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FACT-OF-THE-DAY ARCHIVE
"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
- Marcus Aurelius
AUG 2021

Previous Archives

DATE FACT OF THE DAY

8/1/21      An older woman slept through the People's Temple mass suicide in Jonestown. She woke up the next morning to discover the bodies of over 900 members of the cult. Provided by Rolling Stone

8/2/21      Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London, although the name is commonly used to refer to the clock and tower as well. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/3/21      The government of Hungary printed the highest denomination ever created in 1946. It printed a bank note worth 100 quintillion pengoes. A hundred quintillion looks like this: 100,000,000,000,000,000,000. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/4/21      A baby has around 30,000 taste buds. They are not just on the tongue but also on the sides, back, and roof of the mouth. Adults have about 10,000. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/5/21      A group of ferrets is called a “business.” Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/6/21      Sound pollution from ships, sonar devices, and oil rigs can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and reproduction patterns of many marine animals, such as whales and dolphins. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/7/21      Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/8/21      Lagoon—located in Farmington, Utah—is the oldest operating amusement park in the American West, and its original roller coaster, named “Old Woodie,” is the 3rd oldest in the nation. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/9/21      The oldest continuously operating brewery in the world is located at Weihenstephan Abbey in Bavaria, Germany. The Benedictine monks at Weihenstephan began brewing beer in 1040 AD. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/10/21      The world’s worst soccer riot occurred in Peru in May 1964 during a Peru vs. Argentina match in Lima, after an unpopular decision by a referee. In all, 300 fans were killed and more than 500 injured. Provided by The Free Dictionary

8/11/21      In 1839 Charles Goodyear invented vulcanization, a process that forms molecular cross-linkages between polymer chains in rubber. The result is rubber that is stronger, more elastic, and much more resistance to hot and cold temperatures. Provided by Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

8/12/21      Gold melts at 1064.43° Centigrade. It can conduct both heat and electricity and it never rusts. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/13/21      The largest wildcat in North America is the jaguar, which is found in Mexico's southern jungles. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/14/21      Although it is extremely rare, some people are actually allergic to physical exertion. Such people can only engage in very mild forms of exercise under supervision. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/15/21      About 50 million years ago, whales walked on land and were about the size of a wolf. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/16/21      Most equatorial countries do not observe daylight saving time because daylight hours are similar during each season. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/17/21      In 2300 BC, the Sumerians depicted Lilitu, the goddess of death, as a winged woman with feet like an owl's, a crown similar to an owl's ear tuft, and two owls for companions. Her name is derived from an ancient word meaning "night." Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/18/21      A single bat can eat more than 600 bugs in one hour, like a person eating 20 pizzas a night. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/19/21      On June 5, 1849, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy and gained its first free constitution, known as "Grundloven." Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/20/21      Hawaii is home to the unique “Happy Face Spider” (Theridion grallator), which bears an uncanny resemblance to a smiling face on the back of its abdomen. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/21/21      The Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) between Athens and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta left ancient Greece in ruins and marked the end of the golden age of Greece. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/22/21      Snake teeth are always curved backwards. Unlike humans, snakes don't chew with their teeth. Instead, their curved teeth are used to keep prey from escaping the snake's mouth. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/23/21      A precursor to Hyperloop travel was tried in the 1870s in New York City. Beach Pneumatic Transit briefly allowed people to travel a short distance in Manhattan in underground, pneumatic passenger capsules. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/24/21      The earliest pottery found in the Western Hemisphere, radiocarbon dated at 8,000 years old, was excavated from the Amazon basin near present-day Santarém in Brazil. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/25/21      A stretch of railroad track winding through a green forest between the Ukrainian towns of Klevan and Orzhiv has been nicknamed "The Tunnel of Love" because of its almost magical beauty. The track was used to secretly move supplies during the Cold War. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/26/21      Even though the red panda is classified as a carnivore, its diet is almost exclusively bamboo. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/27/21      Of the roughly 300 million tons of plastic produced each year, half consists of single-use items. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/28/21      The U.S. Secret Service was originally created on July 5, 1865, during the Civil War to fight counterfeiting, which was a huge problem. By the end of the war, between 1/3 and 1/2 of all U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/29/21      Stan is an ancient Persian word meaning “land” or “nation,” and Kazakh means “wanderer,” “adventurer,” or “outlaw.” Therefore, the name Kazakhstan translates as “Land of the Wanderers.” Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/30/21      Native Americans and First Nations people speaking a language of the Algonquian group were the first to meet English explorers and, consequently, many words from these languages entered English—for example, caribou (“snow-shoveler”), chipmunk (“red squirrel”), moccasin, moose, muskrat, opossum (“white dog”), papoose (“baby”), pecan (“nut”), powwow (“to dream, to have a vision”), raccoon, skunk (“to urinate” + “fox”), squaw, toboggan, totem, wigwam, and woodchuck. Provided by FactRetriever.com

8/31/21      To increase the size of the U.S. Army during WWI, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which was also known as the conscription or draft, in May 1917. By the end of the war, 2.7 million men were drafted. Another 1.3 million volunteered. Provided by FactRetriever.com

