Scott T. asks: Why are carved pumpkins called “Jack O’ Lanterns”? The name “Jack O’ Lantern” was originally one of the numerous names given to ignis fatuus (Medieval Latin for “foolish fire”), another of which is “Will O’ the Wisps”, basically the odd light that can occasionally be seen over marshes, swamps, and the like. (See: What Causes Will O’ […]
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Today I found out four of the five Marx brothers got their nicknames during a poker game. The famed Marx family comedy act was made up of Julius, Adolph, Leonard, Milton, and Herbert Marx. But to all of us who know and love this delightful comedy group, we know these five characters better as Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo, and Zeppo […]
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Myth: Mice love cheese and it makes a great bait for mouse traps. In fact, as any pest exterminator or pet shop owner knows, mice don’t really like cheese at all and they’ll even actively shy away from certain types of cheese (they have a very sensitive sense of smell and certain cheeses give off odors that are repulsive to […]
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Today I found out about a 16 year old sentenced to death who had to have that sentence carried out twice. The teenager was Willie Francis, the youngest of 13 children in a poor black family living in Louisiana. Francis supposedly murdered 53 year old pharmacist Andrew Thomas in St. Martinville, Louisiana in 1944. Thomas was found shot five times […]
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Today I Found Out has teamed up with Jeremiah Warren to show his awesome “trivia” related videos here, along with Bonus Facts included after the video by me. I hope you enjoy his videos as much as I have. Today I found out the History of Thomas Edison: Bonus Thomas Edison Facts: While Google’s company slogan is unofficially “Don’t Be […]
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Today I found out the origin of the phrase “blonde bombshell”. “Blonde bombshell” is often used to describe an exciting, dynamic, sexy woman with blonde hair, particularly blonde celebrity sex symbols. The expression seems to have come from, or at least was popularized by, a movie and originally referred to a specific blonde bombshell. In 1933, the platinum blonde Jean […]
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Today I found out about the Leonardo DiCaprio haircut that had the Taliban in a rage. Titanic was released in December of 1997. Many Hollywood insiders and naysayers predicted doom for the film. After all, it had cost a record $200 million to produce; the story had been told on film more than once; everyone already knew the ending; and […]
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S.Belsky asks: Where did the phrase “take a gander” come from? What the hell is a “gander” and why would I want to take it? As you are no doubt aware, but for those who aren’t familiar with the phrase, “take a gander” is an expression meaning “take a look”, “get a peek”, “check it out”, etc. It first popped […]
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Today I Found Out has teamed up with Jeremiah Warren to start showing his awesome “trivia” videos here, along with Bonus Facts included after the video by me. I hope you enjoy his videos as much as I have. Bonus Trivia Facts: “Trivium” in Latin, the plural of which is “trivia”, literally means “triple way”: “tri-” (triple) and “via” (way). […]
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As announced about two weeks ago when I posted the email subscription contest, I’m switching up the way email subscriptions are handled and today should be the last time the old email subscription system is used. If any of you that have subscribed suddenly stop getting your email subscription, please let me know and I’ll re-subscribe you, or you can […]
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Today I found out why doctors have men “turn their heads and cough” during a physical. Pretty much all guys have been there at some point or another. The doctor asks you to drop your drawers. They slap on their latex gloves, grab your junk, and ask you to turn your head and cough. One imagines this can’t exactly be […]
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Today I found out Mark Hamill currently holds the record for playing the Batman character of “Joker” longer than any other actor and in more spinoffs. “I’ve never seen him play the Joker”, you say? It’s because Mark Hamill has been doing the voice of the Joker on a variety of animated TV shows, movies, and video games for the […]
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You should know when to use “i.e.” and when to use “e.g.” Many people use these interchangeably, but as you look into what “i.e.” and “e.g.” actually mean, you start to see how they are distinct. Specifically, “i.e.” is an abbreviation for the Latin “id est”, more or less meaning “that is”. “E.g.”, on the other hand, is an abbreviation […]
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Today I found out the male White-fronted Parrot will vomit in the female’s mouth during their mating ritual White-fronted Parrots, also known as “White-fronted Amazons” or “Spectacled Amazon Parrots”, begin their mating season around February and it lasts through June or July. (Although, this varies based on region. In some regions, their breeding season doesn’t even start until November.) After […]
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Frank Hintz: What is the origin of the word “tip” (as in leaving a tip)? You may have heard that the few hundred year old definition of “tip”, as referring to gratuity, comes from “To Insure Promptness” or similar backronyms, but this isn’t correct. In fact, pretty much anytime you’ve ever heard of a word that originated before the 20th […]
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Today I found out the Beatles were once banned from playing in Israel until finally in 2008 a formal letter of apology was sent out to the two surviving members and certain relatives of the deceased members, including an invite for Paul and Ringo to come play at Israel’s 60th birthday bash. This may come as something of a surprise […]
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J.Kaus asks: Why are Grandfather clocks called Grandfather clocks? At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Think about it- when was the last time you saw a grandfather clock in the house of anyone under the age of 70? Grandfather clocks- with their long cases, pendulums, echoing chimes, and Roman numerals- seem to belong to the world of courting parlors, […]
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Today I found out it is possible for your muscles and other connective soft tissues to turn to bone. The condition is known as Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) or “Stone Man Syndrome”. It affects an estimated 1 out of every 2 million people beginning when they are children, and to date there is no cure. The telltale sign of someone […]
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