The Great Fire of London (1666): Strange Facts Behind the Famous Disaster
The Great Fire of London wasn’t just a disaster—it was full of odd decisions and strange moments. Here are the quirkiest facts from 1666.
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Vasili Arkhipov: The Man Who Prevented World War III
Read more: Vasili Arkhipov: The Man Who Prevented World War IIIOn October 27, 1962, in the most tense moments of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the American destroyer USS Beale tried to warn off the Soviet submarine B-59 and inadvertently brought the world to what was, arguably, the closest it has come to nuclear war.
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Reducing the Werewolf Population One Adoption at a Time
Read more: Reducing the Werewolf Population One Adoption at a TimeGoing the extra mile to keep the werewolf population down, Argentina’s presidents have made it a custom since 1907 to “adopt” the seventh son born in a family.
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Survival Skills for Z-Day
Read more: Survival Skills for Z-DayExperts note that to survive a zombie attack: 1. Do not take shelter in a vehicle in which you do not have the keys; 2. Do not leave weapons out for zombies to find: 3. Do not give your only weapon to a hysterical person; 4. Do not retreat to your basement without supplies; 5. Do not…
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Celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland: Have Yourself a Flaming Ball of Fun
Read more: Celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland: Have Yourself a Flaming Ball of FunExplore the unique Hogmanay traditions of Scotland, from fireball ceremonies to festive feasts. Learn about customs across regions and their historical significance.
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Take Some Mummy Powder, A Few Drops of Gladiator Blood, and Call Me in the Morning
Read more: Take Some Mummy Powder, A Few Drops of Gladiator Blood, and Call Me in the MorningQuack medicine is nothing new. Over the centuries, people have ingested some pretty disgusting things in hopes of curing whatever ails them. Consider some of the following examples from history: Mellified Man: Take one male volunteer aged 70 or 80, bathe him, and feed him with nothing but honey. Upon his death (usually within a…
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You’ve Heard of Flying Reindeer; What About Pollyanna, the Reindeer of the Deep Seas?
Read more: You’ve Heard of Flying Reindeer; What About Pollyanna, the Reindeer of the Deep Seas?Pollyanna, with officers of the HMS Trident The British submarine HMS Trident had an unusual crew member for part of its World War II service: a reindeer named Pollyanna. The Trident was among a fleet of submarines and supply ships that the British Navy sent to support the Soviet Union after the Nazis invaded in…
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The Christmas Truce 1914: A Heartwarming Tale of Peace During War
Read more: The Christmas Truce 1914: A Heartwarming Tale of Peace During WarDiscover the moving story of the Christmas Truce 1914, when German and British soldiers laid down arms to share carols, gifts, and even a soccer game during WWI.
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Have Yourself a Jewish Little Christmas
Read more: Have Yourself a Jewish Little ChristmasMany of the most popular Christmas songs were written by Jewish songwriters:
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Who Wants to Spend Christmas Looking at Planets?
Read more: Who Wants to Spend Christmas Looking at Planets?For the Voyager space exploration program, engineers plotted around 10,000 potential trajectories and then narrowed them down to find the optimal mission objectives. They chose trajectories that would reduce or eliminate planetary encounters taking place over the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays. source
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Making a List of Who is Naughty, Nice, and Who Will Be Eaten
Read more: Making a List of Who is Naughty, Nice, and Who Will Be EatenNot content with just one Santa Claus, Iceland has thirteen of them. Known as “Jolasveinar” or “Yule Lads,” they are the sons of the trolls Gryla and Leppaludi, who would eat children who have been naughty throughout the year. Originally the Jolasveinar were much like their parents, but they mellowed with the years, and instead…
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Another First for the American Space Program
Read more: Another First for the American Space ProgramOn December 16, 1965, astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra were on Gemini 6 when they transmitted the following message: “Gemini VII, this is Gemini VI. We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He’s in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south…
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I’m Dreaming of a Best Seller
Read more: I’m Dreaming of a Best Seller“White Christmas”, written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby, is the best-selling single song of all time. With estimated sales in excess of 50 million for the original version and over 100 million sales for all versions, it has topped the charts since it was released in 1949 and has never been out…
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No Tree for Teddy
Read more: No Tree for TeddyPresident Theodore Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1901 out of concerns for protecting the environment. source
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And THAT is a Symbol of Kissing?
Read more: And THAT is a Symbol of Kissing?Mistletoe (Viscum album) is from the Anglo-Saxon word misteltan, which means “little dung twig” because the plant spreads through bird droppings. source
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementFebruary 5, 2020
