Over 50 percent of the world’s population relies on rice for 80 percent of it’s food requirements.
The Passemant astronomical clock…
The Passemant astronomical clock in Versailles has shown the correct date, time, moon phase, planetary alignment, etc (accounting for leap years ) from 1750 and can display through 9999.
In 1944, the US federal government….
In 1944, the US federal government slapped a heavy 30% tax on all food-serving venues (such as clubs) that featured dancing, leading to the downfall of swing music and dancing in America. It would not be repealed until the 1960s (though it was reduced a few years after implementation).
Bhutan charges a 200 USD tax…
Bhutan charges a 200 USD tax per night per tourist visiting the country.
In 2011, after being lost at sea for 33 days….
In 2011, after being lost at sea for 33 days, a man finally washed ashore in the Marshall Islands. He then discovered that his uncle, believed to have drowned at sea about 50 years earlier, had also wound up on the same island and started a family there.
Women used to dominate the beer industry…
Women used to dominate the beer industry but were forced out during the reformation as men spread rumors about them using witchcraft. Many brewed in secret in the woods after laws were passed prohibiting them from brewing. Much of the iconography of witches comes from this period.
For about ten years, ending in 1957…
For about ten years, ending in 1957, British television schedules had a gap from 6pm-7pm called the ‘Toddlers’ Truce’ where for an hour there was no programming so that parents could put the kiddies to bed.
Shelley Duvall was nominated in…
Shelley Duvall was nominated in the first Razzies for worst actress for her role in The Shining.
The American Revolution the…
The American Revolution the -ville suffix became popular in the names of new US settlements due to an increase of pro-French sentiments. After the Marque Lafayette visited the USA in 1824, many cities , towns and counties were name after him.
Vast volcanic eruptions may have…
Vast volcanic eruptions may have turned Venus from paradise (68 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit) into hell. The surface temperature is a sweltering 867 degrees Fahrenheit (464 degrees Celsius), hot enough to melt lead, and there’s a crushing pressure of 90 atmospheres underneath the dense clouds of carbon dioxide laced with corroding sulfuric acid. Venus is […]