ships "Drakkar" or "dragon ships." Provided by FactRetriever.com

Qatar features the widest gender imbalance in the world, where men outnumber women by a 3:1 ratio. Qatar’s residents are predominantly immigrants who are young and male. Provided by BBC

London-based bank HSBC has laundered billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels. It became such a common occurrence that one cartel even designed special cash boxes to fit more easily through HSBC teller windows. Provided by FactRetriever.com

On the first day of spring, a person at the North Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, beginning six months of uninterrupted daylight. A person at the South Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, signaling the start of six months of darkness. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The medical name for caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Covering only 27 acres (11 ha), Bukit Nanas, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is among the smallest patches of rainforest in the world. It is Malaysia’s oldest nature reserve. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Antarctica is the 5th largest continent and is roughly the size of Australia. However, it doesn't have a capital city or an official language, and no country controls it. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The heart of a giraffe weighs 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms) and is about 2 feet long (0.6 meters). Provided by FactRetriever.com

Half of the names of U.S. states are derived from Amerindian words, such as Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri. Provided by FactRetriever.com

During the War of 1812, the British captured the United States capitol, Washington, DC. However, their occupation lasted just 26 hours due to a tornado that formed in the city and headed straight for the British on Capitol Hill. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Barn owls eat over 1,000 mice per year. The owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Mosaicism is the least common form of Down syndrome, accounting for only 1% of cases. Mosaicism is caused when cells with the normal amount of chromosomes and cells with an added chromosome mix and replicate a chromosome 21 in the latter. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The longest walk around the world was completed by a former neon-sign salesman, Jean Beliveau. He walked 46,600 miles around 64 countries. The trip took him 11 years. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Mosaicism is the least common form of Down syndrome, accounting for only 1% of cases. Mosaicism is caused when cells with the normal amount of chromosomes and cells with an added chromosome mix and replicate a chromosome 21 in the latter. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In the North, more than 1/3 of all men of military age served in the war. For the South, it was nearly 2/3. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The meanings of words in Romance and Germanic languages do not vary based on tone and pitch. Words in tonal languages, such as Mandarin and Hmong, do. In these "tonal languages," the same sound can have up to eight meanings, depending on the way it is said. Provided by FactRetriever.com

According to Cherokee legend, the Milky Way was formed when a dog stole some cornmeal and was chased away. He ran to the north, spilling cornmeal as he ran. The Milky Way is thus called “The Way the Dog Ran Away.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

Called “re-entrants,” dolphins once lived on land and looked and behaved something like a small wolf but with five hoof-like toes on each foot instead of claws. Dolphins also have remnant finger bones in their flippers, a forearm, wrists, and a few remnant leg bones deep inside their bodies. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Civil War was the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil. During an average day during the war, approximately 600 people were killed. By the end of the war, over 618,000 people had died. This is more Americans than WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Though U.S. pharmacist John S. Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886, his bookkeeper, Frank Robinson invented the name. Robinson had beautiful handwriting, and his flowering script is still used today. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1986, Norwegian Monica Kristensen received the prestigious Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in London, becoming the first woman in 50 years to receive this award, for leading a successful expedition to the South Pole. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Monet's mentor, Eugene Boudin, was one of the first artists to adopt "Plein air" (in full air) painting, to watch and capture the light on natural forms. Provided by FactRetriever.com

According to legend, tea was discovered in 2737 B.C. by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung, known as the “Divine Healer.” Purportedly, he discovered the beverage when tea leaves accidentally blew into his pot of boiling water. Provided by FactRetriever.com

With a tax rate of 51.4% of GDP, Swedes are one of the most highly taxed populations in the world. Ironically, they are generally happy to pay a high tax rate, and the Swedish word for tax is skatt, or “treasure.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

The post-WWII hyperinflation of Hungary holds the record for the most rapid monthly inflation increase ever: 41,900,000,000,000,000% for July 1946, which means prices doubled every 13.5 hours. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The only bird with nostrils at the end of its beak is the kiwi. This placement helps it sniff for food, such as worms and insects on the ground. It often snorts to clear its nostrils. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Harmless to humans, Thermophylic viruses have been found in Congress Pool at Yellowstone’s Norris Geyser Basin. Provided by FactRetriever.com

It takes about 220 gallons of water to grow one large avocado. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Norwegian Erik Rotheim invented the forerunner of the can-and-aerosol system we known as the aerosol spray can. He was granted a patent for his invention in Norway on October 8, 1926. Provided by FactRetriever.com

With over two dozen regularly erupting volcanos, Iceland is one of the most volcanically active spots on Earth. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Los Angeles International Airport emits approximately 19,000 tons of carbon dioxide—a month. The roughly 33,000 planes that fly in and out of the airport each month release about 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Nearly 90% of London’s police officers don’t carry firearms. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president an astonishing four terms before the 22nd Amendment set term limits. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Because dragonfly eyes have about 30,000 lenses, they can see nearly 360 degrees. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Linguists have identified words in the modern Estonian language that were also used by ancient inhabitants of Estonia over 5,000 years ago. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Lake Taupo was the source of the world’s largest known volcanic eruption in the last 70,000 years. It is estimated that its violent birth spewed 15,000 times the volume of material ejected when Mount Saint Helens in Washington State erupted in 1980. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The feathers under a flamingo's wings are black. You typically see them when they are flying. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While not as common as with dogs, ferrets will wag their tail when happy. They will also make a chortling or clucking sound known as “dooking.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

