In 1969, the Navy spent $375,000 on an "aerodynamic analysis of the self-suspended flare." The study's conclusion was that the frisbee was not feasible as military hardware.

In the early 1950s, Clint Eastwood signed a $75-a-week contract with Universal to do walk-ons in low-budget horror flicks like Revenge of the Creature. He was fired when studio executives decided his Adam's apple protruded too much for him to be star material. For some time, Eastwood took on odd jobs, such as digging swimming pools, to augment ...Read more

In ancient Rome bits of toast were floated in goblets of wine. There is a story that a wealthy man threw a lavish party in which the public bath was filled with wine. Beautiful young women were invited to swim in it. When asked his opinion of the wine, one guest responded: “I like it very much, but I prefer the toast.” (referring, presumably...Read more

The human body consists of about 60 trillion cells, and each cell has about 10,000 times as many molecules as the Milky Way has stars.

Someone who faces the glare of publicity may be said to be in the limelight. American chemist Robert Hare discovered that a blowpipe flame acting upon a block of calcium oxide - which is lime - produces a brilliant white light that could be used to illuminate theater stages.

Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile.

Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile.

Verdi wrote the opera Aida at the request of the khedive of Egypt to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal.

Gray whales migrate 12,000 miles each year, farther than any other mammal.

Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages® first appeared on the market in 1921. However, the little red string that is used to tear open the package was not added until 1940.

Cicadas are well-known singers. The song is a mating call produced by the males only. Each species has its own distinctive call and only attracts females of its own kind, even though rather similar species may co-exist within the same territory. Cicadas are the only insects known to have developed such a specialized and effective means of ...Read more

There is no synonym for thesaurus. The word is from Greek and means “a treasure.”

The game of Monopoly is the best-selling board game in the world, licensed or sold in 80 countries and produced in 26 languages including Croatian.

The modern tin can is an elaboration of the invention in the decade of the 1800s by Nicolas Francois Appert. It was patented by the Englishman Peter Durand in 1810. Due to the invention of mass production, the tin can became a consumer standard late in the 19th century, primarily in

Winking at women, even to express friendship, is considered bad manners in Australia.

In many countries, urine was used as a detergent for washing. One of urine's major components, ammonia, is used in cleaning products.

The flagship known as Queen Anne's Revenge belonged to the famous pirate, Blackbeard. The ship sank in 1718. Blackbeard's real name was Edward Teach.

Of the million-plus species of insects on earth, 3,000 of them are mosquitoes. More than 165 of those live in the United States.

Signing a memorial to Congress for the abolition of slavery was the last public act of Benjamin Franklin.

The hides of mature female blue sharks are more than twice as thick as those of males, probably as a protection against courtship bites.