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

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

Johnny Bench, Cincinnati’s Number 5, is the benchmark against which other catchers are still often compared. As Rookie of the Year in 1968, Bench controlled the game on both sides of the plate with his hitting (.267 with 389 home runs and a then-record 327 as a catcher), calling pitches, blocking home plate, throwing out opposing base runners....Read more

Boxers were named after their habit of playing. At the beginning of play with another dog, a Boxer will stand on his hind legs and bat at his opponent, appearing to "box" with his front paws.

As with any recreational gaming, there is always a good deal of trivia associated with such games. So it is with gambling. Gambling has a rich and intriguing history, so much so that trivia lovers will surely adore the wealth of trivia facts pertaining to gambling. Let's take a look as some gambling trivia facts below.

Did you know all of ...Read more

More than one-third of the world's commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used

The best-selling Barbie doll ever was Totally Hair Barbie. She had flowing tresses from the top of her head down to her toes.

The modern Sudoku was designed anonymously by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor, and first published in 1979. Garns added a third dimension to the traditional Roman practice of Latin Squares and presented the creation as a puzzle, providing a partially-completed grid and requiring the solver to fill ...Read more

Andrew Carnegie donated about $330 million to libraries, research projects, and world peace endeavors.

Before settling on the name of Tiny Tim for his character in "A Christmas Carol," three other alliterative names were considered by Charles Dickens. They were Little Larry, Puny Pete, and Small Sam.

Dr. Samuel Langley was able to get many model airplanes to fly, but on December 8, 1903, Langley's "human carrying flying machine," the aerodrome plunged into the Potomac River near Washington D.C., in front of photographers who were assembled to witness the event. Reporters around the country made fun of the idea that people could fly and nine ...Read more

The first vending machines in the US dispensed chewing gum and were installed in New York City train platforms in 1888.