In this episode, you’re going to learn who really was the first to successfully circumnavigate the world. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Julia G. asks: Why do gas stations get to set their prices ending at 9/10ths of a cent, but nothing else is priced that way? The practice of pricing fuel with a fraction of a penny is thought to have started around the 1930s. While we can’t be sure who was the first to price fuel this way, it seems […]
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This Day In History: April 13, 1985 On April 13, 1985, “We are the World,” a song recorded by the Who’s Who of ‘80s music royalty billing themselves as “USA for Africa”, took the number one spot on Billboard’ Hot 100. The single was produced to provide relief for the victims of the devastating famine ravaging Ethiopia. It was the […]
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Our very good friends over at Neatorama are currently running a sale in their popular NeatoShop, including free world-wide shipping (yes, world-wide) on their awesome t-shirts. The sale ends tonight (Sunday) at 11:59pm. So if you’re looking to stock up on some T-shirts and other Neato stuff at a great price, go check it out now before the sale ends!
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Why “C” is the Default Hard Drive Letter in Many Computers For nearly as long as hard disk drives have been placed in personal computers running certain popular operating systems (notably MS-DOS/Windows), the primary hard disk has been designated with the […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about who invented margarine and what Napoleon III had to do with it. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Wrestling for honor and victory can be traced back to a least 4000 years ago, to the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia. The first great work of literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh, was written around 2100 BCE. In it, the two main characters Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and Enkidu, who was sent by the gods to challenge Gilgamesh over his appalling abuse […]
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This Day In History: April 10, 1866 “Mercy to animals means mercy to mankind” – Henry Bergh On April 10, 1866, one man became a hero for millions who could not advocate for themselves. Countless animals were saved from abuse, torture, and death when New York philanthropist Henry Bergh took up their cause and founded the American Society for the […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the little talked about exploding dogs of WWII. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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It is undisputed that Josh Gibson was the greatest position player in Negro League history. He could field, throw, catch, and most of all, he could hit. His power was legendary. It was claimed by Chicago American Giants infielder Jack Marshall that Gibson hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium in 1934, in the history of the stadium the only player […]
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Nancy P. asks: How were raisins made before seedless grapes? Leaving fruit to dry out in the sun is one of the oldest and easiest ways of preserving this variety of food- our ancestors being the type to never waste anything edible, even if it is sometimes past its prime (see: The History of French Toast). Not only did dried […]
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This Day In History: April 9, 1483 The War of the Roses between the House of York and the House of Lancaster over the English throne is no doubt one of the most notorious – and deadly – family feuds in human history. The participants were so self-serving and cold-hearted that the lives of two young boys were sacrificed to […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the origin of the phrase “once in a Blue Moon,” which originally didn’t mean what it means today. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge Podcast
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Ladybugs, sometimes known as Ladybirds and less commonly Lady Beetles, are a rarity in the insect world in that they’re one of the few creepy crawly insects we as a species don’t actively dislike, due to their habit of eating the things that destroy our crops. But just how did this little insect get such a strange name? To start, […]
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Mark S. asks: Why does brown sugar form lumps but regular sugar doesn’t? When we say the word “sugar”, it’s highly likely that the first image to pop into your head is that of the ultra-fine, pure white granulated kind you can buy in most supermarkets. But how does this kind of sugar differ from the less popular brown kind, […]
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This Day In History: April 8, 1820 On April 8, 1820, Oliver Voutier was digging on the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea with two French soldiers under his command at the site of an ancient Greek theater. He happened to see local farmer Yorgos Kentrotas stop and stare in awe while out gathering stones. The officer followed the […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about a relatively popular superhero from the 1960s who recharged his super powers by lighting up a smoke, as well as about many other “interesting” lesser known superheroes today. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: Daily Knowledge […]
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During WWI, when an Allied soldier wanted to read a map or letter at night, his choices were very limited- wait until it gets light, or risk exposing himself to enemy fire by firing up something like a bright lamp or lighter, if he had one. However, there was a seldom discussed third choice that was readily available- gather up […]
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