This Day In History: July 15, 1500 It’s a rare wedding that goes off without a single hitch, be it big or small. But few, if any, can rival the nuptials-turned-massacre of Astorre Baglioni and Lavinia Colonna on July 15, 1500 in Peruglia, Italy. In Peruglia, civic unrest was the name of the game in the 14th century. There was […]
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In the world of physics the name F.D.C. Willard is simultaneously treated with both reverence and derision. On one hand, he co-authored an often cited paper on low temperature physics at age 7 and was the sole author of another entire paper on the subject in French just a few years later at age 12. On the other hand, he […]
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This Day In History: July 14, 1966 Carrying a revolver and a knife, a 24-year-old drifter named Richard Speck, who had numerous run-ins with the law to his name already despite his young age, broke into a townhouse that functioned as a girls’ dormitory on Chicago’s southeast side. Reeking of alcohol, he ordered six student nurses living in the building […]
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In this video from our new YouTube channel, we look at the fascinating story behind how Pluto got its name. If you liked this video, you might also enjoy: Why Superheroes Wear Their Underwear on the Outside The Surprisingly Long Time You Could Survive in Space Without a Space Suit The Interesting Origins of the Word Geek and Nerd Why […]
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The following is an article from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Belly up to the Bar In 1946 a 10-inch, black-and-white RCA television set cost $400. Today, that’s about $4500, enough to buy a few very large flat screen TVs and Blu-Ray players. Most post-World War II Americans wanted to own a TV, but few could afford it. Besides, there weren’t […]
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Alex B. asks: Why are farts flammable? Contrary to popular belief, it’s probably not methane leaking from behind that reckless “bros” light on fire (known as pyroflatulence); rather, it’s most likely primarily hydrogen. In a typical, healthy body, human farts are comprised primarily of hydrogen, nitrogen, some carbon dioxide and potentially a small amount of methane and oxygen. These farts […]
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This Day In History: July 13, 1793 Charlotte Corday hailed from Normandy where her family was part of the minor nobility. Despite her (slightly) blue blood, she supported the Revolution and backed the Gironde, a group of moderate republicans who advocated a constitutional government. She believed their reasoned approach would enable France to avoid all-out civil war and save the […]
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Hatshepsut was the eldest of two daughters born to Egyptian King Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose Nefertari. Her younger sister died in infancy, meaning twelve year old Hatshepsut was Thutmose I’s only surviving child from his marriage to the queen. However Thutmose I, like other Egyptian pharaohs, maintained secondary wives also known as harem wives. Any sons born from those […]
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This Day In History: July 10, 1925 In the midst of a circus-like atmosphere on July 10, 1925, a young science teacher named John Scopes went on trial for teaching evolution in a Tennessee classroom. Four months earlier a law had been passed that made it a misdemeanor offense to “teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine […]
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In this video from MinuteEarth, they discuss why humans age and how certain other creatures avoid this. If you like TodayIFoundOut, odds are you’ll also greatly enjoy their videos. So go check them out and subscribe to their channel here. You can also join us in supporting their efforts to make more videos like this by donating via their Patreon […]
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“We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold.” This is the opening line from the highly acclaimed roman à clef Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream written by Hunter S. Thompson, one of America’s most countercultural and anti-authoritarian writers. The […]
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This Day In History: July 9, 1893 An important step in medicine occurred as the result of one James Cornish getting stabbed in the chest on July 9, 1893. His physician, an African-American doctor from Chicago named Daniel Hale Williams, performed the second successful operation on the pericardium (the lining around his heart). Dr. Williams was born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania […]
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In this week’s “best of” our YouTube channel, we discuss why we get ice cream headaches, why engines are commonly measured in horsepower, what causes hiccups, what the Hokey Pokey is all about, and the Rockstar with a PhD. Be sure and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for many more videos like this. What Causes Ice Cream Headaches Why Engines […]
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When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first began writing Sherlock Holmes stories back in the late 19th century, 221B Baker Street didn’t exist. While Baker Street itself existed, and still exists today, the numbers on the street back when Doyle wrote the Sherlock Holmes novels and when Holmes was supposed to reside there (1881 to 1904 according to Doyle’s original stories) […]
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This Day In History: July 8, 1776 Like many beloved tales of early Americana, such as Betsy Ross creating the flag, the Declaration of Independence being signed on July 4th (it was actually about a month later), and Paul Revere doing that midnight ride as a solo act, the tale of the Liberty Bell ringing to mark the first reading […]
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Our very good friends over at Neatorama are currently running a big sale offering their awesome T-shirts for up to 20% off with free worldwide shipping on orders of $75 and up. The sale ends soon (this Saturday), so if you’re looking to stock up on some great T-shirts for the summer at a great price, go check it out […]
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Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta is arguably one of the most famous men in the history of Mexico and yet, rather paradoxically, there are few people who know his name and even fewer who know his face. This is because for almost five decades Huerta was known to the public only as a silver faced luchadore called El Santo. And in that time, […]
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Diane F. asks: Who started the tradition of girls jumping out of cakes? Almost everyone has seen depicted the bizarre bachelor party tradition of a scantily-clad woman jumping out of a giant cake. It turns up most often in decades-old films, TV shows, and comics, but it still persists today at lavish Vegas shindigs—though the cakes are now usually made […]
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