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Did you know...
edit31 July 2006
edit- 23:57, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Edinburgh University did not teach Scottish history until 1901, when a new professor, Peter Hume Brown (pictured), insisted that it was not revolutionary to study its national history?
- ...that the Canadian government rescued six U.S. diplomats during the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran in a covert operation named the Canadian caper?
- ...that a bridge-playing robot managed to defeat two reigning European bridge champions?
- ...that Indian revolutionary Manmath Nath Gupta was tried for participating in the Kakori train robbery but was not hanged because he was a teenager?
- ...that the National Library of Mexico has a 1498 edition of Dante's Divine Comedy?
- ...that Mount Burbidge in Namadgi National Park was named for Australian botanist Nancy Tyson Burbidge, who was instrumental in lobbying for the foundation of the park?
- 00:23, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Hartog Plate (pictured), a pewter plate, is the oldest-known artefact of European exploration in Australia?
- ...that Charles St. Clair was both a Scottish Peer and a York Herald of Arms, and was consequently able to attend the State Opening of Parliament in either capacity?
- ...that informal cricket games often replace the original cricket ball with a tape covered tennis ball known as the tape ball?
- ...that Obaysch became the first living hippopotamus in England since prehistoric times when he joined the London Zoo in 1850?
- ...that 9 of Indiana's 12 native bat species have been observed in the National Natural Landmark Wyandotte Caves?
- ...that the collectible miniatures game Gamoja involves twin character pieces that are either good or evil?
29 July 2006
edit- 23:14, 29 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that footprints have revealed clues about the activity of criminals and dinosaurs, and have also been the source of several myths and legends?
- ...that Baba Kanshi Ram wore only black clothes from 1931 to 1943 in support of Indian independence, which earned him the sobriquet of Siahposh General or General in Black?
- ...that the Battle of Wuhan was the largest ground battle of the Far East theatre of World War II?
- ...that the family Caponiidae is unique among spiders because its members usually have two eyes?
- ...that Calyute was an Indigenous Australian resistance leader who led a raid on Shenton’s Mill in Western Australia in 1834 for a half-tonne of flour?
- ...that Chindonya are elaborately-costumed Japanese street musicians who advertise for shops and other establishments?
- 11:44, 29 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Stockholms Enskilda Bank was one of Sweden's first private banks? (pictured is Alida Rossander, an early employee)?
- ...that akuaba are dolls, traditionally carried on the backs of Ghanian women who want to conceive?
- ...that YouthBank UK is a national grant scheme in the United Kingdom, operated completely by young people to provide financial support for community projects?
- ...that Zarafa was a giraffe presented to Charles X of France from Mehmet Ali Pasha, the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt in 1826, to encourage the King of France to end his support for the Greeks in their fight for independence?
- ...that virtual reality has been used to create three-dimensional simulated environments for rehabilitation?
- ...that Gordon K. Bush Airport was built to serve Ohio University and serves as the base for its department of aviation?
28 July 2006
edit- 20:32, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that juniper berries (pictured), the only spice to come from coniferous trees, were found in Tutankhamun's tomb?
- ...that New Australia was a utopian settlement founded in Paraguay in 1893 by former members of the Australian labour movement?
- ...that American Jackson Haines is considered the father of modern figure skating?
- ...that Kolachal, India was the location of a battle in 1741 where an Indian kingdom defeated a European naval force for possibly the first time in Indian history?
- ... that the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve in northern Ontario, Canada is the largest game preserve in the world?
- ...that Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India was a scientific text published in Goa in 1563 that included the first published verses by Luís de Camões, Portugal's national poet?
- 04:24, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Hansken the elephant (pictured) toured many European countries in the 17th century, performing feats of "intelligence", and was sketched by Rembrandt several times?
- ...that the National Art Gallery of Bulgaria occupies the Neo-Baroque 19th-century edifice of the former royal palace?
- ...that the 2004 Texas Longhorn football team made college football history by being the first team to ever win the Rose Bowl Game as time ran off the clock?
- ...that the British Army was the last major military to exclusively adopt a semi-automatic handgun (the Browning Hi-Power) as their service pistol, retaining the Webley Mk IV, Enfield No 2 Mk I, and Smith & Wesson "Victory" Model revolvers in official service until 1963?
- ... that hearing loss is a common occurrence in cases involving craniofacial syndromes?
- ...that Eastern National, a non-profit organization that started with only $147 of donations, created the national park passport stamp program, which has sold over 1.3 million copies since 1986?
27 July 2006
edit- 14:44, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Battle of Central Plains (prominent combatants pictured), fought in Republican China from 1929 to 1930, involved more than one million troops?
- ...that former Australian Olympic swimming coach Forbes Carlile is the only person to have coached and later competed at the Olympic Games?