The male platypus has spurs above its hind legs that it can use to pierce and insert venom into its enemies. Humans who have been pierced report that the venom caused their hands and arms to swell up and lock-jaw to set in, accompanied by severe pain that lasts for weeks. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The largest hurricane can be the size of the state of Montana, 600 miles (966 kilometers) wide. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Knitting is considered to have originated in the Arab world, and from there, spread with the Crusades into Spain. The term “to knit” wasn’t added to English until the 1400s. Provided by FactRetriever.com

When the body walks faster than speeds of 3.1 mph, a person’s stride length naturally increases, which burns more calories. Research shows that at maximal levels of exertion, oxygen consumption is only slightly lower for race walkers than it is for runners. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Cattle (which include sheep, camels, and other livestock) are the first and oldest form of money. Each head of cattle was called a caput, which is Latin for “head.” So, a person with a lot of cattle had lots of caput or “capital,” a word still used today to describe money. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The platypus differs from all other mammals in another way: it can send out electrical impulses to locate prey in deep waters. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The only place in the world where skunks are found other than America is Indonesia and the Philippines, where they are called stink badgers. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A new person is added to the United States national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes—that's 144 people per day. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Vatican City is the only nation in the world that can lock its own gates at night. It has its own phone company, radio, T.V. stations, money, and stamps. It even has its army, the historic Swiss Guard. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Titanic's chief baker nonchalantly stepped off the stern of the sinking liner and calmly paddled around until dawn. After he was rescued, he was back at work within days. Experts note that he survived history's greatest maritime disaster by getting completely drunk. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Monarch butterflies can fly as high as 10,000 feet. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Over just 50 square miles, Jerusalem has over 2,000 archeological sites. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The pacemaker, ultrasound, safety match, astronomical lens, marine propeller, the refrigerator, and computer mouse are all famous items that were invented in Sweden or by Swedes who weren’t living in Sweden. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Hawksbill sea turtles live in coral reefs and feed on sponges. Without the hawksbill, sponges would overgrow and suffocate the delicate and slow-growing corals. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Scientists believe that the white spots behind the ears of a tiger help tiger cubs follow their mothers through the shady forest. The white spot is called an "ocelli." Provided by FactRetriever.com

The famous tree from which the legendary Newton apple fell is still growing at Woolsthorpe Manor today. It is over 350 years old. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A 100 lb. person on Earth would weigh just under 3 pounds on Charon. A 100 lb. person on Charon would weigh just over 3, 503 pounds on Earth. Provided by FactRetriever.com

De architectura libri decem, or The Ten Books on Architecture, written by the Roman Vitruvius, is the oldest surviving garden design manual, dating from 27 B.C. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The fastest fish is the sailfish. It can swim as fast as a car travels on the highway. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Mars 2, built by the former Soviet Union, has the bittersweet distinction of being the first human-built object to touch down on Mars in November 1971. Unfortunately, it crashed into the surface during a massive dust storm. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Actor Jimmy Stewart was rejected by the military after he was drafted—he was too thin. As a show of patriotism, Stewart went on a weight-gaining diet, hoping to reverse the decision. He was accepted by the Air Force after making weight and served in WWII with distinction. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The gas cloud surrounding the stars in the constellation Aquila contains enough alcohol to make 400 trillion pints of beer. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1768, French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville named the islands of Samoa the "Navigator Islands," as he found the people to have great navigational skills for sailing and trading with nearby islands. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Parts of the Great Wall of China were surrounded by defensive moats, which were either filled with water or left as ditches. Provided by FactRetriever.com

India is the birthplace of chess. The original word for “chess” is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While the buttercup looks innocent, it is among the more deadly garden plants. If eaten, this innocent-looking flower can cause painful death resulting from organ and nervous system intoxication. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The only venomous lizard in the United States, the Gila monster, lives in Arizona. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Sedlec Ossuary (“Church of Bones”) is a small Roman Catholic Chapel in the Czech Republic. It uses 40,000–70,000 human skeletons as decorations. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Giraffe necks can be up to six feet long (1.8 meters) and can weigh up to 600 pounds (272 kilograms). Provided by FactRetriever.com

Silver was once mined in a German town called "Joachim's Valley." Coins minted from this mine were called "joachmisthaler," which was shortened into "thaler," which later morphed into the word "dollar." Provided by FactRetriever.com

