Today I found out why sideburns are named as they are. It turns out, despite this particular brand of facial hair style being around as far back as at least 100 BC (with one of the earliest known instances being in a mosaic of Alexander the Great), sideburns were named after a specific man in the late 19th century. The […]
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This is a guest post by List25.com for more interesting lists, subscribe to their newsletter here. Lego: In 1934, Danish carpenter Ol Kirk Kristiansen, the founder of what we now know of as Lego®, asked his staff to come up with a good name for his growing toy company. The two names that ended up being finalists were “Legio” and […]
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The Beatles arrived in Manila to give two concerts in early July of 1966. This was to be one of their gigs on their 1966 final-ever tour; they had just finished a few very pleasant gigs in Germany. There were “bad vibes” almost from the word “go” as the boys arrived at the Manila airport. Ringo: “I hated the Philippines. […]
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Myth: Caffeine will stunt your growth We all remember being 12 years old and seeing your mom guzzling down her 3rd cup of coffee and really wanting some. When we asked if we could have a cup, the response was always the same: “No, caffeine will stunt your growth…” As if being tall was a necessary element in survival! It […]
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Embed This Infographic [Source: Today I Found Out] [Some images used in the infographic via Shutterstock] For Part 1 of this series go here: 10 Totally Random Interesting Facts For Part 2 of this series go here: 10 Totally Random Interesting Facts (Part-2)
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J.K. asks: Why are the seasons called winter, spring, summer, and fall? “Winter” derives from the Proto-Germanic *wentruz, meaning winter. This in turn probably comes from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *wed, meaning “wet”. Alternatively, it may come from the PIE *wind-, meaning “white”. Either way, the Proto-Germanic *wentruz gave rise to the Old English “winter” as the fourth season of the […]
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Embed This Infographic Source: Today I found out [Some images used in the infographic via Shutterstock] Text Version: 1. Bowerbirds: When looking for a mate, bowerbirds (found in northern parts of Australia) put in a little more sophistication and effort into the process unlike a lot of other animals. Their women have a rather unique taste in interior decoration (of […]
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Embed This Infographic Source: Today I found out [Some images used in the infographic via Shutterstock] Text Version: 1. Flatworms: Like most aquatic invertebrates, flatworms are hermaphrodites, which means they have reproductive organs of both genders- male and female. So they determine who’s going to be which gender, with a good old fashioned fight. When it comes to their dagger-like […]
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Today I Found Out has teamed up with Jeremiah Warren to show his awesome “trivia” related videos here. I hope you enjoy his videos as much as I have. Bonus George Washington Facts: George Washington was taphephobic (irrationally terrified of being buried alive). On his death bed, he told his attendants “I am just going. Have me decently buried and […]
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Joseph Samuels (some sources list his surname as “Samuel”) was an English criminal, born in 1780. After being arrested for robbery at the age of 15, Samuels was eventually convicted and shipped to Australia in 1801. At the time, Australia had a penal colony at Sydney Cove. Security in these early penal settlements was reinforced by the isolation of the […]
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1) Heaviest President in U.S. History: The the 27th President of the United States, President William Howard Taft (serving from 1909 to 1913) was the heaviest President in U.S. history. He was 5’11″ tall and weighed 290 pounds. Not only was he the heaviest, he was also the last President to regularly sport facial hair. In 1921, Taft became the […]
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Matt asks: Why does salt raise blood pressure? Well, Matt, it turns out a high sodium diet might not raise blood pressure, nor have any sort of adverse effect on cardiovascular health at all. But I’ll cover the theory on why salt raises blood pressure below- just realize it is just a theory and one not backed up by much […]
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Myth: The way a soldier’s horse is portrayed in an equestrian statue indicates how the soldier died. This myth, perpetuated by many a tourist guide the world over, simply isn’t true. (Not unlike how tourist guides around the equator will often tell you that what hemisphere you’re in effects the way the water swirls down the toilet or drain. They’ll […]
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Embed This Infographic Source: Today I found out [Some images used in the infographic via Shutterstock] For another intesting Valentine’s Day Infographic see: History of Valentine’s Day & Other Interesting Facts Text Version: 1. Japan: In this part of the World, it’s all about spoiling your man on Valentine’s day and not the other way around like in most Western […]
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(Editor’s note: this is a continuation of the “Top 5 First Aid Tricks Everyone Should Know” series written by our resident paramedic/firefighter, Scott. For the other parts of this series: Part 1: Direct Pressure; Part 2: Temperature Control; Part 3: Recovery Position; Part 4: CPR) First Aid Trick #1 Defibrillation. Unlike the other items on this list, this one requires […]
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Embed This Infographic [Source: Today I Found Out] For more Language Facts see: 10 Common Word & Pronunciation Mistakes 10 Interesting Word & Phrase Facts 10 More Interesting Words & Phrases Facts The Origins of 10 Words & Phrases 10 Interesting Language Facts
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Gracen asks: How did the tradition of predicting weather by checking to see if a rodent did or didn’t see their shadow get its start? Like so many holiday traditions, the origins and progression of Groundhog Day to what we think of it today as are a bit murky. However, we’ll try to shed some light on the subject, starting […]
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In my profession as a paramedic / firefighter one question repeatedly gets asked of me- “What are some simple first aid tricks to know in case of an emergency?” As such, I thought it would be a good idea to do a little article series on the subject. This will be a 5 part series published throughout this week on […]
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