- ...that drug-eluting stents are often coated with chemotherapy compounds, to prevent blockage by tissue when placed into arteries?
- ...that the 1960 Summer Olympics champion heavyweight weightlifter Yury Vlasov was a candidate in the Russian presidential election, 1996 but received only 0.02% of the vote?
- ...that Tropical Storm Bilis caused 625 deaths and $2.5 billion (2006 USD) in damage to the Philippines, mainland China, and Taiwan, making it the most damaging storm of the 2006 Pacific typhoon season so far?
- ...that the narrow, steep-sided Vall de Boí in Spain contains nine extant First Romanesque churches, making it the densest concentration of Romanesque architecture in Europe?
26 July 2006
edit- 14:24, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
- ... that the fish known as the snapper (Chrysophrys aurata; pictured) in Australia and New Zealand does not belong to the snapper family of tropical fish?
- ... that during the American Civil War, Pennsylvania provided over 360,000 soldiers who served in the Union Army, more than any other Northern state except New York?
- ...that the Pactum Warmundi established autonomous Venetian communes within the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem?
- ...that Dorothy was the longest-running musical stage production ever until the 20th century, with an initial run of 931 performances?
- ...that the wart-biter bush-cricket (Decticus verrucivorus) obtained both its English and scientific names from a Swedish practice of using the cricket to bite warts from the skin?
- ...that during the Siege of Florence, Michelangelo was placed in command of the city's fortification?
25 July 2006
edit- 23:47, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that bidding boxes (pictured), used as aids in contract bridge, have different versions for right-handed and left-handed people?
- ... that Christopher Maude Chavasse was an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, a Bishop of Rochester, and an Olympic athlete?
- ...that there has been criticism of Pokémon due to the similarity between the original Jynx character design and blackface images?
- ...that Clara the rhinoceros, the fifth living rhinoceros to be seen in Europe in modern times, became famous during a seventeen year tour of Europe from 1741 to 1758?
- ...that the dispute regarding the distribution of the Zira and Firozpur administrative districts to India was settled as part of an agreement between the governments of India and Pakistan in 1960, thirteen years after partition?
- 00:07, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the execution of Chunee the elephant (pictured) on 1 March 1826 became a cause célèbre, leading to the founding of the Zoological Society of London?
- ...that the first simulated patient was trained to act as if he had paraplegia and multiple sclerosis, in order to teach medical trainees?
- ...that life chances is a probabilistic concept introduced by sociologist Max Weber to determine the likely outcomes of an individual's life, on the basis of certain underlying factors?
- ...that Catherine the Great named the Pella Palace after the birthplace of Alexander the Great, hoping that it would become the favorite lodging of her own grandson Alexander?
- ... that España Boulevard, the main street of Sampaloc, Manila, is notorious for its waist-deep floods during the Philippine typhoon season?
- ...that Indian trade unionist Dutta Samant led an estimated 200,000 workers on a year-long strike in 1982, causing the exodus of the textile mill industry from Mumbai?
24 July 2006
edit- 13:06, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Polski Fiat 125p (pictured) was made by then Polish state-owned manufacturer FSO car factory under a license agreement with the Italian company Fiat?
- ...that Subroto Mukerjee, the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, died of choking in a Tokyo restaurant?
- ...that pretelescopic astronomy was practiced nearly two millennia prior to the introduction of the telescope?
- ...that Harriot Stanton Blatch helped revive the American women's suffrage movement in the early 20th century, by involving working class women?
- ...that University Park at MIT includes the building in which Fig Newtons were originally made?
- ...that at least 36 tropical cyclones have affected South America since 1588?
- ...that former Major League Baseball catcher Mackey Sasser was known for his difficulty throwing the ball back to the pitcher when he was behind the home plate?
23 July 2006
edit- 18:25, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Dürer's Rhinoceros (pictured), a woodcut of the first rhinoceros seen in Europe in a millennium, was created by Albrecht Dürer in 1515 without him ever seeing the animal itself?
- ...that Ram Shastri, a celebrated 18th-century judge in the Maratha Empire, created judicial history in India by sentencing the incumbent Peshwa (de facto ruler) to death on a charge of murder?
- ...that although the last game in the Battle Isle series was released in 2001, there is an open source project, Advanced Strategic Command, to recreate the series?
- ...that the Greeks introduced wine to Romania around 3,000 years ago?
- ...that The War Illustrated was a WWI magazine first published eighteen days after the United Kingdom declared war on Germany?
- ...that the Polish lake Morskie Oko was once called "Fish Lake" due to its natural stock of fish, which are uncommon in lakes and ponds of the Tatra Mountains?
- 02:42, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Tuggerah Lakes (pictured), located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, cover a total area of 77 square kilometres yet have an average depth of less than two metres?
