Visitors to Japan should know that August 13 through 16 is a Buddhist event called o-bon in Japan, one of the most important traditions for the Japanese people. It is the period of praying for the peace of the souls of ancestors. The Japanese believe that their ancestors' spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during o...Read more

France is the largest Western European country. Its area is slightly less than twice the size of Colorado.

Scouting's highest award was originally conceived of as the Wolf Scout, as shown in the June 1911 Official Handbook for Boys. The medal illustrated in the handbook was a profile of an eagle in flight, but was changed to the current design before any were issued. In their original conceptions, Life Scout, Star Scout and Eagle Scout were not ranks...Read more

The modern tin can is an elaboration of the invention in the decade of the 1800s by Nicolas Francois Appert. It was patented by the Englishman Peter Durand in 1810. Due to the invention of mass production, the tin can became a consumer standard late in the 19th century, primarily in

Nyctitropism is the tendency of the leaves or petals of certain plants to assume a different position at night.

The Whisky, located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, was the West Coast's first discotheque.

The word "snorkel" comes from the German word Schnorchel, which was a tube used by German submarine crews in WWII. The subs used an electric battery when travelling underwater, which had to be recharged using diesel engines. The engines needed air to run. To avoid the hazard of surfacing to run the engines, the Germans used the schnoerkel to ...Read more

It is worth noting that a school's eliteness or cost does not necessarily mean that is a preppy college. Preppy culture idealizes athleticism and sociability. The culture also emphasizes deference to tradition and ritual and, generally speaking, disapproval of ostentation. The term "preppie" is associated, not with dramatic designer fashions, ...Read more

The first Eagle Scout medal was awarded in 1912 to Arthur Rose Eldred, a 17-year-old member of Troop 1 in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York. Eldred was notified that he was to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a letter from Chief Scout Executive James West, dated August 21, 1912.

The French philosopher Voltaire owned eighty canes. His contemporary, Jean Jacques Rousseau, owned forty.

LOX, in space lingo is liquid oxygen, a component of rocket fuel.

"Chopines" were platform shoes that became popular in Europe during the 16th century. Some chopines were over 20 inches tall. In the 1400's, a popular form of shoes called "crakows" sported extremely long toes. The length of the toes, which could be over 20 inches, was an indication of the social

The little metal ring or cap attached to or near the end of a cane or wooden handle (such as on a paint brush) to prevent splitting is called a ferrule. Its name was derived from the Latin "viriola," meaning "little bracelet."

Samuel Beckett's play Breath is the shortest recorded play ever written, consisting of 35 seconds of human cries and breathes.

Carrots were first grown as a medicine not a food. The Ancient Greeks called carrots "Karoto".

Results of a survey show that 76 percent of women make their bed every day, compared to 46 percent of men.

According to the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, a tennis ball is supposed to bounce between 53 and 58 inches when it is dropped on concrete from a height of 100 inches. The concrete surface should be 4 inches thick.

George Constant Louis Washington (May 1871 – March 29, 1946) was an American inventor and businessman of Anglo-Belgian origin. He is best remembered for his invention of an early instant coffee process and for the company he founded to mass-produce it, the G. Washington Coffee Company.

In November, there is a stretch of warm dry weather with a little wind and usually a bit of haze in the air. In the United States, it is called “Indian Summer.” In England, France, and Italy, it is referred to as “St. Martin’s Summer.”

Using chemicals to get "high" isn't as new as one may think. Nitrous oxide was discovered in 1800. When inhaled, it was found to give a giddy, intoxicated feeling and to release the emotions. People laughed inanely, so it was called "laughing gas." For a while, parties were organized at which