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

MAY 2023


Previous Archives

DATE FACT OF THE DAY
5/1/23      Though the term “eagle eyed” implies that eagles have keen vision, only the Wedge-tailed Eagle can see better than humans (2½ times better). Kestrels and falcons have about the same power of sight as we do. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/2/23      Approximately 90% of the world’s recoverable helium is located in the ground under Amarillo, Texas. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/3/23      The world’s largest geothermal cave system is in Hungary. It is located underground in Budapest. Europe’s largest underground lake also was recently found under Budapest’s Gellért Hill. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/4/23      The biggest roundabout in the world is located at Putrajaya in Malaysia. It is 2.2 miles (3.5 km) in diameter. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/5/23      The famous US highway Route 66 begins in Chicago in front of the Art Institute of Chicago. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/6/23      In 1969 Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to travel on the Tube, and has remained the only one to ride ever since. Provided by Royal Collection Trust
5/7/23      About 40% of today's spoken languages are endangered with less than 1000 living speakers remaining. Provided by Ethnologue.com
5/8/23      The Hercules Beetle can carry up to 850 times its own weight, making it the strongest creature in the world. Provided by The Journal of Experimental Biology
5/9/23      Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and 1,419 islands; 443 of which have been named and as of 2013 only 78 were inhabited. Provided by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
5/10/23      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
5/11/23      Rand McNally once sued another map maker for copyright infringement because of the reproduction of an imaginary town Agloe they invented in New York. This "paper town" was created only as a trap for this purpose. The defendants prevailed, because the town later came into existence using the name that Rand McNally gave it. That town has since vanished again. Provided by: NPR
5/12/23      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
5/13/23      The largest hurricane can be the size of the state of Montana, 600 miles (966 kilometers) wide. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/14/23      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
5/15/23      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
5/16/23      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
5/17/23      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
5/18/23      Monarch butterflies can fly as high as 10,000 feet. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/19/23      Because dragonfly eyes have about 30,000 lenses, they can see nearly 360 degrees. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/20/23      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
5/21/23      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
5/22/23      Over just 50 square miles, Jerusalem has over 2,000 archeological sites. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/23/23      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
5/24/23      Monarch butterflies can fly as high as 10,000 feet. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/25/23      Because dragonfly eyes have about 30,000 lenses, they can see nearly 360 degrees. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/26/23      Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president an astonishing four terms before the 22nd Amendment set term limits. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/27/23      Nearly 90% of London’s police officers don’t carry firearms. Provided by FactRetriever.com


Fact-of-the-Day Archives

2022
DEC NOV OCT SEP AUG JUL
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2021
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2020
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2019
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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2014
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2013
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2012
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2011
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2010
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