Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) was more than a violin virtuoso; he was one of the best violinists of all time. By the time he was in his 20's, he was known throughout Europe. His command of the violin was so complete, in fact, that rumors quickly spread that such ability was not humanly possible and that... Continue Reading →
When your "quiet place" isn't quiet enough, what do you do? For Microsoft the answer was obvious: they built their own. Located in Building 87 of Microsoft's Redmond, Washington campus is the "anechoic chamber." Its name means "echo free," and that is precisely what it is. The room is used for testing Surface tablets... Continue Reading →
Pedro Lascuráin held the highest governmental office in Mexico briefly. Very briefly. In fact, he holds the record for the shortest term in history as a nation's president. He was sworn in as Mexico's 34th President on February 19, 1913. Less than one hour later, his term of office was over. His administration was not... Continue Reading →
In news that is sure to excite college students everywhere, a team of Scottish scientists announced the development of a pizza that is healthy enough to eat at every meal. Professor Mike Lean of Glasgow University and businessman Donnie Maclean worked with a team to produce the pizza which contains 30% of the recommended daily... Continue Reading →
February 14, 1876 was a big day for Elisha Gray. That was the day he filed his application for a patent for his revolutionary new invention. His device promised to unite the world as never before by allowing a person to speak to and hear another person miles away by sending the voices through a... Continue Reading →
They say home is wherever you hang your hat. If you are the Sultan of Brunei, your home has enough space to hang the hats of a sizeable percentage of the human race. Completed in 1984 at a cost of $1.4 billion USD, the Istana Nurul Iman (translated: Palace of the Light of Faith) is... Continue Reading →
The organ at the Boardwalk Hall Auditorium in Atlantic City, New Jersey is an record-setting mechanism. Guinness World Records has three entries dedicated to it: With an estimated 33,116 pipes, it is the largest pipe organ ever constructed. These pipes are located in eight different chambers throughout the Auditorium. The organ's main console is the biggest in... Continue Reading →
Willard Scott is known and loved by millions as the fun-loving weatherman of The Today Show from 1980 until his retirement in 2015. Before becoming known as America's meteorologist, Scott was instrumental in the development of another iconic character. From 1963 to 1966, Scott was the original Ronald McDonald, the mascot for McDonald's restaurants.
Fans of sporting events are known to be so committed to their team that they will endure years of poor performance, shell out big money for season tickets, sit through horrible weather to watch an event, and wear their team's colors on every possible occasion. Sometimes fans also have to be prepared to wait. And... Continue Reading →
Readers of the December 12, 1897 edition of the New York Journal had no idea that they were seeing something their great-great-grandchildren would still be reading more than a century later. That was the day The Katzenjammer Kids debuted, starting a run that would earn it the distinction of being the longest-running comic strip in history. Rudolph... Continue Reading →
Tsutomu Yamaguchi could tell you stories about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and on August 6, 1945 his work took him to the city of Hiroshima, Japan. At 8:15 a.m. the sky ignited with the explosion of the first atomic bomb to be used... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Franklin is credited with some of the greatest ideas of all time. Not only was he the inventor of bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, and lightning rod, but as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, his ideas surpassed scientific inquiry and helped create a nation. In fact, so wide were his... Continue Reading →
The George Cross is the second highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry "not in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces and to civilians. In 1942 King George VI recognized the heroism exhibited by the people of Malta by awarding the people of... Continue Reading →
English gambling records reveal some unusal wagers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: A Captain Bennett bet he could roll a hoop 22 miles in 3½ hours. A Mr. Lloyd bet he could walk 30 miles backwards in 9 hours. Charles Bulpett bet he could ride a mile, run a mile, and walk... Continue Reading →
Aristophanes (427 BC – 386 BC) was groundbreaking with his plays. His skills as a satirist and as a keen observer of everyday life led him to give us one of the most revealing pictures of what life was like in ancient Athens. He was not afraid to tackle controversial topics. Plato pointed to his play The... Continue Reading →
