Cashew nuts are expensive, and never have shells because the shell and skin of the cashew nut contains extremely caustic oil that can painfully blister the skin. This dangerous oil must be completely removed before the nut...Read More

On August 12, 1895, Minnie Dean became the first woman to be hanged in New Zealand. Her crime was "baby farming." She would adopt unwanted babies for a certain fee and then dispose of them, a "service" she began in 1889. ...Read More

Comedian Bill Cosby became the spokesperson for Jell-O pudding in 1974. His upbeat, childlike personality worked well with on-screen youngsters, and he later began the "Kids Love Pudding" TV campaign. As of 2000, Cosby was...Read More

When Elizabeth I of Russia died in 1762, 15,000 dresses were found in her closets. She used to change what she was wearing two and even three times an evening.

Cats are the only domestic animals that walk directly on their claws, not on their paws. This method of walking is called "digitigrade". When cats scratch furniture, it isn't an act of malice. They are actually tearing off...Read More

While the term gargoyle is most often applied to medieval work, buildings have always required a means of throwing the water off roofs, at least when not conveyed in gutters. In Egypt gargoyles ejected the water used in ...Read More