Beet juice can indicate the acidity of a solution. If a solution turns pink when beet juice is added, it is an acid. If it turns yellow, the solution is alkaline. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Mars 2, built by the former Soviet Union, has the bittersweet distinction of being the first human-built object to touch down on Mars in November 1971. Unfortunately, it crashed into the surface during a massive dust storm. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Evidence in Peru suggests that popcorn existed as early as 4700 B.C., making it one of the oldest forms of corn. Peruvians didn’t just pop their corn; they also ground it into flour to cook in other ways. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1768, French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville named the islands of Samoa the "Navigator Islands," as he found the people to have great navigational skills for sailing and trading with nearby islands. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Parts of the Great Wall of China were surrounded by defensive moats, which were either filled with water or left as ditches. Provided by FactRetriever.com

India is the birthplace of chess. The original word for “chess” is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While the buttercup looks innocent, it is among the more deadly garden plants. If eaten, this innocent-looking flower can cause painful death resulting from organ and nervous system intoxication. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Silver was once mined in a German town called "Joachim's Valley." Coins minted from this mine were called "joachmisthaler," which was shortened into "thaler," which later morphed into the word "dollar." Provided by FactRetriever.com

The only venomous lizard in the United States, the Gila monster, lives in Arizona. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Sedlec Ossuary (“Church of Bones”) is a small Roman Catholic Chapel in the Czech Republic. It uses 40,000–70,000 human skeletons as decorations. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Giraffe necks can be up to six feet long (1.8 meters) and can weigh up to 600 pounds (272 kilograms). Provided by FactRetriever.com

Beet juice can indicate the acidity of a solution. If a solution turns pink when beet juice is added, it is an acid. If it turns yellow, the solution is alkaline. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Because earthquake-prone Japan had placed high-tech sensors around the country after its 1995 quake, Japan’s 2011 earthquake is the best-recorded earthquake in history. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Some Mexican free-tailed bats can fly up to 250 miles (402 km) in a single night. They can fly up to 10,000 feet (3,048 m) high and reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour (97kph). Provided by FactRetriever.com

Isaac Newton was born prematurely and was so small that people did not expect him to live. It is estimated that he may have been born up to 15 weeks early. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Lighting hasn't brought down a plane since 1963, due to careful engineering that lets the electric charge of a lightning bolt run through the plane and out of it. Provided by factslides.com Editor's Note: We have found evidence that other crashes have also been caused by lightning.

By 2018, the U.S. had 101 people who owed at least $1 million in federal student loans. Provided by Wall Street Journal

For many Icelanders, WW2 is known as the blessed war because Iceland has the war to thank for its independence. Provided by The History Channel

Bats practice social distancing too. In a new study, researchers demonstrate that sick bats, just like ill humans, prefer to stay away from their communities, probably as a means for recovery and possibly also as a measure for protecting others. Provided by Science Daily

In 1916, there was a proposed Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would put all acts of war to a national vote. Anyone voting "yes" would have to register as a volunteer for service in the army. Provided by Huffington Post

General Electric is the only company remaining from the original Dow Jones index of 1896 with it's original name. Provided by Business Insider

After just under a year in space, astronaut Scott Kelly's gene expression changed significantly. It is now different from his identical twin brother's DNA. Provided by Live Science

Our first wheels were apparently not used for transportation. The earliest known evidence of the wheel was cerca 3500 BC, created to be used as potter’s wheels 300 years before they were used on chariots. Provided by Smithsonian Magazine

By 2021, Facebook had offices in 80 cities worldwide. Provided by Facebook

Amazon's largest warehouse is the size of 17 American football fields. Provided by Quartz

Global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in 2020 increased by 39% year on year to 3.1 million units. Provided by Business Wire

While filming "The Wizard of Oz," 16-year-old Judy Garland was assigned a diet composed of chicken soup, coffee, and cigarettes. Provided by The Telegraph

Finland was the world's happiest country in 2020. Provided By: World Happiness Report

The Livermore Centennial Light Bulb, at Firestation #6, Livermore, California, USA, has been burning since its installation in 1901. By 2010, the hand-blown bulb has operated at about 4 watts and has remained 24 hours a day to provide night illumination of the fire engines. There was only one break in its operation when it was removed from one fire station and fitted. Provided by Guinness World Records

Google.org is the charitable arm of Google, committing about $100 million in investments and grants to nonprofits annually. Provided by Wikipedia

Until 1948, 7-Up contained "lithium citrate," a mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder. Provided by The Vintage News

Pirates probably didn't wear eyepatches because of a missing eye; it's much more likely that they were keeping one eye ready to see in darkness so that they could quickly adjust when going below deck. Provided by Mental Floss

In the late Middle Ages, books were so valuable that libraries would chain them to the bookcase. This precaution remained common practice until the 18th century. Provided by Smithsonian Magazine

The first woman to cycle around the world was a novice cyclist. Provided by Peter Zheutlin

Over $10B was stolen from 675,000 scammed American adults in 2023. Provided By: Federal Trade Commission

The “Father of Modern Surfing” is considered to be Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968), an Olympic swimmer who started a surf club in Waikiki Beach. Provided by FactRetriever.com

People in 100+ countries watch over a billion hours of video on YouTube every day. Provided by YouTube

A cyberchondriac is someone who scours the Internet looking for details of their illnesses. Provided by Oxford Lexico Dictionary

