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FACT-OF-THE-DAY ARCHIVE
"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
- Marcus Aurelius

JUN 2012


Previous Archives

DATEFACT OF THE DAY
6/1/12     Chateaubrian is a cut of beef from the center of the tenderloin, about 6 to 8 inches in length, that is usually cooked whole and then sliced into servings. The chateaubriand is the most tender part of the tenderloin. The meat is either broiled or grilled and is often served with a Bearnaise sauce. This dish was named for Francois Rene, Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848), French writer and statesman.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/2/12     In 1998, Sergey Brin and Larry Page incorporated the Internet search engine company Google in Menlo Park, California. Although still in beta, Google.com was getting 10,000 queries a day at that time. Within a year, the company was doing three million searches a day.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/3/12     Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a professional while playing for Baltimore in the International League, a minor-league team sold later that season to the Boston Red Sox. He also pitched a one-hit shutout that day (September 5, 1914). In 1918, however, because of his powerful hitting, he began to play the outfield in order to bat in every game.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/4/12     Popcorn is a special variety of dried corn that contains a high moisture content. About 14% of the composition of the kernel is water, which creates steam when the kernel is heated. This causes the popcorn kernels to explode and pop open because the steam cannot escape. Popcorn is typically available in white or yellow varieties. Yellow popcorn has a golden tint and is larger in size, while white popcorn is smaller in size, both as unpopped kernels and when popped. When it pops, it has expanded to a volume 40 or 50 times its original size.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/5/12     For a short time, starting on September 13, 1788, New York City was the location of the new U.S. government, in place of Philadelphia. In 1790, the capital moved back to Philadelphia for 10 years before moving permanently to Washington, DC.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/6/12     On September 18, 1793, President George Washington laid the Capitol cornerstone at Washington, DC, in a Masonic ceremony. That event was the first and last recorded occasion at which the stone with its engraved silver plate was seen. In 1958, during the extension of the east front of the Capitol, an unsuccessful effort was made to find it.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/7/12     Mexico is located in one of the Earth's most dynamic tectonic areas. It is a part of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' a region of active volcanism and frequent seismic activity. Towering peaks, such as Citlaltepetl (also called Orizaba; 18,701 feet) and Popocatepetl (17,883 feet), are extremely young in geologic terms (late Tertiary) and are examples of the volcanic forces that built much of the central and southern parts of the country. - Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/8/12     Confucius (551-479 BC) was a famous philosopher and teacher who lived in China nearly 2,500 years ago. His teachings were based on treating others in the same way as you treat yourself. He believed that peace and harmony are achieved by avoiding drastic action or wild thinking. He taught wisdom, love, courage, care, respect, and unselfishness.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/9/12     'The Tonight Show' premiered on September 27, 1954 with Steve Allen as host (until 1957) and he introduced the format of the show: an opening monologue, games or segments for the studio audience, and then the interview on the simple desk-and-couch set. Jack Paar hosted from 1957-1962 and Johnny Carson reigned as the king of its comedy from 1962-1992. Comedian Jay Leno is its current host.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/10/12     Apple is one of the oldest English words and first referred to fruit in general. It belongs to the genus Malus (about 25 species) of the family Rosaceae and is the most widely cultivated tree fruit. Apple varieties, of which there are thousands, fall into three broad classes: cider varieties, cooking varieties, and dessert varieties.- Provided by The World Almanac 2012
6/11/12     Hollywood's first and arguably best canine superstar was Rin Tin Tin, a five-day-old German Shepherd found wounded in battle in WWI France and adopted by an American soldier, Lee Duncan. He would sign his own contracts with his paw print. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/12/12     Research suggests that having an older father may increase a child's risk of autism. Children born to men 40 years old or older were almost six times more likely to have an autism spectrum disorder than those born to men younger than 30 years old. Maternal age seems to have little effect on autism risk. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/13/12     Even before the 2010 earthquake, only 54% of Haitians had access to sanitation facilities (toilets, indoor plumbing, sewer systems). Less than half had a regular source of safe drinking water. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/14/12     Between 30% and 60% of cocaine users combine the drug with alcohol. This concurrent use is the cause of nearly 75% of cocaine-related fatalities in the U.S., and a cocaine user is 25 times more likely to experience sudden death when combining it with alcohol. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/15/12     The largest earthquake in recent history was a 9.5 and occurred in Chile in 1960. It caused giant ocean waves as far as 6,000 miles (10,000 km) away. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/16/12     Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to deliver not only low birth weight babies but also highly aggressive children. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/17/12     In 2011 there were an estimated 70.1 million fathers across the United States - Provided by U.S. Census Bureau
6/18/12     In 2006, nearly 20% of all 16- to 20-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle collisions had a blood alcohol content level of .08 g/dL or higher. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/19/12     The most common type of breast cancer (70%) originates in the breast ducts and is known as ductal carcinoma. A less common type of breast cancer (15%) is known as lobular carcinoma, or cancer that originates in the lobules. More rare types of cancers include medullary carcinoma, Paget's disease, tubular carcinoma, inflammatory breast cancer, and phyllodes tumors. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/20/12     Four of the five fastest land animals reside in Africa: the cheetah, the wildebeest, the lion, and the Thomson's gazelle. All of these animals can run at speeds above 50 miles per hour, with the cheetah reaching a top speed of about 70 miles per hour. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/21/12     In almost every country worldwide, the life expectancy for women is higher than for men. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/22/12     Each day 1,600 women die as result of pregnancy or childbirth complications. Nearly 99% of these deaths occur in developing nations. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/23/12     Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was one of the most famous and mysterious magicians who ever lived. Strangely enough, he died in 1926 on Halloween night as a result of appendicitis brought on by three stomach punches. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/24/12     Approximately 5.6 million women in the U.S. reported themselves as stay-at-home moms in a 2007 census report. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/25/12     The first performance of Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly was one of opera's all-time worst flops. The audience made bird, cow, and goat calls and booed. Madama Butterfly, however, became one of the best-loved operas in history. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/26/12     Only about 10% of all Haitian children enrolled in elementary school go on to a high school. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/27/12     Air can be expelled from a dolphin's blowhole at speeds topping 100 mph. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/28/12     At its height, Greek colonization reached as far as Russia and France to the west and Turkey to the east. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/29/12     A kind of depression called hospitalism (anaclitic depression) can be seen in institutions where children did not receive enough emotional care. These children become apathetic and withdrawn, even though they may be cared for physically. - Provided by RandomHistory.com
6/30/12     The first president to be born outside the original 13 States was Lincoln. - Provided by RandomHistory.com


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