- ...that Charles Gascoigne developed the carronade while manager of the Carron Company in Scotland, but emigrated to avoid his creditors and spent the last 20 years of his life organising the production of iron and cannon for the Russian Empire?
- ...that, at the pinnacle of its power, the Avar Khanate exacted tribute from the rulers of Azerbaijan and Georgia?
- ...that Dove Cottage was a home of the English poet William Wordsworth for 8½ years of "plain living, but high thinking"?
- ...that Jogendra Nath Mandal was a Hindu politician who served as the first Minister for Law and Labour of the Muslim state of Pakistan?
- ...that Dana International was the first transsexual to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 with the song "Diva"?
22 July 2006
edit- 19:03, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Boy Charlton (pictured) won gold in the 1500m freestyle at the 1924 Olympics despite his coach jumping overboard on the sea voyage to Europe?
- ...that due to legal restrictions, the first scheduled electric tram service in Saint Petersburg ran not on city streets, but rather on ice covering the Neva River during winter season?
- ...that John Fortescue attempted to restrict King James I's power by limiting the appointment of Scottish people, and as a result was dismissed from his position as Chancellor of the Exchequer?
- ...that the Communist Consolidation group was formed by Indian revolutionary prisoners at the Andaman Cellular Jail in 1935?
- ...that from the 6th to 12th centuries, a large part of Dagestan was dominated by the Christian kingdom of Sarir?
- ...that the first professional football team, The Zulus, was established in Sheffield, England in 1879?
21 July 2006
edit- 17:25, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that a National Weather Service bulletin for New Orleans, Louisiana, warned of "human suffering incredible by modern standards" before Hurricane Katrina's landfall?
- ...that although the Polish-Romanian Alliance, an important alliance of the 1920s, was still in force when the Second World War began, it had little impact on the German invasion of Poland in 1939?
- ...that the fossilised remains of lions have been found at Crook Peak in Somerset, England?
- ...that Captain Humbert Roque Versace was the first Army P.O.W. in Southeast Asia to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in captivity?
- ...that Paris has held six BIE-sanctioned world's expositions, but the most recent was in 1937?
- ...that the makers of Winston cigarettes responded to qualms about the incorrect grammar present in the ad campaign "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should" with a completely new campaign, noting the error?
20 July 2006
edit- 14:15, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that for nearly three centuries until 1956, the Burdwan Zamindari, one of the richest feudal estates in Bengal, was held by the same Punjabi family (family member pictured)?
- ...that the 1990 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships was the only World Championship to permit bodychecking in women's ice hockey?
- ...that the Dictionary of Western Australians and the related Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians are two biographical dictionaries which contain biographical details of over 20,000 individuals?
- ... that the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Zigong, Sichuan Province, China, established in 1987, was the first specialized dinosaur museum to open to the public in Asia?
- ... that the James J. Hill House in Saint Paul, Minnesota, built in 1891 by railroad magnate James J. Hill, has 36,000 square feet of living area and is the largest residence in Minnesota?
- 04:00, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that famed photographer of Native Americans Frank Rinehart used platinum emulsion instead of silver in photographs taken at the 1898 Omaha World's Fair to make the tonal range broader? (pictured: Hattie Tom, photograph by Frank Rinehart, 1898)
- ...that The Colgate Comedy Hour was a musical variety television show that ran on the NBC television network from November 1950 to December 1956, and was the first NTSC color television broadcast?
- ...that Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Bristol, contains the largest population of True Service-trees in England?
- ...that Silvestre S. Herrera is the only living person authorized to wear both the U.S. Medal of Honor and Mexico's equivalent "Premier Merito Militar"?
- ...that underwater panthers were creatures appearing in the mythology of a number of Native American traditions, which combined the features of mountain lions or lynx with those of snakes, and were believed to inhabit the deepest parts of lakes and rivers?
19 July 2006
edit- 09:29, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that David B. Barkley (pictured), who drowned in the Meuse River, France after completing a scouting mission behind enemy lines during World War I, was the U.S. Army's first Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient?
- ...that the dinosaur Lufengosaurus, whose remains were found in China, was the first dinosaur to appear on a commemorative postage stamp, in 1958?
- ...that, as a result of track switchbacks on either side of a mountain pass, all trains of the Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad crossed over the U.S. continental divide running backwards?
- ...that Wayne Boden, a Canadian serial killer and rapist, was the first man to be convicted with the help of forensic odontological evidence in North America?
- ...that Red Man, one of the leading U.S. brands of chewing tobacco, has been especially successful in marketing itself with rural sporting events?
