Vegetables in Alaska grow gigantic because they receive 20 hours of sunlight a day.
The USSR had a televised song contest. Since few people had phones…
The USSR had a televised song contest. Since few people had phones, viewers would turn their house lights ON if they liked a certain song (OFF if they didn’t). The state energy company recorded the size of each power spike and reported the results to the station to determine points for each contestant.
US police detectives have worn suits for more than 100…
US police detectives have worn suits for more than 100 years. Dressing formally is “psychological armor”$$ it “establishes a barrier between them and the messiness” of police work, says a psychologist.
If you leave lime juice on your hands on a sunny day, your…
If you leave lime juice on your hands on a sunny day, your skin can get second degree burns and be discolored for years… It’s called “margarita dermatitis” because people often get it while making margaritas outside.
During the Korean war, pilot James Risner chased a Russian…
During the Korean war, pilot James Risner chased a Russian MiG pilot back to his base in China and while flying between hangars and avoiding anti-aircraft fire, he shot it down into parked fighters.
In 1981, a pediatrician saved the life of a 3.2-pound premature baby…
In 1981, a pediatrician saved the life of a 3.2-pound premature baby boy by working around the clock to beat the odds & stabilize him. In 2011, the pediatrician was pinned inside a burning vehicle after a car collision, but was saved by the premature baby, who had grown up to become a paramedic.
In 1916, the Heinz Company poured its iconic number over…
In 1916, the Heinz Company poured its iconic number over other hillsides in California, notably overlooking the main rail line through South San Francisco. On a slope in the Baldwin Hills, where Moynier Lane curved among oil wells, and on another prominent slope near Culver City, “57” in giant concrete numbers reminded both motorists and […]
In the late 90’s, Coca-Cola tested vending machines that would…
In the late 90’s, Coca-Cola tested vending machines that would automatically change prices based on the temperature outside. The higher the temperature the higher the price.
In Paris in 1910, engineers had to freeze the Seine…
In Paris in 1910, engineers had to freeze the Seine river along 64 meters to dig the tunnel for the subway going underneath it.
Until 1616 coffee was essentially a monopoly run by Yemen…
Until 1616 coffee was essentially a monopoly run by Yemen. Merchants were forbidden to sell live coffee plants or seeds. That changed when Pieter van der Broecke, a Dutch merchant, stole coffee seeds and brought them back to Holland. 40 years later coffee had traveled as far as Sri Lanka.