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Fact of the Day
Archive

We found: 33 results in all months of 2026

January 01, 2026
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
January 02, 2026
Picasso was not just a painter—he was also a sculptor, ceramicist, stage designer, poet, playwright, and print writer. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 03, 2026
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
January 04, 2026
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
January 05, 2026
Elvis Presley was a natural blond. Provided by: HistoryFacts.com
January 06, 2026
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!
January 07, 2026
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.
January 08, 2026
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
January 09, 2026
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
January 10, 2026
In 1942, Enrico Fermi, an Italian physicist, led the
January 11, 2026
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
January 12, 2026
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
January 13, 2026
A grasshopper's ears are found not on its head, but rather, on its belly. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 14, 2026
At 2,500 miles (4,000 km) long, the immense system of Martian canyons known as Valles Marineris is more than 10 times as long as the Grand Canyon on Earth. Provided by Space.com
January 15, 2026
The Judiciary Act of 1789 passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, established the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices. Provided by History.com
January 16, 2026
Neptune has rain made of diamonds. In 2017 scientests reproduced the previously theoretical conditions and observed "diamond rain" for the first time. Provided by: Lawrence Livermore National Labs
January 17, 2026
Owls can rotate their heads up to 270 degrees. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 18, 2026
The average dinosaur lifespan was surprisingly small. The Tyrannosaurus rex, for example, reached full size between 16-22 years old and lived up until 27-33. The largest dinosaurs such as the Brontosaurus and Diplodocus tended to live up to between 39-53 years old, maybe reaching the heights of 70.
January 19, 2026
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
January 20, 2026
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
January 21, 2026
Octopuses have the largest brain of any other invertebrate. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 22, 2026
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
January 23, 2026
Researchers speculate that humans laughed before they could speak. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 24, 2026
While Scotland has the highest proportion (13%) of redheads (followed by Ireland with 10%), the United States has the largest population of redheads in the world, with between 6-18 million redheads, or 2-6% of the population. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 25, 2026
One in three gamers has experienced fraud while paying online games. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 26, 2026
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
January 27, 2026
During the war, Russia attempted to dissuade the Japanese from approaching their forces by the Yalu River by spreading the false rumor that they had the technology to set the river entirely on fire. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 28, 2026
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
January 29, 2026
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
January 30, 2026
The northern hawk owl is able to hear prey as much as 12 inches under the snow. Provided by FactRetriever.com
January 31, 2026
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
February 01, 2026
Sharks kill about 12 people a year. People kill about 11,417 sharks—an hour. Provided by FactRetriever.com
February 02, 2026
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





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