This is a weekly wrap of our popular Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. Did English Speakers Really Not Use Contractions in the 19th Century as Depicted in True Grit? Contractions in some form of English date back to Old English (450 AD – 1150 AD), a language that bears little resemblance to our English […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the fascinating story of how Taco Bell evolved from a single hot dog stand to the multi-billion dollar company it is 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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Embed This Infographic [Source: Today I Found Out] For Part 1 of this series go here: 10 Bizarre Facts For Part 2 of this series go here: 10 Bizarre Facts (Part-2) For Part 3 of this series go here: 10 Bizarre Facts (Part-3) For Part 4 of this series go here: 10 Bizarre Facts (Part-4) For Part 5 of this […]
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This Day In History November 7, 1962 Long before former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt died on November 7, 1962, she made it perfectly clear she wished her funeral to be a quiet, no-frills affair. She requested a simple wooden coffin covered with pine boughs and asked that her passing not be announced until her memorial services had already been conducted. […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn about one of the greatest athletes of all time, an individual who played in Major League Baseball, the NFL, and won two Olympic Gold Medals, blowing the competition away in the grueling decathlon, during which he even once wore different sized shoes he found in a garbage bin at the Olympics. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t […]
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Keith H. asks: When the police and media report crowd sizes of a parade or something, what do they base their numbers on? Although the task of determining how many people attend something as large as say, a political rally or a protest may seem like a daunting, almost impossible undertaking to do with any accuracy, with some basic information, […]
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This Day In History: November 6, 1982 A 40 year-old woman named Shirley Allen from St. Charles Missouri was arrested on November 6, 1982 for the murder of her husband, Lloyd Allen, also 40. The murder weapon was ethylene glycol, commonly used in anti-freeze, which Mrs. Allen had been spiking her husband’s beverages with over the course of many months. […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn how a man struggling to support his family ultimately came up with, and started selling out of his basement, one of the most loved confectioneries in 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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In this video by Hank Green, he addresses the origin of the hashtag symbol and the many names it’s had over the years. If you like this video, be sure and subscribe to the Green brother’s YouTube channel here. If you liked this video, you might also enjoy: How “XOXO” Came to Mean “Hugs and Kisses” The Iconic “Live Long […]
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Simon W. asks: What causes canker sores? The symptoms of canker sores are well known. In their minor form, canker sores are small, rounded or ovate, white or yellow bumps with red edges that usually clear up within a week or so. Major canker sores are less well defined with irregular edges and can take weeks to heal – sometimes […]
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R. Lee asks: In Seven an obese man is made to stuff himself until his stomach bursts. Is this really possible? Wouldn’t you just naturally throw up? Although extremely rare, some people actually have ruptured their stomachs after eating too much, and, perhaps not surprisingly, many did not survive. When a stomach ruptures, the billions of bacteria that normally live […]
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This Day In History: November 5, 1862 In the aftermath of the Great Sioux Uprising, now more accurately referred to as the U.S. – Dakota War of 1862, over three hundred Sioux men were sentenced to death by hanging after a trial that can only be described as farcical at best. Specifically, out of the 392 prisoners put on trial, […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the truth about whether it’s ever a good idea to inject medicine directly into the heart as depicted in movies such as Pulp Fiction and The Rock. With the help of our medical expert author who specializes in emergency medicine and these types of situations, we’re also going to break down those famous […]
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Becky E. asks: Why do we call parents mom and dad? Calling our parents anything other than mom, dad or one of the many variations thereof is an almost alien concept to many (and in some cultures is considered downright rude). So why is it we refer to our parents in this way? Where did it come from and perhaps, […]
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This Day In History: November 4, 1842 On November 4, 1842, a struggling lawyer named Abraham Lincoln married the well-to-do Mary Todd, a Kentucky native like her new husband. The small wedding took place at the home of Mary’s sister in Springfield, Illinois. Mary Todd met Abraham Lincoln in late 1839, when she moved from her home in Lexington, Kentucky […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn the truth about whether any witches were really burned during the Salem Witch Trials, and what really started the witch hunt. [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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Developed from game theory and a key tactic of his early administration, President Richard Nixon came into office with a clear plan – scare the hell out of other world leaders to get them to do what he wanted. Called the “madman theory,” it depended on possessing a massive nuclear arsenal, then simply acting sufficiently erratic and unbalanced to convince […]
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Karl A. asks: In the movie True Grit, they don’t use contractions. Is it true that people back then didn’t use them? Won’t, don’t, wouldn’t, isn’t and even ain’t- where would we be without our contractions? Prevalent in spoken English and increasingly accepted in written pieces, contractions enable brevity and make written works more accessible and friendly. Contractions in some […]
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