On November 4, 1869, the respected scientific journal Nature published its first issue. There have been 594 volumes so far. Provided by Nature

A study using MRI scans showed that the brains of people who exercise moderately look ten years younger than those who don't. Provided by Mental Floss

Installed in 1410, the world's oldest astronomical clock still in operation is in Prague. Provided by GET

Scientists at the University of Alberta spent seven years determining that human urine contains 3,079 different chemical compounds. Provided by Live Science

Ben & Jerry learned how to make ice cream by taking a $5 correspondence course offered by Penn State because one of them couldn't get into medical school, and the other couldn't sell enough pottery. Provided by The Washington Post

Sweden has a ski-through McDonald's. Provided by Messy Nessy

Canada's national parks are free for kids. Provided by Huffington Post

66% of Millennials in the U.S. have no money saved for retirement. Provided by CNN Money

John F. Kennedy's Eternal Flame in Arlington National Cemetery has only gone out twice since 1963. Provided by Mental Floss

Film crews shooting a plane hijacking scene had to stop filming – when a real one happened at the same airport. Provided by Metro

Snake teeth are always curved backwards. Unlike humans, snakes don't chew with their teeth. Instead, their curved teeth are used to keep prey from escaping the snake's mouth. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A precursor to Hyperloop travel was tried in the 1870s in New York City. Beach Pneumatic Transit briefly allowed people to travel a short distance in Manhattan in underground, pneumatic passenger capsules. Provided by FactRetriever.com

There were no fireworks on July 4, 1776. However, the first Fourth of July fireworks began in 1777 as they lit Philadelphia's night sky. The Pennsylvania Evening Post wrote this of the celebration: "The evening was closed with the ring of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with thirteen rockets) on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated." Provided by Farmers Almanac

The earliest pottery found in the Western Hemisphere, radiocarbon dated at 8,000 years old, was excavated from the Amazon basin near present-day Santarém in Brazil. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London, although the name is commonly used to refer to the clock and tower as well. Provided by The Free Dictionary

The government of Hungary printed the highest denomination ever created in 1946. It printed a bank note worth 100 quintillion pengoes. A hundred quintillion looks like this: 100,000,000,000,000,000,000. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A baby has around 30,000 taste buds. They are not just on the tongue but also on the sides, back, and roof of the mouth. Adults have about 10,000. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A group of ferrets is called a “business.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sound pollution from ships, sonar devices, and oil rigs can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and reproduction patterns of many marine animals, such as whales and dolphins. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A stretch of railroad track winding through a green forest between the Ukrainian towns of Klevan and Orzhiv has been nicknamed "The Tunnel of Love" because of its almost magical beauty. The track was used to secretly move supplies during the Cold War. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Lagoon—located in Farmington, Utah—is the oldest operating amusement park in the American West, and its original roller coaster, named “Old Woodie,” is the 3rd oldest in the nation. Provided by Provided by FactRetriever.com

The oldest continuously operating brewery in the world is located at Weihenstephan Abbey in Bavaria, Germany. The Benedictine monks at Weihenstephan began brewing beer in 1040 AD. Provided by Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan

The world’s worst soccer riot occurred in Peru in May 1964 during a Peru vs. Argentina match in Lima, after an unpopular decision by a referee. In all, 300 fans were killed and more than 500 injured. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1839 Charles Goodyear invented vulcanization, a process that forms molecular cross-linkages between polymer chains in rubber. The result is rubber that is stronger, more elastic, and much more resistance to hot and cold temperatures. Provided by Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

The largest wildcat in North America is the jaguar, which is found in Mexico's southern jungles. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Although it is extremely rare, some people are actually allergic to physical exertion. Such people can only engage in very mild forms of exercise under supervision. Provided by FactRetriever.com

About 50 million years ago, whales walked on land and were about the size of a wolf. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Most equatorial countries do not observe daylight saving time because daylight hours are similar during each season. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 2300 BC, the Sumerians depicted Lilitu, the goddess of death, as a winged woman with feet like an owl's, a crown similar to an owl's ear tuft, and two owls for companions. Her name is derived from an ancient word meaning "night." Provided by FactRetriever.com

A single bat can eat more than 600 bugs in one hour, like a person eating 20 pizzas a night. Provided by FactRetriever.com

On June 5, 1849, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy and gained its first free constitution, known as "Grundloven." Provided by FactRetriever.com

Hawaii is home to the unique “Happy Face Spider” (Theridion grallator), which bears an uncanny resemblance to a smiling face on the back of its abdomen. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) between Athens and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta left ancient Greece in ruins and marked the end of the golden age of Greece. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Snake teeth are always curved backwards. Unlike humans, snakes don't chew with their teeth. Instead, their curved teeth are used to keep prey from escaping the snake's mouth. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A precursor to Hyperloop travel was tried in the 1870s in New York City. Beach Pneumatic Transit briefly allowed people to travel a short distance in Manhattan in underground, pneumatic passenger capsules. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The earliest pottery found in the Western Hemisphere, radiocarbon dated at 8,000 years old, was excavated from the Amazon basin near present-day Santarém in Brazil. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A stretch of railroad track winding through a green forest between the Ukrainian towns of Klevan and Orzhiv has been nicknamed "The Tunnel of Love" because of its almost magical beauty. The track was used to secretly move supplies during the Cold War. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Even though the red panda is classified as a carnivore, its diet is almost exclusively bamboo. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Of the roughly 300 million tons of plastic produced each year, half consists of single-use items. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The U.S. Secret Service was originally created on July 5, 1865, during the Civil War to fight counterfeiting, which was a huge problem. By the end of the war, between 1/3 and 1/2 of all U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Stan is an ancient Persian word meaning “land” or “nation,” and Kazakh means “wanderer,” “adventurer,” or “outlaw.” Therefore, the name Kazakhstan translates as “Land of the Wanderers.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

