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 dates back to at least the 12th century, around the time when the first universities were being founded in Europe. During this time, most scholars were […]
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This Day In History: June 19, 1905 The first baby step toward red carpet galas and Brangelina was the introduction of the first nickelodeon theater on June 19, 1905 in Pittsburgh, PA. The nickelodeon, whose odd name was a combination of the five cent admission price and “odeon,” the Greek word for theater, became an instant smash. The idea began […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn about the origin of the Star Spangled Banner and the drinking song that served as the base tune for it. [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
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In Venezuela’s northwest state of Zulia, where the Catatumbo River empties into the southwest corner of Lake Maracaibo, a spectacular light show can be seen most nights of the year. Known alternately as the Catatumbo lightning, river of fire in the sky, Beacon of Maracaibo, everlasting lightning, the Lighthouse of Catatumbo and Relámpago del Catatumbo, this fixed lightning storm has […]
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Carl asks: What happens if you are sleep walking and you kill someone? Anyone who has ever tried to reason with a sleepwalker knows they can seem to be awake, yet have bizarre and irrational behaviors. Stubborn during the best of episodes, and inconsolable, unreasonable and intense in the worst, it is not hard to imagine these walking dreamers acting […]
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This Day In History: June 18, 1967 The Summer of Love was ushered in by the Monterey International Pop Music Festival, a three-day event held June 16 through June 18 in Monterey, California at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Monterey was the venue where The Who, Ravi Shankar and Jimi Hendrix all made their first major American appearances. The Festival was […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn the surprising truth about the notion that moths eat clothes, as well as a variety of other interesting facts about moths. [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
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Embed This Infographic [Source: Today I Found Out] If you liked this infographic, you might also enjoy: 10 Interesting Language Facts 10 Interesting Language Facts (Part-2) 10 Interesting Language Facts (Part-3) 10 Interesting Word & Phrase Facts
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Stefan asks: Why do we still have pubic and armpit hair when we lost most of the rest of the hair on our bodies? What purpose does it serve? It’s a biological mystery that has perplexed humanity through the ages – especially in recent times when so many of us go to such great lengths to remove it. What useful […]
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This Day In History: June 17, 1631 When the princess Arjumand Banu Begum met the future Mughal Emperor Prince Khurram, it was a rare case of royal love at first sight. The prince, who was by then known as Shah Jahan, had two other wives, but it was no secret that he only had eyes for the one he named […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the fascinating story of the remarkable Kittie Smith who was the first woman to vote in Chicago, Illinois, and just what her feet had to do with it all. [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 […]
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On August 15, 1977, in Delaware, Ohio, SETI researchers from the Ohio State University detected a 72 second radio signal originating from somewhere around the constellation of Sagittarius. Because of the signal’s location, frequency and unique signature, it was quickly dubbed the “Wow!” signal, and since its discovery, speculation has run rampant that it was a message from an extra-terrestrial […]
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Have you ever been in a dark place, say a movie theatre or a room with all the blinds close, and walked outside into the daylight when, all of a sudden, you begin to sneeze uncontrollably? You had no runny nose or desire to sneeze prior to this exposure to sunlight, but you just can’t help that big achoo? If […]
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This Day In History: June 16, 1884 Much to the delight of thrill-seekers everywhere, the first rollercoaster made its debut at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York on June 16, 1884. Known as a switchback railway, the rollercoaster that customers paid a nickel to ride on that day bore little resemblance to the coasters we’re familiar with now. The brainchild […]
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In this Weekend Why episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn why it is that orange juice and certain other things taste so amazingly awful directly after you brush your teeth. [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
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In this Weekend Whys episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn why hair stops growing at a certain length and whether shaving affects hair growth rate. [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
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Hobbs and His Lock Picks: The Great Lock Controversy of 1851 In April 1851, Alfred C. Hobbs boarded the steamship Washington bound for Southampton, England. His official duty was to sell the New York City-based company Day and Newell’s newest product – […]
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After just about six months since launching, our Daily Knowledge Podcast has reached 2 million downloads. Thanks for listening! If you have any feedback for us on it, we’re always interested. If you haven’t checked it out, you can listen to the podcast episodes here online, or subscriber via iTunes here, or simply use this xml link to subscribe via […]
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