18 July 2006
edit- 16:24, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 (VMU-2), a United States Marine Corps UAV squadron formed in June 1984, was the first Remotely Piloted Vehicle unit in the U.S. Armed Forces? (pictured: unit insignia)
- ...that Pisharoth Rama Pisharoty was an Indian meteorologist who was a pioneer of remote sensing technologies in India?
- ...that Eric Schopler's research into autism led to the foundation of the TEACCH program?
- ...that The Boke of Chyldren by Thomas Phaire, published in 1545, was the first book on paediatrics written in the English language?
- ...that Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is famous for his heavy French accent and even gives readings of French poetry at the museum?
- ...that Pachirisu is a fictitious Electric Squirrel Pokémon that can shock opponents?
- 00:45, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Vitebsk Rail Terminal in Saint Petersburg (pictured) contains a replica of the first train used in the Russian Empire?
- ...that Egushawa, principal chief of the Ottawas, was one of the most influential Native Americans of the Great Lakes region in the late eighteenth century?
- ...that the COMILOG Cableway, built to transport manganese ore mined in Gabon, was the world's longest cable car at over 75 km?
- ...that U.S. Army General James Harbord, who commanded the United States Marine Corps' 4th Marine Brigade at the Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I, was President of RCA in the 1920s when it formed NBC and RKO Pictures?
- ...that "Everybody Knows", a song by Leonard Cohen and collaborator Sharon Robinson was described as a "bleak prophecy about the end of the world as we know it"?
17 July 2006
edit- 10:54, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the natural history of Australia began over 2,500 million years ago when some of the world's oldest rocks formed the Yilgarn craton? (pictured)
- ...that Raymond Monvoisin was a French painter and Legion of Honor recipient invited by the Chilean government to establish an Academy of Painting in Santiago, and who also dabbled in mining and ranching?
- ...that Onesimos Nesib, who translated the Bible into Oromo, was accused of blasphemy for delivering sermons in his native language and not Amharic, the language of the local Orthodox priests?
- ...that, according to Guinness World Records, carbon subnitride burns with the hottest flame of any chemical, at 5260 K (4987 °C, 9008 °F)?
- ...that Roy Smeck's virtuoso ukulele performance in the 1926 sound film "His Pastimes" sealed his reputation as "Wizard of the Strings"?
16 July 2006
edit- 16:21, 16 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Fremantle Arts Centre (pictured) was originally known as the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum and was built between 1861 and 1868 by British convicts?
- ...that the Christii fly primarily lives under the bark of smaller branches and twigs of dead aspen trees?
- ...that Russian poet and dissident Vadim Delaunay was a descendant of the last governor of the Bastille, marquis Bernard-René de Launay?
- ...that the Banksia series Spicigerae is a taxonomic series of Banksia characterized by cylindrical inflorescences?
- ...that South African trade union legislation uses the term "conscientious objector" to refer to workers who do not want to join unions on the basis of personal beliefs?
- ...that Drei Chinesen mit dem Kontrabass is one of the most popular German children's songs?
- 04:31, 16 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the 18th-century Cabañas Hospital (pictured) in Guadalajara was built on one level, so as to facilitate the movement of the sick, the aged, and children?
- ...that in 1935, English cricketer Betty Snowball scored 189 runs against New Zealand in the fourth ever women's Test match, setting a world record that was not beaten for over 50 years?
- ...that during the Beslan school hostage crisis 74-year-old school teacher Yanis Kanidis refused to leave his students and ultimately died to save their lives?
- ...that the Christmas carol "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" was originally written as dance music for French nobility?
- ... that Lost and Found in Translation, an episode of Power Rangers: Dino Thunder, marks the first use of footage of Japanese Super Sentai actors in a Power Rangers series?
- ...that on arrival at Buckingham Palace, all 3,000 guests to the Children's Party at the Palace received a hamper with snacks put together by Jamie Oliver?
15 July 2006
edit- 15:40, 15 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Tortuguero National Park (pictured) is the third-most visited park in Costa Rica, despite the fact that it can only be reached by airplane or boat?
- ...that Nicole Manske of Speed Channel and auto racer Danica Patrick were on the same cheerleading squad at their high school in Rockton, Illinois?
- ...that Margherita Gonzaga d'Este ran her own balletto delle donne in the late 16th century, comprised entirely of women who frequently cross-dressed?
- ...that Hispanics have participated in every conflict in which the United States has been involved, and over forty Hispanics have been awarded the Medal of Honor?
- ...that Other Songs, an award winning novel by Jacek Dukaj, a Polish science fiction writer, describes a unique world in which the ideas of Aristotle and Hegel replace the laws of physics?
- ...that Olympic pair skating champions Andrée Brunet and Pierre Brunet refused to defend their title at the 1936 Winter Olympics because Nazi Germany was hosting the Games?
- 09:40, 15 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Lake Washington, the main reservoir for Newburgh, New York, holds enough water to supply the city for a year?
