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

APR 2021


Previous Archives

DATE FACT OF THE DAY
4/1/21      On the first day of spring, a person at the North Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, beginning six months of uninterrupted daylight. A person at the South Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, signaling the start of six months of darkness. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/2/21      When water boils on Earth, it creates thousands of little bubbles. However, in space, boiling water produces one giant, undulating bubble. Scientists believe this is due to lack of convection and buoyancy that accompanies gravity. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/3/21      The medical name for caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/4/21      Covering only 27 acres (11 ha), Bukit Nanas, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is among the smallest patches of rainforest in the world. It is Malaysia’s oldest nature reserve. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/5/21      Antarctica is the 5th largest continent and is roughly the size of Australia. However, it doesn't have a capital city or an official language, and no country controls it. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/6/21      The heart of a giraffe weighs 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms) and is about 2 feet long (0.6 meters). Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/7/21      Half of the names of U.S. states are derived from Amerindian words, such as Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/8/21      The longest walk around the world was completed by a former neon-sign salesman, Jean Beliveau. He walked 46,600 miles around 64 countries. The trip took him 11 years. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/9/21      A Polish soldier, Witold Pilecki, volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz to gather information. He gathered information, successfully escaped, and told the world. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/10/21      Barn owls eat over 1,000 mice per year. The owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/11/21      Bats can hear frequencies between 20 Hz and 120,000 Hz. Humans can hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Dogs can hear between 40 Hz and 60,000 Hz. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/12/21      Mosaicism is the least common form of Down syndrome, accounting for only 1% of cases. Mosaicism is caused when cells with the normal amount of chromosomes and cells with an added chromosome mix and replicate a chromosome 21 in the latter. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/13/21      In the North, more than 1/3 of all men of military age served in the war. For the South, it was nearly 2/3. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/14/21      In 1930, the average cost of 1lb. hamburger meat was 12 cents. In 2013, it cost $4.68. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/15/21      During his second run for the presidency, Teddy Roosevelt was shot by a would-be assassin while giving a speech in Milwaukee. He continued to deliver his speech with the bullet in his chest. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/16/21      The meanings of words in Romance and Germanic languages do not vary based on tone and pitch. Words in tonal languages, such as Mandarin and Hmong, do. In these "tonal languages," the same sound can have up to eight meanings, depending on the way it is said. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/17/21      According to Cherokee legend, the Milky Way was formed when a dog stole some cornmeal and was chased away. He ran to the north, spilling cornmeal as he ran. The Milky Way is thus called “The Way the Dog Ran Away.” Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/18/21      Called “re-entrants,” dolphins once lived on land and looked and behaved something like a small wolf but with five hoof-like toes on each foot instead of claws. Dolphins also have remnant finger bones in their flippers, a forearm, wrists, and a few remnant leg bones deep inside their bodies. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/19/21      The Civil War was the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil. During an average day during the war, approximately 600 people were killed. By the end of the war, over 618,000 people had died. This is more Americans than WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/20/21      Though U.S. pharmacist John S. Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886, his bookkeeper, Frank Robinson invented the name. Robinson had beautiful handwriting, and his flowering script is still used today. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/21/21      The vertebral column evolved about 500 million years ago, during the Cambrian explosion. This is when the Earth's oceans filled with a vast array of new life. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/22/21      In 1986, Norwegian Monica Kristensen received the prestigious Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in London, becoming the first woman in 50 years to receive this award, for leading a successful expedition to the South Pole. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/23/21      Monet's mentor, Eugene Boudin, was one of the first artists to adopt "Plein air" (in full air) painting, to watch and capture the light on natural forms. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/24/21      During its construction, the Great Wall of China was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than one million people. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/25/21      According to legend, tea was discovered in 2737 B.C. by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung, known as the “Divine Healer.” Purportedly, he discovered the beverage when tea leaves accidentally blew into his pot of boiling water. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/26/21      With a tax rate of 51.4% of GDP, Swedes are one of the most highly taxed populations in the world. Ironically, they are generally happy to pay a high tax rate, and the Swedish word for tax is skatt, or “treasure.” Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/27/21      The post-WWII hyperinflation of Hungary holds the record for the most rapid monthly inflation increase ever: 41,900,000,000,000,000% for July 1946, which means prices doubled every 13.5 hours. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/28/21      The only bird with nostrils at the end of its beak is the kiwi. This placement helps it sniff for food, such as worms and insects on the ground. It often snorts to clear its nostrils. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/29/21      Harmless to humans, Thermophylic viruses have been found in Congress Pool at Yellowstone’s Norris Geyser Basin. Provided by FactRetriever.com
4/30/21      It takes about 220 gallons of water to grow one large avocado. Provided by FactRetriever.com


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2011
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