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DATE	FACT OF THE DAY
5/1/21	Norwegian Erik Rotheim invented the forerunner of the can-and-aerosol system we known as the aerosol spray can. He was granted a patent for his invention in Norway on October 8, 1926. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/2/21	With over two dozen regularly erupting volcanos, Iceland is one of the most volcanically active spots on Earth. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/3/21	Los Angeles International Airport emits approximately 19,000 tons of carbon dioxide—a month. The roughly 33,000 planes that fly in and out of the airport each month release about 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/4/21	Nearly 90% of London’s police officers don’t carry firearms. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/5/21	Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president an astonishing four terms before the 22nd Amendment set term limits. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/6/21	In 1980, American journalist Janet Cook was forced to return her Pulitzer Prize when it became clear that the journalistic piece for which she had won it—a story about an 8-year-old addicted to heroin—was entirely false. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/7/21	Because dragonfly eyes have about 30,000 lenses, they can see nearly 360 degrees. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/8/21	Linguists have identified words in the modern Estonian language that were also used by ancient inhabitants of Estonia over 5,000 years ago. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/9/21	Lake Taupo was the source of the world’s largest known volcanic eruption in the last 70,000 years. It is estimated that its violent birth spewed 15,000 times the volume of material ejected when Mount Saint Helens in Washington State erupted in 1980. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/10/21	The feathers under a flamingos wings are black. You typically see them when they are flying. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/11/21	While not as common as with dogs, ferrets will wag their tail when happy. They will also make a chortling or clucking sound known as “dooking.” Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/12/21	The male platypus has spurs above its hind legs that it can use to pierce and insert venom into its enemies. Humans who have been pierced report that the venom caused their hands and arms to swell up and lock-jaw to set in, accompanied by severe pain that lasts for weeks. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/13/21	After President Bush Sr. vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister, a new word entered the Japanese language. Bushusuru means “to do the Bush thing,” or to publicly vomit. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/14/21	The largest hurricane can be the size of the state of Montana, 600 miles (966 kilometers) wide. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/15/21	Knitting is considered to have originated in the Arab world, and from there, spread with the Crusades into Spain. The term “to knit” wasn’t added to English until the 1400s. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/16/21	Hippos are the closest living relative to whales. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/17/21	When the body walks faster than speeds of 3.1 mph, a person’s stride length naturally increases, which burns more calories. Research shows that at maximal levels of exertion, oxygen consumption is only slightly lower for race walkers than it is for runners. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/18/21	Cattle (which include sheep, camels, and other livestock) are the first and oldest form of money. Each head of cattle was called a caput, which is Latin for “head.” So, a person with a lot of cattle had lots of caput or “capital,” a word still used today to describe money. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/19/21	The platypus differs from all other mammals in another way: it can send out electrical impulses to locate prey in deep waters. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/20/21	The only place in the world where skunks are found other than America is Indonesia and the Philippines, where they are called stink badgers. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/21/21	A new person is added to the United States national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes—that's 144 people per day. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/22/21	Vatican City is the only nation in the world that can lock its own gates at night. It has its own phone company, radio, T.V. stations, money, and stamps. It even has its army, the historic Swiss Guard. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/23/21	The Titanic's chief baker nonchalantly stepped off the stern of the sinking liner and calmly paddled around until dawn. After he was rescued, he was back at work within days. Experts note that he survived history's greatest maritime disaster by getting completely drunk. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/24/21	Monarch butterflies can fly as high as 10,000 feet. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/25/21	Over just 50 square miles, Jerusalem has over 2,000 archeological sites. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/26/21	The pacemaker, ultrasound, safety match, astronomical lens, marine propeller, the refrigerator, and computer mouse are all famous items that were invented in Sweden or by Swedes who weren’t living in Sweden. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/27/21	Hawksbill sea turtles live in coral reefs and feed on sponges. Without the hawksbill, sponges would overgrow and suffocate the delicate and slow-growing corals. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/28/21	Scientists believe that the white spots behind the ears of a tiger help tiger cubs follow their mothers through the shady forest. The white spot is called an "ocelli." Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/29/21	The famous tree from which the legendary Newton apple fell is still growing at Woolsthorpe Manor today. It is over 350 years old. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/30/21	The medical name for caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. Provided by FactRetriever.com
5/31/21	Twenty-one percent of the Japanese population is elderly (over the age of 65), the highest proportion in the world. There are more elderly than there are children in Japan today. Provided by FactRetriever.com

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