This Day In History: August 19, 1504 One of the most blood-soaked battles in Irish medieval history took place on August 19, 1504, at Knockdoe, a hillock in County Galway. It would prove to be one of the last old-school medieval infantry battles in the region. At the same time, a couple of battle-field game-changers were implemented during this fight […]
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The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Once there was a man, a biographer noted, “more interested in words than people.” That turned out to be a great thing for BRI writers and other wordsmiths. It gave us a book that is of great use, utility, value, help, worth, and functionality. The List Maker Peter Mark Roget […]
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Much to the disappointment of millions of women the world over, Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969. Although John and Paul were fairly estranged by this point, both as Beatles and as writing partners, the former best mates still seemingly must have felt a twinge of sibling rivalry- the same rivalry that had contributed so greatly to […]
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This Day In History: August 18, 1227 On August 18, 1227, Genghis Khan, the legendary Mongol leader who ruled an empire of a scope seldom matched by anyone else in history, died in camp during a military campaign. The exact cause is unknown, but the 65-year-old was in failing health and it has been claimed (perhaps dubiously) that he may […]
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The year was 1954. A 19-year-old singer named Elvis Presley was just starting out, often singing on the then famous Louisiana Hayride radio program. He was a young, good-looking singer, but mostly minus the wriggling, shaking, and sneering that were to naturally develop over time. But it didn’t take long before teenage girls began to take notice of the budding […]
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This Day In History: August 17, 1893 “I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it.” – Mae West The original blonde bombshell, Mae West, was born on August 17, 1893. Mae grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was “Battlin’ Jack” West, a prizefighter and street brawler for hire. Her mother, Tillie, raised Mae and her […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. How Do They Get the “Ms” on “M&Ms”? Most of us have probably wondered how each M&M is so perfectly marked with that signature white m. The production of the candy that “melts in your mouth and not in your hand” […]
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In this week’s “best of” our YouTube channel, we discuss the structure used by Ancient Romans that made the now more famous Colosseum look tiny, the dung beetle and their ability to navigate using the stars, when the Sun will die, the truth about Marie Antoinette and “Let Them Eat Cake,” and that time Carl Sagan and co. put together […]
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Jeremy Bentham was born on February 15, 1748 in London, England. His father, a lawyer, believed Bentham would follow in his footsteps and enter the law profession. Due to his son’s very apparent intelligence, being something of an intellectual prodigy, he even had wild ambitions for Jeremy to ascend to the position of Lord Chancellor of England. And, indeed, Young Jeremy […]
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This Day In History: August 14, 1980 Everything happened so fast for the twenty-year-old beauty. She went from working at Dairy Queen at 17 to being Playmate of the Year shortly thereafter, then launching a promising acting career. At the same time, she was divorcing her abusive control freak husband in favor of getting engaged to an A-list Hollywood director. […]
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Emma K. asks: Is unobtanium a real substance? In the 2009 film, Avatar, the events of the film are set in motion by the desire to acquire a rare mineral of unfathomable value known simply as “unobtainium”. The unimaginative, seemingly lazy naming of this mysterious substance drew the ire and scorn of several critics, many of whom seemed blissfully unaware that aeronautical engineers […]
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This Day In History: August 13, 1913 On August 13, 1913, circus acrobat Otto Witte got one heck of a job promotion when he was crowned the King of Albania. At least, that’s the story. Born in 1872, Otto Witte had been a circus performer most of his life, starting as a lion-tamer at the age of eight. Aside from […]
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John asks: Are fireman’s poles really a thing or is that just something in TV and movies? Fireman’s poles, sometimes simply referred to as “fire poles” are a staple of fictional fire-fighting and Ghostbusting. Though these devices have helped save real world firefighters valuable seconds over the decades, they’re now in a strange state of flux and nobody really knows if they’re […]
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In this video from our new YouTube channel (click here to subscribe), we take a look at one of the greatest practical jokes of all time, which took place in London on November 27, 1809 and was the result of a bet between famed English author Theodore Hook and architect and writer Samuel Beazley.
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This Day In History: August 12, 1827 “Shall I call him artist or genius – or mystic – or madman? Probably he is all” – Henry Crabb Robinson One of the most influential figures to emerge during the Romantic Age, or any age, was William Blake. Poet, Printmaker, Painter, Mystic and Maverick, Blake has been a muse for countless artists, […]
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When it was released in 1960, Psycho was one of the most controversial films of the day, thanks in part to the surprising (for the time) depictions of violence and sexuality it contained. In an effort to keep spoilers to a minimum and thus ensure audiences were as surprised as possible by the film’s more shocking twists and scenes, Hitchcock went to some rather extreme […]
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This Day In History: August 11, 1965 On Wednesday, August 11, 1965, a routine traffic stop resulted in a drunk-driving arrest sparking six days of rioting in the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles. When it was all over, 34 people were dead, more than 1,000 had been injured, and nearly 4000 arrested. It all started when Los Angeles Highway Patrolman […]
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Jeff G. asks: How do they get the M on M&Ms without breaking it or missing any? Most of us have probably wondered how each M&M is so perfectly marked with that signature white m. The production of the candy that “melts in your mouth and not in your hand” includes many different steps. First, the chocolate concoction is made […]
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