The Great Arkansas Pearl Rush started in 1897 after a 14-grain pink pearl was found in the Black River near Black Rock, Arkansas. It lasted until 1905, but a button-making industry emerged that continued on to the 1940s by using mussel shells that had been discarded.
One of the proposed scientific…
One of the proposed scientific names of Neanderthals was Homo Stupidus.
The Japanese have been producing…
The Japanese have been producing wood for 700 years without cutting down trees. In the 14th century, the extraordinary daisugi technique was born in Japan. Pruning as a rule of art that allows the tree to grow and germinate while using its wood, without ever cutting it down.
One of the first things ever sold….
One of the first things ever sold online was pizza. PizzaNet, owned and operated by Pizza Hut, was created in 1994 and serviced Santa Cruz, California. It was one of the first few thousand on the web. The site is still running today.
Since 2009, the names of planets…
Since 2009, the names of planets from the Dune novels have been adopted for the real-world nomenclature of plains and other features on Saturn’s moon Titan, like Arrakis Planitia.
The American Hippo Bill was an attempt to introduce…
The American Hippo Bill was an attempt to introduce hippos into the bayous of Lousiana. Lawmaker argued the hippos would eat the invasive water hyacinth that was clogging the rivers and also produce meat to help solve the American meat predicament.
In Hungary in the 1940’s, while…
In Hungary in the 1940’s, while the country was experiencing the worst hyperinflation in recorded history, they issued a bank note with a denomination of 100 quintillion Hungarian pengős, which was worth approximately US $0.20.
In the 1970s, IKEA was expanding…
In the 1970s, IKEA was expanding so rapidly that German executives accidentally opened a store in Konstanz, approximately 200 miles (320 km) from their intended location of Koblenz.
After 35 years of age, the human…
After 35 years of age, the human brain shrinks in volume, starting at 0.2% a year and accelerating to over 0.5% a year by age 60. By age 90, the brain has lost on average 14% of its volume.
John Batman was the founder…
John Batman was the founder of the town that became Melbourne, Australia. And originally he called it “Batmania”. There’s even a street named after him: Batman Ave.