Walter K. asks: Why are movie theaters allowed to make their concessions so expensive? In 1948, the Supreme Court ended the stranglehold Hollywood studios and distributors had on the U.S. movie market. Declaring the big eight a monopoly and ordering them to divest of their ownership of movie theaters and cease other non-competitive practices, with U.S. v. Paramount Pictures, et […]
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This Day In History: November 21, 1922 In November 1922, Georgia Governor Thomas Hardwick found himself in quite the quandary. He desperately wanted to run for the Senate seat left empty due to the death of Thomas Watson in September – but he had actively opposed the passage of the 19th amendment. Now that it was law, how could he […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn whether Ben Franklin really suggested what would become daylight saving time and some other interesting facts about DST. [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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Quick Fact 821: An Australian man, Don Ritchie, died in 2012 at the age of 86 from cancer. For the final 45 years of his life, he lived across the street from the most famous suicide spot in Australia, known as “The Gap,” an ocean cliff in eastern Sydney. During that time, Ritchie stopped at least 160 people (with the […]
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Today, we mostly think of the fax machine as an outdated piece of technology. While there are still some uses for it in an office-setting, technological advances are sending the fax machines to the same pasture as pagers, land-line telephones, and disposable cameras. Even if this is the last we hear of the beeps and bops that echo as an […]
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This Day In History: November 20, 1969 Most people remember Alcatraz Island off the California coast as the location of the country’s most notorious and isolated federal prison housing the most dangerous inmates. It closed in 1963, and the empty prison complex stood silently against the rocky, grey landscape. That is, until November 20, 1969, when a group of Native […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the fascinating tale of two major companies who had a dispute over a slogan, and how they decided, rather than to litigate, to duke it out the old fashioned way, with much fanfare along the way. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also […]
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Pat A. asks: Were Kamikaze pilots all just volunteers or how exactly did they get selected? During WWII, thousands of Japanese pilots made the ultimate sacrifice for their country by becoming, essentially, flying suicide bombers. But what was it that made these men so willing to lay down their lives in such a way? Were they really bright eyed volunteers […]
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This Day In History: November 19, 1990 There were red faces all around as the Grammy Award for best new artist was stripped from pop duo Milli Vanilli on November 19, 1990, when it was revealed that they hadn’t warbled a single note on the “Girl You Know It’s True” album. The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences explained […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about the humble beginnings of Stephen King’s career as a professional writer, and what Penthouse magazine had to do with it all. [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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This is a video from CGP Grey. If you’re a fan of TodayIFoundOut, I guarantee you’re going to love his YouTube channel, unless you just hate videos that is. (He also has an entertaining podcast, Hello Internet, with fellow popular YouTuber Brady Haran.) If you liked this video, you might also enjoy: How Long You Could Survive in Space Without […]
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This Day In History: November 18, 326 C.E. Ever since the apostle Peter was crucified in Rome during the reign of Nero in 65 C.E., Christians have venerated the spot where he was martyred and buried. Peter had only been dead a few decades when Pope Anacletus built an oratory over his tomb to honor the deceased saint. When Constantine […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about how the practice of christening ships with champagne got its start, as well as some interesting alternate christening procedures throughout 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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Mark U. asks: Why doesn’t sugar ever seem to go bad? Two foods are left out on the counter – fresh tomatoes and a bowl of sugar. Within a week or so, one will develop black spots and the other remains pristine, albeit perhaps a little clumpy depending on the humidity of the air. The reason? Osmosis. While microorganisms love […]
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Eddie C. asks: How do ducks and other birds keep their feet from getting frostbite in the winter? How a bird reacts to the cold depends on what kind of a bird it is and there are a variety of methods they use to keep their legs warm, from the mundane to the much more fascinating. For starters, many birds […]
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This Day In History: November 17, 1558 “A Faerie Land ruled by a Faerie Queene” – Longleat On November 17, 1558, the Lords of the Council rode from London to the palace of Hatfield on a mission of great importance. Sir Nicholas Throckmorton carried a ring belonging to Queen Mary as a token of proof for her younger half-sister Elizabeth […]
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This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Terrifying Fluffy Bunnies and The Little Albert Experiment The Little Albert Experiment was a study conducted back in 1920 by famed psychologist, “the father of behaviorism”, John B. Watson. It essentially involved conditioning a baby, identified only as “Albert. B” to […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about popular items people used before toilet paper began being sold commercially in the 20th century (yes, 20th), as well as a lot of interesting facts about the development of toilet paper. In the Bonus Facts, you’re also going to learn about the origins of the various names for rooms that contain toilets. […]
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