Page 259 – Today I Found Out

What Arwen is Saying (in English) After Crossing the River When Chased by the Ringwraiths in the Fellowship of the Ring

February 7, 2012 Daven Hiskey

In Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring, when Arwen defeats the Ringwraiths after crossing the river, the words she speaks in that scene translate into English thus: “Waters of the Misty Mountains, hear the word of power, rush, waters of Bruinen (Loudwater), against the Ringwraiths!” (Nîn o Chithaeglir lasto beth daer; rimmo nín Bruinen dan in Ulaer!) […]

Quick Facts

Where the Word “Taxi” Comes From

February 7, 2012 Daven Hiskey

The name “taxi” is obviously shortened from “taxicab”, which is derived from the two words: “taximeter” and “cabriolet”. The taximeter was invented in 1891 and is used to record distances and calculate the fare. Cabriolet refers to a horse drawn carriage where the driver stands in the back of the carriage. The name “taximeter” itself is derived from the Mid-Latin […]

Quick Facts

The Cincinnati Reds were Once Renamed the “Redlegs” Due to the Second Red Scare

February 6, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the Cincinnati Reds were once renamed the “Redlegs” due to the second “Red Scare”. The Cincinnati Reds name was originally inspired by a previously existing team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, which was the first fully professional baseball team. This former team had ten men on salary for eight months to play baseball for the Red Stockings. […]

February 4th: Mark Zuckerberg Launches Facebook

February 4, 2012 Daven Hiskey

This Day In History: February 4, 2004 On this day in history, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched a site called TheFacebook, that eventually became just “Facebook” after the company acquired the domain rights to facebook.com for $200,000 in 2005. The site was originally inspired by a project done by one of Mark Zuckerberg’s high school friends, Adam D’Angelo. D’Angelo had developed […]

How a Firefly Glows

February 3, 2012 Scott

Today I found out how a firefly glows. The glow from a firefly comes from the lower part of their abdomen. This “lantern” portion has an evolutionary gift in the form of bioluminescence. The light produced by a small layer of cells called photocytes is reflected off several layers of reflective cells and emits a greenish-yellow glow. Specifically, inside the […]

The Term “Scot Free” Does Not Come from the Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Case

February 2, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Myth: the term “scot free” has its origins from the Dred Scott v. Sandford U.S. Supreme Court Case. “Scot free”, also sometimes written “scotfree”, “scot-free” or, incorrectly, as “Scott free” actually pre-dates the Dred Scott Supreme Court ruling in 1857 by a very large margin (having been around since at least the 11th century). Another common misconception is that the […]

February 1: Alexander Selkirk is Rescued After Being Stranded on a Deserted Island for Four Years, This is Thought to Have Inspired Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe

February 1, 2012 Daven Hiskey

This Day In History: February 1, 1709 On this day in history, 1709, Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was finally rescued from a deserted island he inhabited for over four years. The island he found himself on was Más a Tierra, the largest island of the Juan Fernández group of islands, around 400 miles west of South America. Today the island […]

How Porcupines Mate

February 1, 2012 Scott

Today I found out how porcupines have sex….very carefully! Porcupines mate in a very bizarre way. They first begin their ludicrous lovemaking with some nose rubbing. If the female accepts the nose rubbing and, after the initial nose rubbing test, the female is still keen on the male, the male will then stand on its hind legs and the female […]

Why America was Named America

January 31, 2012 Scott

Today I found out how the Americas got their name. Like most, I’ve known that the Americas were named after Amerigo Vespucci since my early education. However, the story behind why this is the case is somewhat more interesting and quite a bit less well known. Vespucci was a navigator that traveled to “the new world” in 1499 and 1502. […]

10 Food Myths Dispelled

January 31, 2012 Noreen

Embed This Infographic: [Source: Today I Found Out]

January 30: President Andrew Jackson Beats Richard Lawrence with a Cane After Lawrence Attempted to Assassinate Jackson

January 30, 2012 Daven Hiskey

This Day In History: January 30, 1835 On this day in history, 1835, Richard Lawrence became the first known person to attempt to assassinate a U.S. President, attempting to fire two guns at Andrew Jackson at close range. His assassination attempt failed only because the guns he pointed at Jackson jammed when he pulled the trigger. Interestingly, when the guns […]

Why Cats Like Catnip

January 27, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out why cats like catnip. Catnip, which is a perennial herb in the mint family, contains a chemical called “nepetalactone” that is released when catnip is crushed. When cats get a whiff of nepetalactone, most will start rubbing themselves against it, playing around with it, sometimes eating it, and generally will act quite bizarrely. It is thought, […]

Mark Wahlberg was a Drug Dealer and was Charged with Attempted Murder Before Forming Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

January 26, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out Mark Wahlberg was a drug dealer and was tried for attempted murder before forming Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Wahlberg, born the youngest of nine children all living in a three bedroom apartment, dropped out of school around the age of fourteen and joined a gang. During this time, he was reportedly in trouble with […]

The Word “News” Does Not Derive from the Four Cardinal Directions (North, East, West, South)

January 26, 2012 Scott

Myth: the word “news” derives from the four cardinal directions. While this potential origin of the word news seems plausible enough, it isn’t true. The truth is, the word news can be traced back to late Middle English around the 14th century as a plural for the adjective “new” or “new thing”. This is a somewhat rare instance of an […]

January 24: James W. Marshall Discovers a Small Amount of Gold at Sutter’s Mill in California, Sparking the California Gold Rush

January 24, 2012 Daven Hiskey

This Day In History: January 24, 1848 On this day in history, 1848, James W. Marshall was checking on the progress made the night before in expanding a drainage channel at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California (which at the time was part of the Mexican territory, but just 9 days later would be ceded to the U.S.). Marshall was using […]

This Day in History

What Causes Arms, Legs, and Feet to “Fall Asleep”

January 24, 2012 Scott

Today I found out what causes limbs to “fall asleep”. Technically known as “paresthesia”, this syndrome is caused by the compression of specific nerves. When you sit cross-legged, sleep with your arm above your head, or position any limb in such a way to put excess pressure on a nerve, that nerve will stop sending impulses normally. Should the pressure […]

January 23rd: One of the Last Instances of a “Testimony of a Ghost” Being Given Credence to in a U.S. Court Trial Takes Place in the Murder of Elva Zona Heaster

January 23, 2012 Daven Hiskey

This Day In History: January 23, 1897 On this day in history, 1897, Elva Zona Heaster was found dead in her home, apparently from natural causes. Her body was discovered by a boy who had been sent to the home by her husband of only a few months, Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue (also called “Edward”). Shue had sent the boy […]

This Day in History

How Scars Form

January 23, 2012 Scott

Today I found out how scars form. One of the main components of skin is a protein called collagen. Skin collagen is primarily made from specialized cells called fibroblasts. After scab formation, fibroblasts that are hanging out under the surface of the skin will begin leaking into the clot just under the scab. Once the clot is sufficiently soaked with […]

« 1 … 257 258 259 260 261 … 305 »

	Daily Knowledge
	Weekly Wrap