In the United States, species were first introduced from Europe and China around 1900 as garden predators in an effort to control pest populations. The Carolina mantis is the official state insect of South Carolina, and the European mantis is the official state insect of Connecticut.

Jason Robards, nominated for more Tony Awards than any other actor, made his New York City acting debut in 1947 as the rear end of a cow in a production of "Jack and the Beanstalk."

In Rome, the world's first paved streets were laid out in 170 B.C. The new streets were popular as they were functional in all types of weather and were easier to keep clean, but they amplified the city's noise level.

Not at all -- Immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Murphy - then just 17 years old - tried to enlist in the military, but the services rejected him as underage. Shortly after his 18th birthday in June 1942, Murphy was finally accepted into the United States Army, after first being turned down by the ...Read more

Potatoes were banned in Burgundy in 1910 because it was said, "frequent use caused leprosy."

Starch is used as a binder in the production of paper. It is the use of a starch coating that controls ink penetration when printing. Cheaper papers do not use as much starch, and this is why your elbows get black when you are leaning over your morning paper.

There are four mountain ranges in New York State: Adirondack, Catskill, Shawangunk, and Taconic.

Only sixteen Concordes were ever made, the last in 1980. On New Year's Eve 1994, one Concorde plane carried wealthy revelers on a 32-hour trip to nowhere. These travelers, who paid $23,000 apiece for the trip, rang in the New Year twice because they twice crossed the International Date Line.

Some foods "explode" in the microwave due to trapped steam. Eggs, butter, and margarine have internal water that, when microwaved, turns to steam and splatters the food all over the inside of the oven. It is imperative to cover these foods well when microwaving.

In 1948, on her way to movie stardom, Marilyn Monroe stopped in a Salinas, California, jewelry store to reign over a diamond ring promotion. Among her many fans that day were members of the California artichoke industry, who thought it would be terrific idea to make Monroe their Artichoke Queen. Next stop for the stunning starlet was Castroville...Read more

Dingoes have features in common with both wolves and modern dogs, and are regarded as more or less unchanged descendants of an early ancestor of modern dogs. Adult dingoes are typically 19–23 inches tall at the shoulders, and weigh on average 50–70 pounds. Compared to similarly sized domestic dogs, dingoes have longer muzzles, longer canine ...Read more

Migrating geese fly in a V-formation to save energy. A goose's wings churn the air and leave an air current behind. In the flying wedge, each bird is in position to get a lift from the current left by the bird ahead. It is easier going for all, except the leader. During a migration, geese are apt

In the spring of 2000, it was reported that a 25-year-old Tehran transsexual, who had just undergone extensive surgery to become a woman, said he wanted to change back to a man after realizing just how poorly women are treated in Iran.

Queen Elizabeth I of England, using a diamond, scratched the following message on her prison window: "Much suspected of me, Nothing proved can be."

Pain from any injury or illness is always registered by the brain. Yet, curiously, the brain tissue itself is immune to pain; it contains none of the specialized receptor cells that sense pain in other parts of the body. The pain associated with brain tumors does not arise from brain cells but from the pressure created by a growing tumor or ...Read more

Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in Austria, southern Bavaria and South Tyrol during the first week of December, particularly on the evening of December 5th, and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells

The Sun produces more energy every minute than all the energy used on Earth in a whole year.

The official time ball for the U.S. is on top of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. As early as 1845, the U.S. Navy dropped a time ball every day at noon from atop a building on a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. People from many miles away could set their watches at noon. Ships anchored in the Potomac River could check their ...Read more

The hides of mature female blue sharks are more than twice as thick as those of males, probably as a protection against courtship bites.

Both -- The temperature on the Moon reaches 243 degrees Fahrenheit at midday on the lunar equator. During the night, the temperature falls to -261 degrees Fahrenheit.