Monday, January 31, 2011
Fact #92: Temperature affects your appetite
People are more likely to be hungry if they are cold. The body generates heat with food intake, so when you don't eat, you are more likely to be cold and hungry.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Fact #91: Earth is the only planet not named after a Pagan god
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Fact #90: The harmonica is the best-selling musical instrument in the world
The harmonica, aka the mouth organ, originated in the 1800s throughout Europe. It has since become very popular.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Fact #89: Tug of war was an Olympic sport
Between 1900 and 1920, tug of war was an official Olympic sport. Individual clubs, not countries, could enter the event. In the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, all three medals were won by American clubs. The last gold medal in tug of war was awarded to Great Britain, in Antwerp in 1920.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Fact #88: Alaska was purchased for 2 cents an acre
Once known as "Seward's Folly", Alaska was purchased for about $7.2 Million dollars in 1867, or about 2 cents an acre.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Fact #86: Shaq received his degree from LSU in 2000 in General Studies, not History
While at LSU, Shaq studied business. He later returned back to LSU in 2000 and received his degree in General Studies. History must have been left out of this program. After returning home from a visit to Greece, Shag was asked if he visited the Parthenon. He responded, "I can't really remember the names of all the clubs we went to."
Monday, January 24, 2011
Fact #85: Lebron James shoots right-handed, but writes left-handed
Lebron was taught to shoot a basketball right handed as a child, but has always written with his left hand.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Fact #84: Someone high up in JetBlue really likes the Jets
Recently, airline company JetBlue announced a new route from New York to Pittsburgh, right about the same time the Jets and Steelers are set to play for the AFC championship, which is later today. The flight number is 1969, named for the last time the jets were in the Super Bowl.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Fact #83: The ZIP in ZIP code means Zone Improvement Plan
Friday, January 21, 2011
Fact #82: The heaviest pumpkin ever weighed in at 1810 pounds
In October of 2010, a man in Wisconsin cultivated a giant pumpkin, weighing 1810 pounds, smashing the previous record by 85 pounds.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Fact #81: Lipstick contains fish scales
A common ingredient in lipstick is pearl essence, and it is the silvery stuff in fish scales. They make the lipstick shimmer.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Fact #80: Albert Einstein's brain was 15% wider than normal
The 20th century genius, Albert Einstein, is widely regarded as one of the smartest men in history. His brain has been subject to much research. Canadian researchers discovered that his brain was 15 percent wider than the average brian.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Fact #79: Chewing gum while cutting onions prevents crying
When chewing gum, people breathe through their mouth, which eliminates onion fumes from entering into your nose - the cause of tears from onions.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Fact #78: Kangaroos can jump up to 30 feet long
Kangaroos have been measured jumping about 10 feet high and 30 feet long, with ease. Also, kangaroos cannot walk backwards.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fact #77: Waynes World was filmed in 2 weeks
Most movies take 4-6 months of filming, yet the geniuses from Aurora, Illinois only took two weeks to film.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Fact #76: Brett Favre is the only NFL Grandfather
At 40, Brett Favre became the only grandparent in the NFL when his daughter Brittany had a baby in April of 2010.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Fact #75: Procrastination means what you think it does in Latin
Procrastination comes from the Latin verb procastinare, literally meaning "to put off until tomorrow."
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Fact #74: The Battle of Antietam was the single bloodiest day in American history
Fought on September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam was the deadliest single-day battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Fact #72: Rowing is the oldest intercollegiate sport in America
Monday, January 10, 2011
Fact #71: Saffron is the world's most expensive spice by weight
Saffrons price tag comes not from its lack of availability, because it's easily cultivated. Its expensive due to the extensive labor involved in harvesting and preparing it for storage.
80,000 flowers are needed to obtain one pound of Saffron.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Fact #70: Christopher Columbus thought manatees were mermaids
On this day, January 9th, in 1493, Christopher Columbus mistook manatees for mermaids in his journal. He described them as "not half as beautiful as they are painted."
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Fact #69: Almonds are a member of the Peach family
Most people think almonds are nuts, but they are actually more closely linked to peach pits. They are fruits of the deciduous, meaning they fall off trees. Almonds, peaches, apricots and plums are all member of this lineage, the Rosaceae family.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Fact #68: Snooki is Chilean
Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki, was born in Santiago, Chile. She was later adopted and raised by Italian American parents.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Fact #67: Brazil has more Avon representatives than military members
Brazil, the apparent land of beauty, has about 500,000 members in their armed forces, and about 700,000 Avon sales representatives. Brazil is Avon's 2nd largest market, after America.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Fact #66: Three Mile Island is not three miles long
Three Mile Island, home to a major nuclear accident in 1979, is only about 2 miles long. The name comes form its 3 mile downriver distance from Middleton, Pennsylvania on the Susquehanna river.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Fact #65: Golf balls reach speeds up to 200 MPH
Your typical golfer hits the golf ball about 170 MPH off the tee. The world record speed was 204 MPH by Canadian long drive champion Jason Zuback in 2010.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Fact #64: The first CD pressed in America was Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen made history in September of 1984, when his Born in America CD became the first CD pressed and sold commercially in America.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Fact #63: Camels have three eyelids
Camels have three eyelids to protect them from sandstorms in the desert. The first two eyelids have long lashes to comb out sand, and the third eyelid is transparent so the camel can see even in high winds.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Fact #62: The Times Square Ball has been dropped since 1907
Since 1907, Times Square has hosted the ball dropping. However, during World War II in 1941 and 1942, the ball dropping ceremony did not happen due to wartime restrictions on electricity. A large crowd still gathered, and shared in a minute of silence to signify the new year.
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