The U.S. Mint was authorized to produce one-cent copper coins on April 2, 1792. Originally, there were four designs struck: the "chain" cent, the "wreathed" cent, the "flowing hair" cent, and the "liberty" cent.

In Russia, dogs have been trained to sniff out ore deposits that contain iron sulfides.

Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first native-born American to be sainted. She was born on August 28, 1774 in New York. She was sainted in the Holy Year of 1975.

In recent years, different manufacturers of the game have created dozens of versions in which the names of the properties and other elements of the game are replaced by others with some theme. There are versions about national parks, Star Trek, Star Wars, Disney, various particular cities (such as Las Vegas or Cambridge) and villages (such as "...Read more

In the early fifteenth century, scholars in China compiled an encyclopedia consisting of 11,095 volumes.

Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest Americans ever, never carried any cash. He was once put off a London train because he did not have the fare.

Turkana tribesmen, who live on the barren soils of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, add iron to their diet by drinking cow's blood - they puncture the cow's jugular vein with a sharp arrow and catch the spurting liquid in a clay jug. The cows, though bled frequently, suffer no ill effect.

Sergio Leone, director of Clint Eastwood's innovative Italian Westerns, turned down offers to direct The Godfather (1972) in favor of developing his dream project, which ultimately became Once Upon a Time in America (1984).

In October 1991, astronomers at Cambridge, England, discovered one of the dimmest stars ever seen. It is relatively close to Earth, but so dim – 10,000 times fainter than the Sun – that it is visible only with a large telescope.

There are exactly 1,048576 bytes in one megabyte. Half a byte is called a "nybble."

Some insects, after their head is severed, may live for as much as a year. They react automatically to light, temperature, humidity, chemicals, and other stimuli.

Prior to migration a goose will consume the equivalent of up to 25 percent of its body weight per day, accumulating large amounts of fat. During the migration, geese may cover up to 600 miles per day. At the end of the migration, they often weigh less than before they started fattening up in

Cork comes from the bark of trees. Specifically, it is harvested from the cork tree, which takes more than ten years to produce one layer of cork.

No -- In 1547, Henry died, to be succeeded by Edward VI. Edward was England's first Protestant monarch; his Parliament's Act of Uniformity prescribed Protestant rites for church services, such as the use of Thomas Cranmer's new Book of Common Prayer. The Lady Mary, desirous of maintaining the old Roman Catholic form, asked to be allowed to ...Read more

There is no Nobel Prize for mathematics. A common legend states that Nobel decided against a prize in mathematics because a woman - said to be either his fiance, wife, or mistress - rejected him for or cheated on him with a famous mathematician, often claimed to be Gosta Mittag-Leffler. There is no historical evidence to support the story, and ...Read more

Nike, Inc. is a major American supplier of athletic shoes, apparel and sports equipment. The company took its name from Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory, after company designer Jeff Johnson presented the name to founder Phil Knight.

The steel industry in 1943 introduced the 5-day, 40-hour work week. Henry Ford adopted it in 1926.

Murphy's 1949 autobiography To Hell and Back became a national bestseller. In the book Murphy modestly describes some of his most heroic actions -- without portraying himself as a hero. Instead, he chose to praise the skills, bravery, and dedication of the other soldiers in his platoon. Murphy played himself in the inevitable 1955 ...Read more

The lungs of an average adult, unfolded and flattened out, would cover an area the size of a tennis court.

Moderate dancing burns 250 to 300 calories an hour. Twenty minutes of moderate dancing will elevate heart rate up to aerobic levels. One study found polkas, swing dancing, and waltzes to be particularly effective for weight loss.