Do you think you know which nation has the most time zones? Think again, because the answer may surprise you. Common sense tells us it should be Russia. The largest nation in the world should cover the most time zones, right? If your answer was Russia, you are incorrect. While Russia does boast an impressive... Continue Reading →
Anyone who has seen satellite photos of North Korea at night and noted the absence of electric lights might conclude it is a country that is operating behind the times, but would you guess 1,911 years behind the times? In 1997 North Korea officially adopted the Juche calendar. It marks the years from the birthday... Continue Reading →
The People's Republic of China prohibits reincarnation without prior permission of the government. The 14-part regulation issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs is aimed at limiting the influence of Tibet’s exiled god-king, the Dalai Lama, and at preventing the re-incarnation of the revered monk without approval from Beijing. source
What can be more awkward than two ladies showing up at a social event, wearing identical outfits? How about two countries showing up for the Olympics, waving identical flags? That's what happened at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. The Haitian civil flag dates back to the early 1800's. Unlike the national flag, which includes... Continue Reading →
Government regulations in the food industry generally require truth in advertising about a product's ingredients. It makes sense that a company should not be able to advertise its product as "100% fresh ground beef" if the product was neither fresh nor made entirely of beef. In Finland this concept has been applied strictly, causing one... Continue Reading →
No one likes getting a busy signal. When you absolutely have to get through to someone, you want them to take your call immediately, and a busy signal just seems to assume that someone else is more important than you are. If only you had a way to reach through the phone and grab that... Continue Reading →
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) knew the value of a faithful friend. Maybe that's why he acquired a yellow mixed-breed dog in 1855 when he lived in Springfield, Illinois. The future President named the dog Fido, and they quickly became inseparable. Their connection would unite them in life -- and in death. Fido accompanied Lincoln everywhere in... 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 →
Scotland is known for its passionate football (American soccer) fans, and it is recognized as the birthplace of golf and home to the most famous golf courses in the world. Did you know that both sports were once illegal throughout the land? King James I outlawed football with the Football Act of 1424. It was... Continue Reading →
He may have been the most powerful man in the world, but John F. Kennedy learned that there are some things even the President of the United States can't do. He commanded a military of nearly 3 million people who would follow his orders without question, but there was one person to whom he needed to... Continue Reading →
Hollywood has immortalized the image of the fate of the world resting on a shiny red button on the desk of the President of the United States. With a single press of that button, life as we know it would come to a brutal, inglorious end. It makes for good fiction, but that just isn't... Continue Reading →
Many of us wondered, as children, whether our teachers were from another planet, but how many adults believe the government is run by aliens? As it turns out, it is a pretty sizeable number. A recent report revealed that 12 million Americans believe the country is controlled by shape-shifting lizard people from outer space. This... Continue Reading →
As President Harry Truman's daughter, Margaret, played the piano one day, she was startled as one leg of the piano suddenly dropped through the floor of the White House residential level. Engineers were called in to see what was going on, and the report was nothing short of alarming. The 150-year-old mansion was in desperate... Continue Reading →
President Calvin Coolidge was forced to move out of the White House in 1927 for six months so extensive remodeling and repairs could take place. In the course of the repairs, the architect showed the president the extreme damage that had occurred to the rafters when the White House was burned by British troops during... Continue Reading →
The world watched the peaceful transfer of power on January 20, 1961, as the oldest President to that point, Dwight D. Eisenhower, handed the reins of power to the youngest elected President, John F. Kennedy. As the two men stood side-by-side on the inaugural platform, listening as Cardinal Richard Cushing prayed the invocation, they noticed... Continue Reading →
