Did you know Uncle Sam may have been a real person?
“Uncle Sam” is the most common national personification of the U.S. government (his initials U.S. are the same as the abbreviation for the country’s name), typicall...
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Did you know that Christopher Columbus used a lunar eclipse to trick the Jamaican natives?
Christopher Columbus’s set off on his fourth and final voyage to America from Cadiz in 1502. Long sea voyages were at that time still highly dangerous undertakings,...
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Did you know the popular concept of the Great Wall of China was established by Europeans?
The Great Wall of China is the name given to a series of fortifications that runs from east to west along China’s northern border. Its purpose was to defend the country a...
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Do you know where the term “hot dog” originated from?
It is most likely that the custom of eating hot dogs was introduced to North America by German immigrants. The popularity of the food surged with the waves of immigrant w...
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Did you know all British tanks have been equipped with tea making facilities since the end of World War II?
Ever since the British Centurion MBT (main battle tank) was introduced in late 1945, all British tanks and most AFVs (armored fighting vehicles) have been equipped with t...
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Did you know of the Berners Street Hoax, one of the greatest practical jokes in history?
The Berners Street Hoax was thought up by Theodore Edward Hook, an English composer and novelist. The hoax is named after Berners Street in London, a quiet and peaceful s...
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Do you know who was the first actor to reject an Academy Award?
The 43rd Academy Awards were presented on 15 April 1971 in Los Angeles. It was on that occasion that George C. Scott became the first actor in history to reject an Academ...
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Did you know what was Napoleon’s most humiliating defeat?
While Napoleon’s most famous defeat was undoubtedly the one at Waterloo, his most humiliating one happened sometime sooner. Namely, in July 1807, while in high spir...
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