Native Americans and First Nations people speaking a language of the Algonquian group were the first to meet English explorers and, consequently, many words from these languages entered English—for example, caribou (“snow-shoveler”), chipmunk (“red squirrel”), moccasin, moose, muskrat, opossum (“white dog”), papoose (“baby”), pecan (“nut”), powwow (“to dream, to have a vision”), raccoon, skunk (“to urinate” + “fox”), squaw, toboggan, totem, wigwam, and woodchuck. Provided by FactRetriever.com

To increase the size of the U.S. Army during WWI, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which was also known as the conscription or draft, in May 1917. By the end of the war, 2.7 million men were drafted. Another 1.3 million volunteered. Provided by FactRetriever.com

William H. Taft is the only US president to also serve as a Supreme Court justice. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The largest human gathering on earth is the Kumbh Mela. A spiritual gathering held every three years, this Hindu festival attracts over 100 million people. Provided by FactRetriever.com

German physician Franz Mesmer is known as the "father of modern hypnotism." Hypnosis was initially called "mesmerism" after Mesmer, and the word "mesmerize" is derived from his last name. Provided by FactRetriever.com

East German acrobat Horst Klein made one of the most notable escapes from East Berlin. He used a high-tension cable (think tightrope) 60 feet above the heads of the guards to cross over the wall. He fell off the wire, but luckily he landed in West Berlin. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima because it was the first to bloom again after the explosion of the atomic bomb in 1945. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The specific sequence of chemicals in a strand of DNA tells the organism what form it should take, so every type of organism has its unique chemical pattern in its DNA. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Europeans and the native Tainos traded two things that would shape cultures for the remainder of history: tobacco and horses. Sailors brought back tobacco to Europe, and the first European nicotine addicts were soon created. Provided by FactRetriever.com

When it was determined by Dutch explorers that New Zealand was not attached to the South American continent, they changed its name from Staten Landt (South America) to Nova Zeelandia (New Zealand), after the Dutch province of Zeeland. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The world’s smallest mammal, the Craseonycteris thonglongyai (the bumble bat), is found in Thailand. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The first X-ray (or roentgenogram) was of Roentgen’s wife’s hand, complete with wedding ring, in 1895. His wife was less than impressed and declared: “I have seen my death!” Provided by FactRetriever.com

Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh—who worked in the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona—discovered Pluto on February 18, 1930. Tombaugh was only 24 when he found it. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sperm whales hang vertically in the water with their noses poking out of the water when they sleep. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe is the world’s largest accidental oil spill to date. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Medieval alchemists studied the North Star, believing it held the secret to perpetual motion. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1974, President Ford declared inflation “public enemy number one” and urged the public to wear WIN pins, or “Whip Inflation Now” pins. At the time, inflation was around 7%. The pins were immediately ridiculed, and even worn upside down to say “NIM” or “Need Immediate Money.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

Charles Darwin invented the modern office chair when he added wheels to his own chair to move around his office easier. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp so that they don't drift on the ocean while they sleep. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Hunza Valley, found in the Pakistan-controlled region of Kashmir, contains a type of glacier water known as the "fountain of youth." People who live in the valley have an average life span of 90 years.Provided by FactRetriever.com

A "cama" is the hybrid offspring of a male dromedary camel and a female llama. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The German word "Kummerspeck" literally translates to "grief bacon" or "sorrow fat." It refers to weight gain due to emotional eating. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Candy Land was created 70 years ago to give kids stuck in polio wards a way to vicariously move freely in the pursuit of delights. The original board featured a boy in a leg brace about to walk through starting gate of the game. Provided by FactRetriever.com

If you type the word "askew" into the Google search box, slightly the entire page will tilt. Provided by FactRetriever.com

During WWII, American soldiers were known as G.I. Joes. Because they drank large amounts of coffee, the drink soon earned the popular nickname “a cup of Joe.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

A rhino’s “horn” is not a true horn, with a bony supporting core like the horns of cattle or antelopes. It is, instead, an outgrowth of the skin, like human hair or fingernails. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Jupiter spins faster than any other planet at over 29,200 miles (47,000 km) per hour. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The earliest recorded mention of a disease that can be recognized as diabetes is found in the Ebers papyrus (1500 B.C.), which includes directions for several mixtures that could “remove the urine, which runs too often." Provided by FactRetriever.com

