Many poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes. During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, or sometimes gifts and distribute them the day ...Read more

The first vending machines in the US dispensed chewing gum and were installed in New York City train platforms in 1888.

An ordinary TNT bomb involves atomic reaction, and could be called an atomic bomb. What we call an A-bomb involves nuclear reactions and should be called a nuclear bomb.

A diamond will not dissolve in acid. The only thing that can destroy it is intense heat.

There are three sets of letters on the standard typewriter and computer keyboards which are in alphabetical order, reading left to right. They are f-g-h, j-k-l, and o-p.

"Hot cockles" was a popular game at Christmas in medieval times. It was a game in which the other players took turns striking the blindfolded player, who had to guess the name of the person delivering each blow. "Hot cockles" was still a Christmas pastime until the Victorian era.

TV veteran Andy Griffith never won an Emmy for his popular 1960's TV series "The Andy Griffith Show" or for his courtroom drama "Matlock," but comedy sidekick Don Knotts won five times for his supporting role on "The Andy Griffith Show" as Deputy Barney Fife. Even Frances Bavier won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ...Read more

In 1969, the Navy spent $375,000 on an "aerodynamic analysis of the self-suspended flare." The study's conclusion was that the frisbee was not feasible as military hardware.

In the early 1950s, Clint Eastwood signed a $75-a-week contract with Universal to do walk-ons in low-budget horror flicks like Revenge of the Creature. He was fired when studio executives decided his Adam's apple protruded too much for him to be star material. For some time, Eastwood took on odd jobs, such as digging swimming pools, to augment ...Read more

In ancient Rome bits of toast were floated in goblets of wine. There is a story that a wealthy man threw a lavish party in which the public bath was filled with wine. Beautiful young women were invited to swim in it. When asked his opinion of the wine, one guest responded: “I like it very much, but I prefer the toast.” (referring, presumably...Read more

The human body consists of about 60 trillion cells, and each cell has about 10,000 times as many molecules as the Milky Way has stars.

Someone who faces the glare of publicity may be said to be in the limelight. American chemist Robert Hare discovered that a blowpipe flame acting upon a block of calcium oxide - which is lime - produces a brilliant white light that could be used to illuminate theater stages.

Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile.

Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to ride in an automobile.

Verdi wrote the opera Aida at the request of the khedive of Egypt to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal.

Gray whales migrate 12,000 miles each year, farther than any other mammal.

Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages® first appeared on the market in 1921. However, the little red string that is used to tear open the package was not added until 1940.

Cicadas are well-known singers. The song is a mating call produced by the males only. Each species has its own distinctive call and only attracts females of its own kind, even though rather similar species may co-exist within the same territory. Cicadas are the only insects known to have developed such a specialized and effective means of ...Read more

There is no synonym for thesaurus. The word is from Greek and means “a treasure.”

The game of Monopoly is the best-selling board game in the world, licensed or sold in 80 countries and produced in 26 languages including Croatian.