30 Random Quick Facts
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This Day in History: August 20th
This Day In History: August 20, 1619 On August 20, 1619, the first seeds were planted for the American/African slave trade. Although the “20 and odd” Africans aboard the ‘Man of War” were not considered slaves as slavery as it became was not practiced in the New World at that time; little is known about their status. It is believed […]
Read morePodcast Episode #211: Ahoy Hoy
In this episode, you’re going to learn about a phrase that very nearly became the popular way to answer a telephone, where the term came from, as well as how we ended up with “hello.” We’re also going to spend a little time debunking a popular myth concerning “hello.” [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes […]
Read moreThe Cornell Professor Who Gave Us the Chicken Nugget
Chicken nuggets are delicious. I know this isn’t a particularly controversial statement. Despite pink slime, chemical preservatives, and sometimes questionable nutritional value, it’s hard to argue the basic point that these deep-fried, previously frozen, nugget-shaped “chicken” pieces are at least somewhat appealing to the human taste bud. The common assumption is that McDonald’s was the first to give us these […]
Read moreWhy Can’t You Have Fences Over a Certain Height in the Front or Backyard?
Glossyhorses asks: Why can’t you have your fences over 6 feet tall in the backyard and half that in the front? The primarily purposes of a fence include to keep animals in, people out, and perhaps even so others can’t see into your yard. But if this is the case, why are there laws that limit how tall fences can […]
Read moreThis Day in History: August 19th
This Day In History: August 19, 1399 On August 19, 1399, the troubled reign of King Richard II came to an end when he surrendered power to his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke. His reign is remembered as a series of blunders, goofs, and general ineptitude, but what do you expect from a king who inherits the throne at the age […]
Read morePodcast Episode #210: Hubble
In this episode, you’re going to learn about the man who ultimately lent his name to the Hubble Telescope and why he was given that honour. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
Read moreA Brief History of the Ballpoint Pen and Whether NASA Really Spent Millions Developing a Pressurized Version Instead of Just Using Pencils
Kyle S. asks: There’s a story circulating around that NASA found out pens didn’t work in space, but still needed a writing device that would work there, so they spent millions of tax payer dollars developing a ball point pen that could be used in space. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, just used pencils. Is this true? Thanks! […]
Read moreThis Day in History: August 18th
This Day In History: August 18, 1634 On August 18, 1634, Urbain Grandier, a parish priest from St.-Pierre-du-Marché of Loudun, France, was executed for the crime of sorcery, when all he was really guilty of was ignoring that pesky vow of celibacy (like most clerics before him, including Pope Alexander VI who had seven known children) and provoking the anger […]
Read moreWeekly Wrap Volume 51
This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Greatest Practical Joke of the 19th Century, the Berners Street Hoax The year was 1809. Famed English author, Theodore Hook, made a bet with one of his close friends, the noted architect and writer, Samuel Beazley, that within one week, he […]
Read morePodcast Episode #209: Who Invented Duct Tape
In this episode, you’re going to learn who invented duct tape and how they came up with it. You’re also going to learn the original name of the tape before it was commonly touted as tape for air ducts, despite it being a poor choice in many cases for that use, unless you want your house to burn down. [TRANSCRIPT] […]
Read moreThe Bum Brigade
On October 29, 1929, on what would become known as “Black Tuesday,” the stock market crashed. In one terrible day, the market lost fourteen billion dollars (about $188B today), signaling the beginning of the (roughly) ten-year-long Great Depression, with most of the last vestiges of the downturn only ceasing around 1939 due to the onset of World War II. Just […]
Read moreThis Day in History: August 15th
This Day In History: August 15, 1969 The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in upstate New York over a period of four days beginning on August 15, 1969. It was rainy, chaotic, and proclaimed a disaster area by the U.S. government. Most of those in attendance say it was the most magical and […]
Read moreHangover Cures: Myths and Tips
Whether it’s a Bachelor Party, Dollar Drinks, Ladies’ Night or just Happy Hour, many of us get carried away once in awhile, and end up suffering the next day. While most home remedies are ineffective for managing the pain and nausea, there are a few steps you can take to either prevent, or alleviate, the ill-effects of having one (or […]
Read morePodcast Episode #208: What Causes Ulcers
In this episode, you’re going to learn the fascinating story of eventual Nobel Prize winner Dr. Barry Marshall and his lengthy fight against the general medical community who refused to accept his extensive research demonstrating the simple cause and easy cure of peptic ulcers. You’re also going to learn the gutsy (literally) stunt he pulled to finally get people to […]
Read moreThis Day in History: August 14th
This Day In History: August 14, 1976 On an August morning in Belfast, Ireland during the mid-‘70s, a member of the I.R.A. named Danny Lennon was speeding down Finaghy Road North and was shot dead by British soldiers chasing him in hot pursuit. His car careened into a young mother named Anne Maguire who was walking down the road with […]
Read morePodcast Episode #207: Scrabble and the Great Depression
In this episode, you’re going to learn about how the Great Depression gave us one of the most popular board games in history, Scrabble. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
Read moreThe Corrupt and Ruthless Californian Who Gave us the Name for “Monterey Jack” Cheese
Steve S. asks: Who was Monterey Jack and when did he invent his cheese? Cheese predates written history. Ancient Egyptians loved cheese so much that depictions of the cheese-making process were painted in tombs. Homer’s Odyssey talks about how Cyclops stored his cheese. The Greeks and Romans used cheese as a delicious currency. During the Middle Ages, if there was […]
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