- ...that SS Rajputana, a P&O liner traveling between Plymouth, England and Lahore, British India, was converted into a cruiser and eventually sunk by a German U-boat west of Iceland?
- ...that at the end of his 13-match first class cricket career, John Howarth had a batting average of 0.00, setting a new world record and leading to him being dubbed one of cricket's worst batsmen?
- ...that although the presence of Armenians in Bulgaria dates to the Early Middle Ages, their large-scale emigration to the country only began in the 19th century?
- ...that P57, a steroidal glycoside isolated from the African cactiform Hoodia gordonii, is believed to be the active chemical constituent responsible for the appetite suppressant activity of Hoodia extracts?
- ...that some historians claim that Russian engineer Fyodor Pirotsky built the world's first electric tramway?
14 July 2006
edit- 01:52, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Monastery of Alcobaça, founded in 1153, includes the first Gothic buildings built in Portugal?
- ...that in 2003 Erin Crocker became the first woman to qualify for the Knoxville Nationals sprint car race?
- ...that in the Battle of Węgierska Górka, four unfinished and undermanned Polish bunkers held out against an assault of an entire German division for two days and two nights?
- ...that British paediatrician June Lloyd, Baroness Lloyd of Highbury is commemorated in the coat of arms of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, as a supporter holding a staff of Aesculapius entwined with a double helix rather than the traditional snake?
- ...that the Bangladesh Nazrul Sena, founded upon the philosophy of Kazi Nazrul Islam, pioneered the introduction of computer science and multimedia education for children at the kindergarten level in Bangladesh?
13 July 2006
edit- 08:48, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that on September 21, 1995, statues of the Hindu pantheon (Ganesha pictured) in countries around the world were reported to be drinking spoonfuls of milk offered to them by worshippers?
- ...that the pellets regurgitated by some predatory bird species have been found to contain bird bands once attached to their prey?
- ... that the WWE Video Library has an archive of over 75,000 hours of footage dating back more than fifty years, representing a very significant portion of the visual history of modern professional wrestling?
- ... that Luís Alves de Lima e Silva was a Brazilian military hero praised for his victories in the War of the Triple Alliance, and that his birthday is celebrated annually as Dia do Soldado?
12 July 2006
edit- 21:43, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Mafra National Palace (pictured) was built during the reign of King John V of Portugal, in consequence of a vow he made, promising to build a convent if his wife, the Queen Mary Anne of Austria, gave him descendants?
- ...that in 1883, Southern Pacific Railroad tried to block the California Southern Railroad from installing a level junction across their tracks in Colton, California, by moving a locomotive slowly back and forth at the intersection point?
- ...that after Harry Ashmore won the Pulitzer Prize in 1958, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus vetoed a resolution to rename Toad Suck Ferry to Ashmore Landing on the grounds that the name change would defame a well known landing?
- ...that the fish Echiodon rendahli has a portion of its intestine protruding from its belly, so that while living inside sponges it can defecate outside its shelter without being exposed to outside dangers?
- ...that Ogyu Sorai is considered to be one of the most influential Confucian philosophers in Japan during the Tokugawa period?
- 15:06, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Brownsea Island Scout camp held by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907 was the official start of the Scout movement and will be celebrated as part of the Scouting centenary in 2007?
- ...that there is a pattern to the names of the class of medications called "monoclonal antibodies"?
- ...that there have been at least fifteen deaths at the Welsh cave Porth yr Ogof in the last twenty years, all but one in the seven-metre-deep Resurgance Pool?
- ...that in musique mesurée Renaissance composers attempted to bring back the musical traditions of Ancient Greece through the use of ancient meters and musical modes?
- ...that by using measurements of the flux of solar neutrinos within the framework of the Standard Solar Model physicists have estimated the temperature of the core of the sun to within 1%?
- 07:44, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the monks of the Ross Errilly Friary (pictured) in Ireland were evicted six times in the span of 118 years, but kept moving back in?
- ...that Texas produces the most helium in the United States, all of which is won from the Cliffside gas field near Amarillo?
- ...that the 144 km long Salso River, named for its saline content, is the longest river in Sicily?
- ...that the CornerShot is a gun that can shoot around corners?
- ...that the American Meat Institute and the Federal Meat Inspection Act celebrate their hundredth anniversary this year?
- ...that The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault was a live television special in which Al Capone's secret vault was opened and shown to only contain a bottle of moonshine?
- ...that Piotr Włostowic, a 12th century voivode of the Kingdom of Poland, managed to break the alliance between Władysław II the Exile and Rus' princes while blinded, muted and exiled?
11 July 2006
edit- 21:19, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that supernumerary body parts can include fingers, toes, and ribs, or in some rare cases, additional sex organs or heads?
