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Why Teachers are Associated with and Traditionally Given Apples
Gloria N. asks: Why is the stereotype to give apples to teachers? Widespread publicly funded, mandatory education has only been around since about the 19th century. Before then, the responsibility of providing schooling to
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Why Don’t They Bother Putting the Apostrophe in “DONT WALK” signs?
Jared L. asks: Why aren’t there apostrophes in the Don’t Walk signs by street intersections when it’s spelled out rather than using pictures? No one is sure when exactly the first WALK/DONT WALK style signs
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What Ever Happened to Confederate President Jefferson Davis?
Cailin asks: What happened to Jefferson Davis after the Civil War? Jefferson Davis was attending a Sunday church service in the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, when he heard the news. Union General
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Did the Warrior Women Known as the Amazons Ever Exist?
Marleen asks: Did Amazon women really ever exist? They are mentioned time and again by the ancient Greeks in both their history and mythology, going all the way back to Homer in approximately the
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Why Aren’t There Many Female Commercial Pilots?
Sarah T. asks: Why do you never see commercial airline pilots that are women? When it comes to gender disparity, the world of commercial airline piloting is one of the most skewed with a
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Why are Some Ice Cubes Clear and Others Cloudy?
Drew asks: Why are some ice cubes clear and others cloudy? Unless you happen to have a specialized ice machine in your home, it is practically guaranteed that the ice your freezer makes is
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How Did “911″ Become The Emergency Call Number in North America?
Kaiden asks: Why is 9-1-1 the emergency call number? Before the 1960s, the United States didn’t have one universal phone number for Americans to call if they needed help from the police or fire
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Bowling and the Ancient Egyptians
Guy H. asks: Who invented bowling? Bowling has a rather vague history, with a form of it possibly dating back as far as 5000 years to the ancient Egyptians. This story starts with the
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A Brief History of Scotch Whisky
Brandon asks: Who invented Scotch? Scotch has been referred to as “the water of life,” and to many who know its allure today, they can understand why. Yet the chronicle of this sometimes, smoky,
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What’s in a Hot Dog and How Is It Made?
Kayla R. asks: What are hot dogs made of really? I was also wondering how they are made? Thanks! After the steaks, chops, breasts, ribs, thighs, hams, tenderloins and briskets are removed, there’s a
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The Men Who Walked on the Moon
Marcus L. asks: How many people walked on the moon? Who were they? Forty-five years ago this month, a human being first set foot on the moon. Despite four and a half decades and
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The Truth About Double Jeopardy
Damien asks: Is Double Jeopardy a true thing or is it just a TV/movie invention? Although generally in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, the U.S. and New Zealand you cannot be subjected to
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Why Are Continental Breakfasts Called That?
Austin asks: Why are continental breakfasts called that? Many hotels offer guests a free breakfast consisting of muffin, coffee, cereal and milk, toast, juice, bagel, and, at some, even scrambled eggs and make-your-own waffles.
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Why Do Men’s and Women’s Clothes Have the Buttons on the Opposite Sides?
Matt asks: Why do men’s and women’s shirts and pants have the buttons on the opposite sides? When did this start? As with so many things in history, we can’t know with 100% accuracy
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Why Do We Kiss?
Hannah asks: Why do we kiss? Is this something built in or do we just do it because we see others do it our whole lives? Making Out. Snogging. Canoodling. Kissing. An activity that
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The Flags on the Moon
Robert N. asks: What ever happened to the flags and other things left on the moon? On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 touched down on the moon. At 10:56 pm eastern standard time, Neil
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Why Does Rhode Island Have “Island” in the Name When It is Not One?
Aaron asks: Why is Rhode Island called an island when it is not? Most think the history of Rhode Island starts with Roger Williams, but the state’s “discovery” (at least by Europeans) dates back
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Why Graduates Wear Caps and Gowns
Karla asks: Why do graduates wear caps and gowns? Also, why do we throw our caps in the air when we graduate? Inquiring minds want to know!!! Wearing academic robes is a tradition that
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