FACT-OF-THE-DAY ARCHIVE
"Our life is what our thoughts make it."
- Marcus Aurelius
JAN 2013

Previous Archives

DATE FACT OF THE DAY 1/1/13      "The most famous of all New Year's Day parades, The Tournament of Roses, dates back before the turn of the last century in 1890." - Fun Facts About New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. 1/2/13      There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/3/13      By the fourth century B.C., the Chinese were drilling for natural gas and using it as a heat source, preceding Western natural gas drilling by about 2,300 years. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/4/13      Giraffes sleep only 1.9 hours a day in five- to 10-minute sessions. Koalas, however, are the longest-sleeping mammals, sleeping up to 22 hours a day. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/5/13      The FBI estimates that over 100,000 children and young women are trafficked in America today. They range in age from nine to 19, with the average being age 11. Many victims are not just runaways or abandoned, but are from "good" families who are coerced by clever traffickers. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/6/13      The primary region of Africa is often called sub-Saharan Africa and excludes the mostly Islamic countries of North Africa: Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Sub-Saharan Africa includes 42 nations on mainland Africa and the six island nations. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/7/13      A compass would not work on the moon because it has no global magnetic field. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/8/13      The most expensive Apple store is on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and is estimated to have cost $10 million to build. It is also said to be one of the most photographed retail landmarks in the world. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/9/13      Greece is the leading producer of sea sponges. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/10/13      Mexico City has the highest elevation and is oldest city in North America. It is also one of the largest cities in the world. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/11/13      The word "blonde" is derived from several possible sources. Some scholars think it derived from the Medieval Latin blundus meaning "yellow," the Old Frankish blund, meaning "grey haired" or "to mix," or from the Old English beblonden meaning "dyed." - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/12/13      The single deadliest flu pandemic in history was the Spanish flu pandemic during 1918-1919. Occurring in three waves of increasing lethality, the Spanish flu killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS did in 24 years. It also killed more people in one year than smallpox or the Black Plague did in 50 years. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/13/13      Hawaii's nickname is the "Aloha State." The word aloha is derived from the Proto-Polynesian, alofa, and its meanings include "love," "compassion," and "mercy." Aloha is used both as "hello" and "goodbye." - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/14/13      Theories as to why Rome fell include political weakness and corruption, immorality, Christian pacifism, racial mixing, class conflict, environmental problems, a divided capital (Rome/Constantinople), plagues, and mass migrations of wild Germanic people. Another theory is that water supplied by lead pipes caused widespread health problems including brain damage and impaired intelligence. Some scholars speculate that Rome never fell, it just adapted to a changing world. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/15/13      Diabetes has been reported in horses, ferrets, and ground squirrels. In environments where animals are liberally fed, diabetes has been reported in dolphins, foxes, and even a hippopotamus. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/16/13      Individuals with bachelor's degrees earn an average of 60% more than people with only a high school diploma, which adds up to more than $800,000 over a lifetime. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/17/13      The inner ear is the only sense organ to develop fully before birth. It reaches its adult size by the middle of pregnancy. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/18/13      Noise pollution can cause stress-related illness, hearing loss, sleep disruption, lost productivity, and high blood pressure. The EPA estimates that millions of people in the U.S. adversely suffer from noise pollution. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/19/13      In 2007, the five worst states for bullying in kindergarten through 12th grade were (1) California, (2) New York, (3) Illinois, (4) Pennsylvania, and (5) Washington. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/20/13      In Haiti, there is one hospital bed for every 10,000 inhabitants. There are only about eight doctors and 10 nurses for every 100,000 inhabitants. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/21/13      The National Civil Rights Museum located in Memphis, Tennessee, is a privately owned complex of museums and historic buildings built around the former Lorraine Motel at 450 Mulberry Street where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. - Provided by The National Civil Rights Museum 1/22/13      Approximately one in three babies in the United States is now delivered by cesarean section. The number of cesarean sections in the U.S. has risen nearly 46% since 1996. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/23/13      The grief suffered after a pet dog dies can be the same as that experienced after the death of a person. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/24/13      A dog most likely interprets a smiling person as baring their teeth, which is an act of aggression. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/25/13      Some sharks - such as the Great White, Porbeagle, and Mako - have crescent-shaped tail fins and can swim very fast. The Shortfin Mako can reach speeds of up to 86 miles per hour. Both the Mako and the Great White can leap up out of the water. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/26/13      During the Middle Ages, Great Danes and Mastiffs were sometimes suited with armor and spiked collars to enter a battle or to defend supply caravans. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/27/13      Lampreys and hagfish are the most primitive form of fish still living today. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/28/13      Northern Europe has the most blondes. However, even most natural blonde babies lose their blonde hair once puberty sets in. Additionally, women find that after their first pregnancy, their hair and skin darken permanently. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/29/13      A male emperor angelfish lives together with up to five female mates. If the emperor angelfish dies, one of the females turns into a male fish and becomes the leader of the group. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/30/13      A male emperor angelfish lives together with up to five female mates. If the emperor angelfish dies, one of the females turns into a male fish and becomes the leader of the group. - Provided by RandomHistory.com 1/31/13      Although it is called Earth's twin, the surface conditions of Venus are very different from those on Earth. Scientists believe the planet's surface is very hot and dry and contains no liquid water, due to extremely high surface temperatures. - Provided by RandomHistory.com

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