The Day a Cheese Cannonball Was Fired in War (Yes, Really)
Yes, a cheese cannonball was really fired in war. Discover this bizarre moment and other strange facts from the devastating Paraguayan War.
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Practicing Pandiculation
Read more: Practicing PandiculationHow often do you pandiculate? You may not be familiar with the word, but you almost certainly do it on a regular basis. Pandiculation is the act of stretching and yawning at the same time. Read more interesting words. Read more fun facts about sleep.
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The Disturbing Precursor of Valentine’s Day
Read more: The Disturbing Precursor of Valentine’s DayValentine’s Day is a holiday dedicated to love and is marked by the exchange of cards, flowers, candy, and romantic sentiment. If you go far enough back in time, you would see the precursor to this holiday of love, and it would likely shock you.
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The Odds — and Risks — of Playing the Lottery
Read more: The Odds — and Risks — of Playing the LotteryFind out why risk of death from a car accident is greater than your odds of winning from playing the lottery.
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A Penny Saved Is 2.06 Cents Spent
Read more: A Penny Saved Is 2.06 Cents SpentWe are all taught the financial value of valuing and saving every last penny. This rule apparently does not apply to the U.S. government — at least, not to the U.S. Mint. The cost of producing pennies and nickels is greater than what the coins themselves are worth.
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Iceland Has the Most Authors and Readers Per Capita of Any Country
Read more: Iceland Has the Most Authors and Readers Per Capita of Any CountryFor book lovers, when it is cold and snowy outside, nothing can compare to staying inside and diving into a good book. Perhaps it is because of the perpetual wintery weather that Iceland has emerged as the top place for bibliophiles– readers and writers, alike.
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The Secret to Energy Conservation at the World’s Most Secret Building
Read more: The Secret to Energy Conservation at the World’s Most Secret BuildingThe words “efficiency” and “government” rarely belong in the same sentence. There is one government entity that is an exception to the rule, and despite being a place known for its secrecy, it is more than willing to share this particular secret.
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The Day Someone Stole the Empire State Building
Read more: The Day Someone Stole the Empire State BuildingThe city of New York is certainly not a stranger to crime. Whether it is burglary, pickpocketing, vehicle theft or other like offenses, New York City experienced 371,880 incidents of property crime in 2012. Despite those impressive numbers, there was one crime that year that was truly unprecedented: the theft of one of the world’s…
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The 27th Letter and Why the Ampersand was Removed From the Alphabet
Read more: The 27th Letter and Why the Ampersand was Removed From the AlphabetAmpersand & Its Place in the Alphabet Every schoolchild knows there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. It seems self-evident that this fact must be as old as the language itself. Surprising as it may seem, as recently as the mid-1800s, there was a 27th letter — one you see on your computer keyboard…
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The Unbelievable Successful Career of the World’s Worst Counterfeiter
Read more: The Unbelievable Successful Career of the World’s Worst CounterfeiterWho was the world’s worst counterfeiter and how did he manage to be so incredibly successful? Meet “Mr. 880” and learn how he kept the Secret Service busy for so long.
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How Long is the Perfect “Power Nap”?
Read more: How Long is the Perfect “Power Nap”?There is no denying the mental health aspect of a good nap. On those days when the mind is sluggish and the body can’t seem to shift out of first gear, a few minutes of shut-eye is just the thing to breathe new life into your day. As every napper knows, however, there is a…
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The Island that Switches Countries Every Six Months
Read more: The Island that Switches Countries Every Six MonthsIf you want to experience international travel without ever leaving your home, you might want to consider living on Pheasant Island. This island has the distinction of belonging to one country for half of the year and another country for the other half.
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of Measurement
Read more: A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementThe term “buttload” originates from medieval liquid measurements, specifically “butts,” which equate to two hogsheads. A butt of ale is approximately 108 imperial gallons, while a butt of wine is about 126 imperial gallons. Misunderstanding this term could lead to humorous repercussions for the critic.
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Coffee So Strong That it Shapes a Language
Read more: Coffee So Strong That it Shapes a LanguageCoffee has been integral to Turkish culture for over 500 years. Turkish coffee is made by brewing finely-ground coffee beans, which are then left in the beverage when it is served. The result is recognized around the world for having a very strong, robust flavor. Coffee is much more than a mere beverage to the…
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How Big of a Telescope is Needed to See Any Interest?
Read more: How Big of a Telescope is Needed to See Any Interest?A popular television program of the early days of television was This is Show Business. It ran from 1949 to 1954 and gave aspiring entertainers the opportunity to get advice from a panel of experienced celebrities. Sometimes the advice was helpful. The helpfulness of the advice typically had a correlation to the level of sympathy…
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Winston Churchill: Think Twice Before Putting Your Ear to the Ground
Read more: Winston Churchill: Think Twice Before Putting Your Ear to the Ground“I see that a speaker… said that this was a time when leaders should keep their ears to the ground. All I can say is that the British nation will find it very hard to look up to leaders who are detected in that somewhat ungainly posture.” — Winston Churchill Read more funny quotes. Read…
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementFebruary 5, 2020
