This Day in History: June 24th

This Day In History: June 24, 1314 When the Scots met the English on the battlefield in 1314, they were heavily outnumbered, but after almost a decade of plundering and guerrilla warfare in Northern England, they were prepared to meet the enemy head-on. The Scots and the English had fought many, many times before, but this particular battle proved pivotal […]

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John Lennon’s First Girlfriend

Barbara Baker’s earliest recollections of John Lennon were of little John perching up in a tree and shooting arrows at her and all the other girls passing by.  Later, she also recalled encountering Lennon’s youthful “charm” one day as she was walking home, her hair done up in a ponytail. “Oh there’s horseface! Horse’s tail and horse’s face!”  He was […]

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The Flags on the Moon

Robert N. asks: What ever happened to the flags and other things left on the moon? On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 touched down on the moon. At 10:56 pm eastern standard time, Neil Armstrong accomplished another first. With the immortal words, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” (or something like that) Neil Armstrong […]

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Weekly Wrap Volume 44

This is a weekly wrap of our Daily Knowledge Newsletter. You can get that newsletter for free here. The Curious Case of Sun Sneezing Have you ever been in a dark place, say a movie theatre or a room with all the blinds close, and walked outside into the daylight when, all of a sudden, you begin to sneeze uncontrollably? […]

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Why Does Rhode Island Have “Island” in the Name When It is Not One?

Aaron asks: Why is Rhode Island called an island when it is not? Most think the history of Rhode Island starts with Roger Williams, but the state’s “discovery” (at least by Europeans) dates back about hundred years before that to approximately 1524 and the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (though he did most of his exploring in the name of […]

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Real Life Maelstroms

Where a unique combination of strong currents and geography meet, maelstroms, enormous and powerful areas of swirling water, dangerous currents and whirlpools, can be found across the globe. Although many form (and die) in a relatively short period of time in response to catastrophic events (like a tsunami), others have existed for centuries. Asia Naruto Found in the strait between […]

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This Day in History: June 19th

This Day In History: June 19, 1905 The first baby step toward red carpet galas and Brangelina was the introduction of the first nickelodeon theater on June 19, 1905 in Pittsburgh, PA. The nickelodeon, whose odd name was a combination of the five cent admission price and “odeon,” the Greek word for theater, became an instant smash. The idea began […]

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