- ...that the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, New Jersey, is the only zoo in the world that has a pair of Malaysian "black dragon" monitor lizards on display?
- ...that the Worek Plan, a submarine operation by the Polish Navy in the early days of the Polish September Campaign, was a failure as the submarines did not manage to sink a single German vessel?
- ...that the Kiev tram was the first electric tramway in the Russian Empire, and the second one in Europe, after the Berlin Straßenbahn?
- ...that Saint Gilbert of Dornoch was the last Scot to appear in the Calendar of Saints?
- ...that the number of Jewish partisans during World War II exceeded 20,000?
- 08:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that cow fighting, unlike bull fighting, is a sport that does not have human participants but is fought between cows, and that it often does not include any physical contact?
- ...that Russian composer Boris Sobinov was abducted from the Berlin American Zone by the NKVD and condemned to ten years in prison in the Soviet Union?
- ...that Wogan Philipps was the only member of the Communist Party of Great Britain to sit in the House of Lords?
- ...that prior to the 1916 college football season, John R. Bender and Hall-of-Famer Zora G. Clevenger in effect traded jobs as head coach at Kansas State University and the University of Tennessee?
- ...that Ash Lawn-Highland, the former home of U.S. President James Monroe, has been transformed into a 535-acre working farm, museum, and site for the performing arts?
- ...that the Chamber of Nationalities is a now-defunct chamber of the bicameral parliament of Myanmar?
10 July 2006
edit- 19:11, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
- ... that Operation Dewey Canyon was the last major U.S. Marine Corps offensive of the Vietnam War?
- ...that Yuktibhasa, written by Indian astronomer Jyeshtadeva, is considered to be the first mathematical treatise on calculus?
- ...that the satirical German radio programme The Gerd Show reached no. 1 in Germany's 2002 Christmas single charts with a parody of "The Ketchup Song" which attacked Gerhard Schröder's tax policies?
- ...that the River Banksia (Banksia seminuda) was originally considered a subspecies of the Swamp Banksia (Banksia littoralis), as they share many similar characteristics?
- ...that homes in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Beverly Park average 20,000-30,000 ft², and that the homeowners association requires all dwellings to be larger than 5,000 ft²?
- ...that the Grodno Sejm of 1793, the last Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, passed the Second Partition of Poland with deputies bribed or coerced by the Russian Empire's army?
- 08:57, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that one architectural style of 18th-century Spanish Baroque was named after a candy made from egg whites and sugar?
- ... that That Summer Day is the first television drama for children about the bombings of the London public transport system on July 7, 2005?
- ...that the Florida mangroves are vital to an estimated 75 percent of the game fish and 90 percent of the commercial fish species in South Florida?
- ...that openly gay novelist Gordon Merrick's book The Lord Won't Mind spent 16 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list in 1970, at a time when most authors would not write about homosexual themes for a mass audience?
- ...that there is a long history of animals in sport, ranging from common horse racing and fox hunting events to the more unusual rabbit show jumping and camel wrestling competitions?
- ...that the T-18 tank, first produced in 1928, was the first tank designed and built in the Soviet Union, and that its design was based on the French Renault FT-17 of the First World War?
9 July 2006
edit- 20:29, 9 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Józef Kossakowski (pictured), bishop and writer, was one of several prominent Polish politicians sentenced to hanging as traitors in the aftermath of the Warsaw Uprising?
- ...that the Palmeral of Elche is the largest plantation of palm trees in Europe, with date palms covering over 3.5 square kilometres in and around the Spanish city of Elche?
- ...that loans made by Seattle brothel-owner Lou Graham saved some of the city's most prestigious families from bankruptcy after the Panic of 1893?
- ...that composer Veniamin Fleishman was killed early in WWII before he could complete his opera Rothschild's Violin, but that his teacher Dmitri Shostakovich rescued his sketches from besieged Leningrad, and completed the opera?
- ...that the Directive Principles in India, which are guidelines for the government while framing laws and policies, were inspired by the Irish nationalist movement?
- 09:55, 9 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that in the 1869 Battle of Hakodate in Japan, French soldiers fought side-by-side with rebel samurai against the newly formed Imperial government, in an episode reminiscent of the movie The Last Samurai?
- ... that William T. Perkins, Jr., a United States Marine who covered an exploding hand grenade with his body, is the only combat photographer to be awarded the Medal of Honor?
- ...that the starting point for the History of Australia is usually taken to be the first undisputed sighting of Australia by the Dutch in 1606, although many researchers alleged that other sightings took place a hundred years earlier?
- ...that administrative law in mainland China has been used unsuccessfully by Chinese dissidents to sue the Communist Party of China?
