You may have been taught that the number 1 is a prime number, but Dr. James Grime and Brady Haran from Numberphile are here to show you why this isn’t the case. For more great videos like this, be sure to subscribe to Numberphile here. Also, don’t forget to check out TodayIFoundOut’s YouTube channel here, which very soon will start […]
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Ian K. asks: Why are taxes due on April 15th? As Ben Franklin wrote in a 1789 letter to Baptiste Leroy, “… in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Depending on your belief in vampires, this is most certainly true. But did you know that income taxes in the United States didn’t exist […]
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This Day In History: July 23, 1918 On July 23, 1918, an infant named Viola Cooper died from unexplained causes, and during the next several years there were several more unexplained deaths in Dannebrog, Howard County, Nebraska. Many of the deceased were children, though one was an elderly woman and another was a young man. All of the victims had […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn the story behind London’s famous “Big Ben,” and why what most people think of as “Big Ben” isn’t actually what holds that name. [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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Very few people and even fewer brands have managed to become synonymous with pop culture in the 20th century. But in the last few decades, Nike has become a Titan of the sporting world, as well as part of the daily lives of millions of people everywhere. But during the 1960s, it was Germany’s Adidas and Puma sneakers that dominated […]
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Gloria N. asks: Why is the stereotype to give apples to teachers? Widespread publicly funded, mandatory education has only been around since about the 19th century. Before then, the responsibility of providing schooling to children fell primarily on their families. Upper- and middle-class families tended to hire tutors or send their children to a private school run by a schoolmaster. […]
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This Day In History July 22, 1991 “I have to question whether there is an evil force in the world and whether or not I have been influenced by it. Although I am not sure if there is a God or if there is a Devil, I know that as of lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about […]
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In this episode, you’re going to learn how storks came to be associated with newborn babies. [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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Jared L. asks: Why aren’t there apostrophes in the Don’t Walk signs by street intersections when it’s spelled out rather than using pictures? No one is sure when exactly the first WALK/DONT WALK style signs were installed. Even the Federal Highway Administration isn’t sure, though it is thought that the first such sign was likely installed sometime in the early to […]
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Cailin asks: What happened to Jefferson Davis after the Civil War? Jefferson Davis was attending a Sunday church service in the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, when he heard the news. Union General Ulysses S. Grant had broken General Robert E. Lee’s defenses in Petersburg, less than twenty five miles from Richmond. By nightfall, the evacuation of Richmond needed […]
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This Day In History: July 21, 356 BCE On July 21, 356 B.C.E., a man named Herostratus deliberately set fire to the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in modern-day Turkey, a beloved architectural marvel that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Herostratus did not try to evade capture for his heinous act, rather he openly bragged […]
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In this weekend why episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn why it is that doctors have men turn their heads and cough during physicals, and just what exactly they are checking for in that particular test. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going here: […]
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In this weekend why episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn the fascinating story behind why Grandfather Clocks are called that. [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 weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The “Witch of Wall Street” Long before the likes of Warren Buffet, Hetty Green dominated Wall Street through extremely shrewd investing, frugality, and exploiting the lax investment rules of her age, managing to amass one of the greatest fortunes in history. Hetty, […]
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In this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn why seaweed is an essential ingredient of most types of ice cream. You’re also going to learn about a lot of other common household items that also contain seaweed. [TRANSCRIPT] Don’t miss future episodes of this podcast, subscribe here: iTunes | RSS/XML You can also find more episodes by going […]
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Today I found out about a man who saved over two million lives just by donating his somewhat unique blood plasma. Australian James Harrison is called “the man with the golden arm” due to the unusual composition of his blood. Harrison’s blood contains an antibody called Rho(D) Immune Globulin that is used to treat Rhesus disease, a severe form of […]
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While just about everybody’s heard of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, there was a lesser known third co-founder of Apple, Ronald Wayne. Among other things, Wayne designed the first Apple logo. Unfortunately for him, starting such a business was a risk given that he’d be liable for any debt accrued by the company at the time. This was less of […]
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This Day In History July 18, 1984 On July 18, 1984, 21 people lost their lives and another 19 were injured when James Oliver Huberty went on a shooting rampage in a McDonald’s just outside of San Diego, California. Huberty kept shooting for 77 minutes until a sniper’s bullet pierced his heart and killed him. James Oliver Huberty brought his […]
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