In 1963, Heineken developed beer bottles that could double as glass bricks to build houses. The goal was to eliminate waste and provide a cheap building material for low-income areas. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Looming 17 times higher than Niagara Falls, Angel Falls in Venezuela is the largest waterfall in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The "O" before an Irish name, such as "O'Reilly," means "descendant of." Provided by FactRetriever.com

Most countries celebrate Labor Day or Worker's Day on May 1st, except for the United States and Canada. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Afghan poppy farmers have switched to solar power to run their irrigation systems. This has significantly increased the world's supply of heroin. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In Ankara, Turkey, sanitation workers created a public library out of books they found while collecting garbage. It contains over 6,000 books. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Giraffes give birth while standing up. Their babies must drop more than five feet (1.5 meters) to the ground as they're born. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The “dark side” or far side of the moon is not always dark. It reflects light as often as the near side, once per lunar day, during the new moon phase (when the Earth-facing side is completely dark). Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sanskrit is the most common language in Hindu scriptures; it is also the oldest language in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Mlilwane in Swaziland's Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary means "little fire" in SiSwati. The name is a reference to the frequent lightning strikes on the nearby granite mountains that often result in small fires. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Hair is made up of a protein called keratin, which forms a helical shape. This protein has sulfur bonds, and the more sulfur links it has, the curlier a person’s hair will be. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The gene that commercial producers bred into tomatoes to give them a uniform color had the unintended consequence of destroying its flavor. This mutation has been bred into almost all commercial American tomatoes. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Beatles auditioned for Decca records on January 1, 1962, but were turned down because “groups of guitars are on the way out.” Decca instead chose a group called the Tremeloes, which were local and cheaper. This is widely considered to be one of the biggest mistakes in music history. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Even though Johann Gottfried Galle visually “discovered” Neptune in 1846, Galileo saw the blue planet in 1613, but he thought it was a star because of its slow orbit and great distance from Earth. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Romans made their coins in the temple of Juno Moneta, the goddess of marriage and women. From the name Moneta, derives the words “mint” and “money.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

Sloth bears’ favorite food is termites. These bears have no front teeth, so they can easily suck out insects from their nests like a vacuum cleaner. They can also seal their nostrils for better suction. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A group of jellyfish is called a bloom, swarm, or smack. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Areas in Sri Lanka that are overly dry are kept fertile by an intricate irrigation system that the Sri Lankans have been developing for more than 2,000 years. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Knitting is considered to have originated in the Arab world, and from there, spread with the Crusades into Spain. The term “to knit” wasn’t added to English until the 1400s. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Images of dolphins have been found carved far within the desert city of Petra, Jordan. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Monet was influenced by Japanese art, and over his lifetime, he collected a variety of Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The oldest recorded standard of weight is the beqa, an ancient Egyptian unit equal to between 6.66 and 7.45 ounces. It is still used today. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A group of crabs is called a cast. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In addition to greeting and hugging each other with their trunks, elephants also use their trunks to swat smaller elephants as a form of discipline. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902. At this time, most cars could only drive up to 45 mph. Provided by FactRetriever.com

By about 3,000 B.C., almost every weaving technique known today had been invented by the Peruvians. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The earliest known potato chip recipe is found in William Kitchiner's cookbook The Cook's Oracle, published in 1817. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Adolph Levitt, a Russian-born immigrant, invented the first automated doughnut machine in 1920. He called it the “Wonderful Almost Human Automatic Donut Machine.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

A person standing on Heaven's Gate Lookout in Idaho can see Washington, Montana, and Oregon. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Twyfelfontein, is home to over 2,500 cave paintings and carvings on 212 slabs of rock and 13 panels, some of which are almost 6,000 years old. Provided by FactRetriever.com

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were once arrested together for taking a carriage ride in the countryside of Vermont on a Sunday, which violated the laws of that state. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Graffiti has existed since Neolithic times when nomads would leave traces of their journeys by scratching signs on rocks and caves. Provided by FactRetriever.com

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

In 1963, an East German soldier named Wolfgang Engels stole a tank and crashed through the Berlin Wall. Though he was shot twice, he made it to the other side of the wall. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Elizabethan theatergoers, such as those in William Shakespeare's time, could purchase apples and pears to eat during the show. These snacks were often thrown at the actors by dissatisfied members of the audience. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Earth’s plates move just a few inches a year—about as fast as a person’s fingernails grow. This continental pattern predicts that 250 million years from now, a new supercontinent will be born. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Dog nose prints are as unique as human finger prints and can be used to identify them. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In one of the worst prison disasters in US history, 322 inmates were killed and 150 injured when a fire broke out in the Ohio State Penn on April 21, 1930. When some guards refused to let inmates out of their cells, other inmates overpowered the guards to rescue fellow prisoners. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Words have a lifespan of anywhere between 1,000 and 20,000 years. More commonly used words tend to last longer. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country by area in the world, but it has one of the lowest population densities at 6 people per square mile. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Words have a lifespan of anywhere between 1,000 and 20,000 years. More commonly used words tend to last longer. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Hundreds of years ago, people put spider webs on their wounds because they believed it would help stop the bleeding. Scientists now know that silk contains vitamin K, which helps reduce bleeding. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Under President Theodore Roosevelt, the United States named the Grand Canyon as a national monument in 1908. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The bumps on raspberries are called "drupelets." Provided by FactRetriever.com