Fact-of-the-Day Archives

Home	[ Search Net ] [ Facts Subject Index ] [ Facts Encyclopedia ] [ Newspapers USA/World ] [ Report Broken Links ] [ Fast Facts ] [ First Things First ] [ Quick Reference ] [ Site Map ] [ Privacy ] [ Contact Us ] [ Welcome! ]

DATE	FACT OF THE DAY
8/1/21	An older woman slept through the People's Temple mass suicide in Jonestown. She woke up the next morning to discover the bodies of over 900 members of the cult. Provided by Rolling Stone
8/2/21	Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London, although the name is commonly used to refer to the clock and tower as well. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/3/21	The government of Hungary printed the highest denomination ever created in 1946. It printed a bank note worth 100 quintillion pengoes. A hundred quintillion looks like this: 100,000,000,000,000,000,000. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/4/21	A baby has around 30,000 taste buds. They are not just on the tongue but also on the sides, back, and roof of the mouth. Adults have about 10,000. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/5/21	A group of ferrets is called a “business.” Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/6/21	Sound pollution from ships, sonar devices, and oil rigs can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and reproduction patterns of many marine animals, such as whales and dolphins. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/7/21	Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/8/21	Lagoon—located in Farmington, Utah—is the oldest operating amusement park in the American West, and its original roller coaster, named “Old Woodie,” is the 3rd oldest in the nation. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/9/21	The oldest continuously operating brewery in the world is located at Weihenstephan Abbey in Bavaria, Germany. The Benedictine monks at Weihenstephan began brewing beer in 1040 AD. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/10/21	The world’s worst soccer riot occurred in Peru in May 1964 during a Peru vs. Argentina match in Lima, after an unpopular decision by a referee. In all, 300 fans were killed and more than 500 injured. Provided by The Free Dictionary
8/11/21	In 1839 Charles Goodyear invented vulcanization, a process that forms molecular cross-linkages between polymer chains in rubber. The result is rubber that is stronger, more elastic, and much more resistance to hot and cold temperatures. Provided by Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia
8/12/21	Gold melts at 1064.43° Centigrade. It can conduct both heat and electricity and it never rusts. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/13/21	The largest wildcat in North America is the jaguar, which is found in Mexico's southern jungles. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/14/21	Although it is extremely rare, some people are actually allergic to physical exertion. Such people can only engage in very mild forms of exercise under supervision. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/15/21	About 50 million years ago, whales walked on land and were about the size of a wolf. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/16/21	Most equatorial countries do not observe daylight saving time because daylight hours are similar during each season. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/17/21	In 2300 BC, the Sumerians depicted Lilitu, the goddess of death, as a winged woman with feet like an owl's, a crown similar to an owl's ear tuft, and two owls for companions. Her name is derived from an ancient word meaning "night." Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/18/21	A single bat can eat more than 600 bugs in one hour, like a person eating 20 pizzas a night. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/19/21	On June 5, 1849, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy and gained its first free constitution, known as "Grundloven." Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/20/21	Hawaii is home to the unique “Happy Face Spider” (Theridion grallator), which bears an uncanny resemblance to a smiling face on the back of its abdomen. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/21/21	The Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) between Athens and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta left ancient Greece in ruins and marked the end of the golden age of Greece. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/22/21	Snake teeth are always curved backwards. Unlike humans, snakes don't chew with their teeth. Instead, their curved teeth are used to keep prey from escaping the snake's mouth. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/23/21	A precursor to Hyperloop travel was tried in the 1870s in New York City. Beach Pneumatic Transit briefly allowed people to travel a short distance in Manhattan in underground, pneumatic passenger capsules. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/24/21	The earliest pottery found in the Western Hemisphere, radiocarbon dated at 8,000 years old, was excavated from the Amazon basin near present-day Santarém in Brazil. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/25/21	A stretch of railroad track winding through a green forest between the Ukrainian towns of Klevan and Orzhiv has been nicknamed "The Tunnel of Love" because of its almost magical beauty. The track was used to secretly move supplies during the Cold War. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/26/21	Even though the red panda is classified as a carnivore, its diet is almost exclusively bamboo. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/27/21	Of the roughly 300 million tons of plastic produced each year, half consists of single-use items. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/28/21	The U.S. Secret Service was originally created on July 5, 1865, during the Civil War to fight counterfeiting, which was a huge problem. By the end of the war, between 1/3 and 1/2 of all U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/29/21	Stan is an ancient Persian word meaning “land” or “nation,” and Kazakh means “wanderer,” “adventurer,” or “outlaw.” Therefore, the name Kazakhstan translates as “Land of the Wanderers.” Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/30/21	Native Americans and First Nations people speaking a language of the Algonquian group were the first to meet English explorers and, consequently, many words from these languages entered English—for example, caribou (“snow-shoveler”), chipmunk (“red squirrel”), moccasin, moose, muskrat, opossum (“white dog”), papoose (“baby”), pecan (“nut”), powwow (“to dream, to have a vision”), raccoon, skunk (“to urinate” + “fox”), squaw, toboggan, totem, wigwam, and woodchuck. Provided by FactRetriever.com
8/31/21	To increase the size of the U.S. Army during WWI, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which was also known as the conscription or draft, in May 1917. By the end of the war, 2.7 million men were drafted. Another 1.3 million volunteered. Provided by FactRetriever.com

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