- ...that Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman, elected the first Lord Speaker of the House of Lords in 2006, was the first woman to give birth while serving as a British Member of Parliament in the 1970s, and is reported to have been the first woman to breast feed at the Palace of Westminster?
- ...that the Esopus Wars led to the creation of the boundaries of Native American lands in 17th century New York?
8 July 2006
edit- 20:13, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Polaris Music Prize is awarded annually to the best Canadian album, regardless of genre, sales, or record label?
- 12:01, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Cripple Creek miners' strike of 1894 is the only time in American history when a governor used the state militia to support rather than suppress a strike?
- ...that Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge supports the largest surviving population of the endangered Fender's blue Butterfly which feeds upon the threatened Kincaid's lupine?
- ...that Thai boxer Pongsaklek Wonjongkam holds the flyweight division records for fastest knockout (34 seconds) and consecutive title defenses (15)?
- ...that rainwater tanks may be made from polyethylene, concrete, or galvanised steel, but not from clear plastic, because it would allow in sunlight, leading to algal blooms?
- ...that the Abbey of Fontenay, near Dijon in France, was founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118 and is one of the oldest and most complete Cistercian abbeys in Europe?
7 July 2006
edit- 18:18, 7 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that Edith S. Sampson (pictured) was the first Black U.S. delegate to the United Nations and NATO?
- ...that the Canadian judicial decision Re Burley (1865), was made in colonial times, and is still cited by the Supreme Court of Canada in extradition cases over a century later?
- ...that the Presidential office of India operates from The Retreat at Mashobra in Himachal Pradesh, India at least once every year?
- ...that, in 2007, Joyland Amusement Park plans to install The Greezed Lightnin', a Schwarzkopf Shuttle Looper purchased from Astroworld in Houston, Texas?
- ... that French poet and novelist Louis Pergaud was a pacifist who was killed in action during World War I in 1915?
- ...that the alloy hepatizon was highly valuable in classical antiquity, and was named due to its similarity to the colour of liver?
- 07:13, 7 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the invention of the tone variator (pictured) in 1897 marked the advance beyond classical psychophysics, as it allowed the study of the perception of continuous changes in stimuli?
- ...that the first performance of Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar (1836) was conducted by Catterino Cavos, who composed an opera on the same subject 20 years before Glinka?
- ...that "Hippias Major", one of Plato's dialogues dating back to the 4th century BCE, employed the plot device we now refer to as a "cliffhanger"?
- ...that The Entrance Bridge was the site of a 1955 accident when the Number 11 Red Bus's brakes failed, whereupon it crashed through a wooden retaining wall and landed in The Entrance Channel?
- ...that Austrian figure skater Herma Szabo practiced on the first artificial ice rink ever made, and went on to win five world championships?
6 July 2006
edit- 20:57, 6 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Helophilus pendulus (pictured) is a European hoverfly, whose scientific name means "dangling swamp-lover"?
- ...that the Oklahoma Aquarium has the world's largest collection of antique fishing tackle, with over 20,000 pieces?
- ...that the Treaty of Viterbo transferred power over the Latin Empire from the last reigning monarch to the Angevin rulers of Sicily?
- ...that Perfect Imperfection, a 2004 science fiction novel by Polish writer Jacek Dukaj, raises the issues of technological singularity, transhumanism and the anthropic principle, and presents a unique model of human evolution?
- ...that Torre HSBC, home of the headquarters of HSBC Mexico, is expected to become the first building in Latin America to receive a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council?
- ...that Saco Bay on the Maine coast was named in 1525 by the Spanish cartographer Esteban Gómez for the resemblance of its southern pool to the outline of a sack?
- 00:58, 6 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that in 1831, Russian painter Yakov Kolokolnikov-Voronin (pictured) was deemed a "free artist" by the Imperial Academy of Arts?
- ...that Information International, Inc. (Triple-I) used the Super Foonly, the world's fastest PDP-10, to render 3D animation for the 1982 film Tron?
- ...that in the early 1900s, the Spruce Flats Bog in Forbes State Forest, Pennsylvania underwent a forced reversal from forest to bog, and is now slowly returning to a forest?
- ...that U.S. diplomat Norman Armour disguised himself as a Norwegian courier to help a Russian princess—his future wife—escape the country after the collapse of the Russian Empire?
- ...that parasocial interaction is a one-sided social relationship between the audience and the performers?
- ...that Japanese designer Kenzo Takada developed his love for fashion by reading his sisters' magazines as a child?
5 July 2006
edit- 19:01, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Persoonia longifolia (pictured), known as the Upright Snottygobble, is a species of tall shrub characterised by its distinctive flakey paper-like dark red bark?
- ...that during the German occupation of Luxembourg in World War I, over 1% of the Luxembourgian population died fighting for France, even though Luxembourg remained officially neutral?