Yale was named after Elihu Yale (1649-1721), a governor of the British East India Company who donated a crate of goods to the fledgling school. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Delaware's average altitude is about 60 feet above sea level, which is the lowest average of any state. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The bumps on raspberries are called "drupelets." Provided by FactRetriever.com

The term “cholesterol” is from the Greek khole or “bile” (as in “cholera”) + sterops or “solid, stiff” (as in “sterility”). Provided by FactRetriever.com

The first basketball hoops were peach baskets with the bottom intact. Officials had to get the ball out after each basket. The first string nets were used in the early 1900s. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The nine-banded armadillo regularly gives birth to identical quadruplets, the only known species to do so. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Prolific inventor Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, the quadruplex telegraph, DC current, the carbon microphone, the fluoroscope, and the light bulb all while living in Newark, New Jersey. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Glass takes 1 million years to fully degrade in a landfill. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Rome has a sovereign state located entirely in its city limits, the Vatican City, which is also the world’s smallest state. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Scientists believe global warming could affect autumn colors. As the world warms, leaves may delay changing their colors. Additionally, trees may not use their sugars to create red pigments; rather, they might send that fuel to growing new twigs. Global warming may also alter the habitats of trees, such as the sugar maple, which creates some of the most vibrant fall colors. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Before Maine became the 23rd state in 1820, it was a part of Massachusetts. Provided by FactRetriever.com

While they are hibernating, bears do not urinate. Their bodies convert waste into protein. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A bristlecone pine tree nicknamed Methuselah is believed to be the oldest tree in the world. Its exact location is kept a secret to protect it from vandals and tourists. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The oxygen in an airplane’s emergency oxygen masks lasts for only about 15 minutes. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A precursor to Hyperloop travel was tried in the 1870s in New York City. Beach Pneumatic Transit briefly allowed people to travel a short distance in Manhattan in underground, pneumatic passenger capsules. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Philosophical Transactions is the world’s first and longest-running scientific journal. It was launched in March 1665 by Henry Oldenburg (c.1619-1677), the Society’s first Secretary, who acted as publisher and editor. Provided by The Royal Society Publishing

Sheep are actually surprisingly intelligent, with impressive memory and recognition skills. They build friendships, stick up for one another in fights, and feel sad when their friends are sent to slaughter. They are also one of the most destructive creatures on the planet. Provided by BBC News

The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is one of the world's longest erupting volcanos. It has been erupting since January 3, 1983. The word "Kilauea" means "much spreading" or "spewing" in Hawaiian. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Romans sent slaves up into the mountains to collect snow that they flavored with fruits and juices to create their version of ice cream. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Genetic studies show us that ALS is probably not a single disease but a combination of several related diseases with a similar end result. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The imperial family of Japan descends from an unbroken lineage of nearly 2,000 years. No other royal family in history has held its position for so long. The first Japanese emperor, Jimmu Tennō, ruled about the time of Christ. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere. This is because the Southern Hemisphere has less land and a more maritime climate. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A pangram is a sentence that contains every letter in the language. For example, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Provided by FactRetriever.com

A tornado hit the town of Codell, Kansas, on the same date, three years in a row: May 20, 1916; May 20, 1917; May 20, 1918. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The first sharks lived more than 400 million years ago—200 million years before the first dinosaurs. They have changed very little over the eons. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. Provided by FactRetriever.com

To boost alertness after a power nap (a 20-minute Stage 2 nap), sleep researchers suggest drinking caffeine before a nap. Caffeine requires 20–30 minutes to take effect, so it will kick in just as you’re waking. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Roman Augustus Caesar held the first recorded lottery that offered tickets for sale. He used the funds to repair the city. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In case of an emergency, crushed animal bones can be used to clean water that has been contimaniated with uranium and arsenic. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Harding was obsessed with poker and once bet an entire set of priceless White House China and lost it. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The bats that feed on frogs can tell the difference between safe and poisonous frogs by listening to the male frog’s call. Provided by FactRetriever.com

About 50 million years ago, whales walked on land and were about the size of a wolf. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Swedish parents are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave—and of those, 60 days are reserved for the father. In 2012, dads used 24% of the total parental leave. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Polar bears are the largest land carnivores on earth. They can stand more than 11' high and weigh more than 1,700 lbs. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A random study by the EPA revealed that employees of bottled water companies are not tested for disease, nor are they required to avoid the bottling area if they are sneezing from colds or have open cuts or infections on their hands. Provided by FactRetriever.com

