Today in History: December 23, 1888 Most everyone knows the official story of how Vincent van Gogh, the epitome of the tortured artist, on this day in history, 1888, supposedly cut off his left earlobe during a bout of madness and then presented it to a prostitute as a gift. The recipient promptly fainted, and the heavily bleeding Van Gogh […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Man Who was Stuck in the 1950s Henry Gustav Molaison, who came to be known by his initials, H.M., was studied from 1957 until his death in 2008. From an early age, H.M. suffered from severe epilepsy that was blamed on […]
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In this episode, you’ll learn the fascinating history behind one of the most popular toys in history, the Slinky. [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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Since the dawn of the Internet age and the oft-lamented readily available pictures of naked ladies, today’s youth will never know the heart-stopping risk of hiding under the covers with a flashlight and your older brother’s well-worn copy of Playboy. The world was a much different place when Playboy magazine began – funded in part with a $1,000 loan from […]
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Whether it’s busting or breaking, balls or stones, this expression has long been used by young men (and not a few women) to express a wide range of emotions brought about by the words or actions of another. Although the phrase usually accompanies laughter, it arose out of a truly painful, yet common practice among beef cattle operators where they […]
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Today in History: December 20, 1962 On this day in 1962, a very young, well-scrubbed barbershop quartet from Ogden, Utah, The Osmand Brothers, made the first of many appearances on Andy Williams’ popular variety show, performing “I’m a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas” and “Side By Side.” The original singing Osmond Brothers, Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay were 9, 7, […]
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In this episode, you’ll learn whether Newton was really inspired to create his theories on gravity after an apple fell on his head. 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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Dev asks: What causes spontaneous combustion? Most of us experience combustion, a chemical process where a fuel combines with oxygen to produce heat and light, in the form of a fire where both the fuel and ignition source are well known. In some circumstances, however, the trigger that ignited the fire is not a definite source, like a match, but […]
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Although best known for his planning of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Osama bin Laden has a long history of terrorist activity against the United States dating back to 1992. In addition to bombings and other mass killings, he may have been developing another specialty as well – presidential assassinations, though as you’d expect with things of this nature, […]
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Odds are you probably have a stick or a tub of it sitting in your fridge right now, but do you have any idea how margarine became a staple in most kitchens? It turns out, margarine has a long and controversial international history, and can even boast the involvement of Emperor Napoleon III in its invention. Margarine derives its name […]
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Today in History: December 19, 1843 Published on this day in history, 1843, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was written under intense financial pressure – his wife was pregnant with their fifth child, his parents and siblings were in need of funds, and he had a large mortgage payment looming. Dickens was also angry over how little money he’d made […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’ll learn whether it’s true or not that cracking knuckles throughout your life contributes to getting arthritis when you’re older. 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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On the morning of Friday, October 11, 1957, workers at the nuclear reactor Windscale Pile 1 near Seascale, Cumberland, England, faced a terrible choice: allow a raging fire to burn itself out while it released dangerously high levels of ionizing radiation into the surrounding countryside; or, attempt to extinguish the conflagration with water, an option that could cause a hydrogen […]
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The modern, multi-coloured plastic water guns are a familiar sight, and you probably wouldn’t be surprised to find out they’ve been around for a while. That said, it might surprise you to learn that records show they likely pre-date the American Civil War, at least in some form or another. Back in 1861, Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to […]
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Today in History: December 18, 1878 John “Black Jack” Kehoe, the last of the Molly Maguires, was hanged on this date in 1878 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, ostensibly for a cold case murder with such flimsy evidence the governor was extremely hesitant to sign the death warrant. In reality, he was to die for encouraging the Irish immigrants working the Pennsylvania […]
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The last couple days, you may have noticed our new podcast posts, starting with Episode 1: Columbus and the Round World Episode 2: Growing Up with Caffeine We’ve teamed up with SpokenMatter.com to start producing this “Daily Knowledge” podcast series featuring interesting facts discussed in detail with a new episode every weekday. Give the episodes a listen at the above […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’ll learn whether it’s true or not that drinking caffeine stunts your growth. [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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Today I found out about the amazing acoustics of the ancient Epidaurus Theatre. Epidaurus, Greece was a small, unassuming city in ancient times, best known for being the supposed birth place of Apollo’s son, Asklepios the healer. As Asklepios’ following grew, so too did the town. Their medical centre became one of the most well-known in the classical world, attracting […]
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