Tag Archives: trivia

The Russian Olympic Team Arrived 12 Days Late to The 1908 London Olympics Because They Hadn’t Updated to Using the Gregorian Calendar

Text Version: In the 1500’s most Roman Catholic countries & Scotland adopted the Gregorian Calendar (established by Pope Gregory XIII to compensate for the errors in time that had built up over centuries) over the Julian Calendar (introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC) . A lot of protestant countries however, ignored this new calendar for another 200 or so […]

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Where The Term ‘Skid Row’ Came From

Text Version: The term “Skid Road” or “Skid Row”, a slang term for a run-down or dilapidated urban area,  was an actual road in Seattle, Washington during the late 1800’s.  The real name of the road was Yesler Way (now better known as Pioneer Square),  and it was the main street along which logs were transported.  It soon became a […]

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Chewing on The Bark of White Willow Tree Alleviates Fever and Pain

Text Version: Before aspirin was introduced, people would chew on the bark of the white willow tree to reduce fever and inflammation. White willow contains salicin, a chemical similar to acetylsalicylic acid  found in today’s aspirin. In fact, in the early 1800s salicin was used to make Aspirin. The tree has anti-inflammatory effects and although it may be slower acting, the effects […]

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Cheerleading Started As An All-Male Activity

  Text Version: Organized cheerleading started as an all-male activity. On the 2nd of November 1898, student Johnny Campbell of the University of Minnesota, directed a crowd at a football game into cheering “Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!”, making Campbell the very first cheerleader. From then, the University of Minnesota organized a “yell leader” squad […]

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Listerine Popularized the Phrase “Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride”

Text Version: The phrase “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride” first originated in a music tune by Fred W. Leigh which had a line in it stating, “Why Am I Always A Bridesmaid?”. However, the mouthwash brand Listerine is responsible for the phrase’s widespread popularity. In 1924, Listerine launched a series of advertisements with slogan “Often a bridesmaid, never a […]

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Black Pepper Was So Expensive In Ancient Times, It Was Used As Currency

Text Version: Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is commonly dried and used as a spice the world over. In earlier times, although pepper was widely well-known as a seasoning, it was very costly which only the affluent could afford. In fact, the Dutch even today use the expression “peperduur” in their language, meaning ‘pepper expensive’ for  something that is very expensive. […]

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What is a Kudo, as in “Kudos to You”?

Donna asks:  What is a “kudo”, exactly? First, it should be noted that “kudos” is not the plural form of “kudo”, so a “kudo” was once technically nothing. However, because so many people in the last century, mainly in the United States, have thought kudos was plural, in some dictionaries today “kudo” is considered a valid word meaning the same […]

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The Natural Color of Rubber is White

Rubber is made black by adding various chemicals, such as carbon black.  This isn’t just for cosmetic reasons, but because adding chemicals like carbon black to the rubber drastically increases desirable qualities of the rubber.  For instance, with tires, carbon black works as a reinforcing filler in rubber, which increases the durability and strength of the end product. Specifically, adding […]

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In Pinky and the Brain, Brain’s Name is an Acronym for “Biological Recombinant Algorithmic Intelligence Nexus”

##EMBED## In the cartoon “Pinky and the Brain”, Brain’s name is an acronym for “Biological Recombinant Algorithmic Intelligence Nexus”.  Pinky’s name is probably a reference to the fact that a “pinky” is another name for a baby mouse that has not yet grown fur.  However, in the cartoon itself, the name was given to Pinky when Brain was referring to […]

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