- ...that in 1908 Nikolai Panin became Russia's first Olympic champion by winning the figure skating special figures event, the only year in which it was an Olympic event?
- ...that student development theories are tools used by scholars and teachers in understanding how students gain knowledge?
- ...that the Pernambucan Revolt of 1817 was a conflict to establish independence for the current Brazilian state of Pernambuco from Portugal?
- ...that West Liberty Foods provides Subway restaurant franchises with over one million pounds of meat per week?
- 12:37, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Newfoundland Tricolour (pictured), a popular but unofficial flag of Newfoundland and Labrador, is one of the oldest flags of North America, and the oldest flag in the world to use the color pink?
- ...that Henryk Iwański, member of Armia Krajowa Polish resistance in WWII, commanded several incursions into the Warsaw Ghetto in support of the Warsaw Ghetto fighters?
- ...that Lord Neaves, a judge on the supreme court of Scotland, was quoted by Darwin on evolution, but attributed the concept of evolution to Lord Monboddo, not Darwin?
- ...that Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens created the album Flamenco A Go-Go after seeing flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía play live, and that the album spans many genres including dance, flamenco, blues and rock?
- ...that several months after Vasili III of Russia divorced his wife, Solomonia Saburova, on account of her barrenness, she is believed to have given birth to a son, who became the Cossack robber Kudeyar?
- ...that, in the 1970s, Peter Rawlinson was expected to become the first Roman Catholic Lord Chancellor since Thomas More in 1532?
- 04:23, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
- ... that the analysis of the FSH-receptor (pictured) benefited from the work by Gilman and Rodbell for which they won the 1994 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology?
- ...that hollowed-out books have been used in bombings, for smuggling, and for covertly photographing people?
- ...that Celia Rosser, Australian botanical illustrator has the Banksia species Banksia rosserae and the cultivar Banksia canei 'Celia Rosser' named in her honour?
- ...that both Denmark and Spain have plans to change their succession laws from male primogeniture to equal primogeniture, leaving Luxembourg and the United Kingdom as the only monarchies in the European Union not to have equal primogeniture?
- ...that a Navy shower is a method of showering that conserves both water and energy?
- ...that the highest scoring word in Scrabble is OXYPHENBUTAZONE, which uses a bingo, and can theoretically score 1778 in one go?
4 July 2006
edit- 15:18, 4 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the Coastal Zone Color Scanner provided the first global view of phytoplankton concentrations? (pictured: scan of Tasmania)
- ...that the rulers of Yogyakarta brought female bedhaya dancers with them into battle?
- ...that Michał Boym was one of the first Westerners to explore China and an author of many scholarly publications about the Far East?
- ...that the Confederation of the Equator was a short-lived state established in northeastern Brazil during her struggle for independence from Portugal?
- ...that there have been several proposals for space advertising projects, including a giant, 1km² billboard visible from Earth?
- ...that during the Battle of Beecher Island in 1868, 51 U.S. soldiers held out against some 700 Arapaho Indians and their allies for 9 days, surviving on nothing but muddy water and meat from their own fallen horses?
2 July 2006
edit- 15:22, 2 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that total dissolved solids, a class of water pollutants, is useful as an indicator of aquatic biota health, yet harmful to the plumbing of aquaria and hot tubs? (pictured: water with dissolved solids)
- ...that the New Shepard is a commercial space tourism vehicle designed and assembled by Blue Origin which will start subscale flight testing in 2006?
- ... that NASCAR driver-turned-broadcaster Phil Parsons is the (16 years) younger brother of 1973 Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons?
- ...that the Palace of Tau in Reims, France, is named after its shape, which resembles the letter T (tau, in the Greek alphabet)?
- ...that Bennie Owen introduced the forward pass to the southwestern United States as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team?
- ...that an increasing number of countries are looking to regulate fast food advertising to try to reduce childhood obesity?
1 July 2006
edit- 15:03, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that the U.S.-built Lynx reconnaissance vehicle (pictured) was rejected in favor of the M114 by the U.S Army, but sold to the Royal Netherlands Army and the Canadian Forces?
- ...that the symphony said to have been written in 1809 by Ukrainian landowner Mykola Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky was later proven to be a hoax?
- ...that a total of 19 tropical cyclones worldwide have been named Alice, making this one of the three most frequently used tropical cyclone names?
- ...that Anthony Marreco was Junior Counsel in the British Delegation at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, and was later a founding director of Amnesty International?
- ...that Church Hill Tunnel in Richmond, Virginia contains a steam locomotive and ten flat cars trapped in a collapse in October 1925 which were never recovered?
- 14:25, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...that habitual con artist Amy Bock impersonated a man in early-20th century New Zealand in order to marry and defraud her landlady's daughter?