There are an estimated 27 million adults and 13 million children around the world who are victims of human trafficking. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Copenhagen’s Strøget, at almost 2 miles (3.2 km) long, is the oldest and longest pedestrian street in the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The New York capitol building in Albany took 28 years (1867–1899), 5 different architects, and over $25 million to build. Composed of granite, the building has 5 floors total and a Million Dollar Staircase with 300 carved stone portraits of famous New Yorkers and others. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The first film ever made in Hollywood was D.W. Griffith’s 1910 In Old California, a biograph melodrama about a Spanish maiden (Marion Leonard) who has an illegitimate son with a man who later becomes governor of California. It was shot in two days.Provided by FactRetriever.com

The industrial revolution transformed cooking forever. Food could be mass-produced, mass-marketed, and standardized. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Boanthropy is a psychological disorder where people think they're cows. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The earliest known sea turtle fossils are about 150 million years old. Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Students are over 4 times more likely to drop out of school if they are unable to read proficiently by the 3rd grade. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A total of 928 prisoners tried to escape from Auschwitz, including 878 men and 50 women. Of these, 196 successfully escaped, and most of them lived to see the end of the war. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In the 1830s, English surgeon John Elliotson performed nearly 2,000 surgeries using hypnotism to manage his patients’ pain. The major antagonist in Assassin’s Creed, Syndicate, is based on him. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Women make up 65.4% of IRS employees, which is higher than the average of 48.1% for the civilian workforce.- Provided by FactRetriever.com

Petting a dog or cat or other furry pets releases oxytocin (the “cuddle hormone”), which creates instant happiness. Oxytocin also lowers blood pressure and reduces stress levels. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Conventionally grown apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, imported nectarines, grapes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, domestic blueberries, potatoes, green beans, kale, and other greens are among the fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticides. Provided by FactRetriever.com

As a species, elephants have few living relatives. These relatives are hyraxes, manatees, and dugongs. Provided by FactRetriever.com

One of the largest tsunamis in history occurred in 1883, when the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa erupted. The resulting waves, one of which reached 133 feet high, devastated the coasts of Java and Sumatra, killing 36,000 people. One of the waves reportedly carried a boat two miles inland. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Fiji is made up of approximately 300 islands and 540 smaller islets. Only one-third of the Fijian Islands are inhabited. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Unlike humans, horses have a functioning appendix that digests leaves, leading some scientist to believe that the human appendix may have had a similar function. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Studies show that those who eat hummus tend to weigh less and have better regulated blood sugar than those who don't. Hummus eaters also have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Google did an experiment with M&Ms at their headquarters. When they put the candy in containers instead of out in the open, people ate 3 million fewer pieces within one month’s time. Provided by FactRetriever.com

All dogs can be traced back 40 million years ago to a weasel-like animal called the Miacis which dwelled in trees and dens. The Miacis later evolved into the Tomarctus, a direct forbear of the genus Canis, which includes the wolf and jackal as well as the dog. Provided by FactRetriever.com

President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 increased tourism to the Great Wall. With increased tourism, sections of the Wall were restored, and after Mao Zedong’s death, the Chinese government recognized the Wall as a unifying symbol of the nation. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Held every second Sunday of March, Dia de los Boyeros is an annual ox cart festival in Escazú, Costa Rica. It attracts around 100 painted antique oxcarts and the great oxen to pull them, plus thousands of visitors. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In the 1960s, the United States spent large sums of money to build schools, streets, houses, a hospital, and 2 tuna canneries to assist in improving the living conditions of the American Samoa islands. Provided by FactRetriever.com

When archeologists discovered early evidence of our human ancestors' hunting activities, it became clear that adding meat to the diet meant big changes for early Homo sapiens. For example, skeleton size increased soon after, suggesting meat was important for evolution. Provided by FactRetriever.com

The United Nations passed the "Convention on the Law of the Sea" in 1994 and is now the recognized governing body in all legal matters concerning the world's oceans. Provided by FactRetriever.com

A binary communication system, or binary code, the basis for all computer language and programming, was first proposed by G.W. Leibniz in the 17th century. George Boole and Alan Turing, among others, later developed the idea for programming computers. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Only 44% of Cameroon's population has access to safe drinking water, and bottled water is by far the safest water option in the country. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Opossums got their name from the word "aposoum," a term that means "white beast" in the language of the Algonquin, a Native American tribe in the northeast United States. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American cultures all had sun-worship religions. Provided by FactRetriever.com

German-born American illustrator Thomas Nast (1840-1902) helped create the modern version of Santa as jolly, chubby, and dressed mainly in red. Coca-Cola further solidified his image in the mainstream media in 1931 when they used him in their advertising. Provided by FactRetriever.com

In the mid 1800s, poet Thomas Nash wrote a poem that famously placed Santa's home in the North Pole, even though the original saint lived in Turkey. Nash most likely chose the North Pole because, at the time, there were several scientific explorations to the North Pole, a region that was seen as a type of fantasy land, mysterious and just out of reach. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Puritan Oliver Cromwell outlawed Christmas celebrations and carols in England from 1649-1660. The only celebrations allowed were sermons and prayers. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Santa's list of "naughty" and "nice" children has its roots in Belgium and the Netherlands where their version of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, kept a similar list. The Norse god Odin kept two ravens that would listen at people's chimneys to find out who was good or bad. Provided by FactRetriever.com