Yearly Archives: 2022

In 2011, after being lost at sea for 33 days….

In 2011, after being lost at sea for 33 days, a man finally washed ashore in the Marshall Islands. He then discovered that his uncle, believed to have drowned at sea about 50 years earlier, had also wound up on the same island and started a family there. Source

Bhutan charges a 200 USD tax…

Bhutan charges a 200 USD tax per night per tourist visiting the country. Source

In 1944, the US federal government….

In 1944, the US federal government slapped a heavy 30% tax on all food-serving venues (such as clubs) that featured dancing, leading to the downfall of swing music and dancing in America. It would not be repealed until the 1960s (though it was reduced a few years after implementation). Source

The Passemant astronomical clock…

The Passemant astronomical clock in Versailles has shown the correct date, time, moon phase, planetary alignment, etc (accounting for leap years ) from 1750 and can display through 9999. Source

Over 50 percent of the world’s population…

Over 50 percent of the world’s population relies on rice for 80 percent of it’s food requirements. Source

Where Does Outer Space Actually Begin?

On July 11, 2021, high over the New Mexico desert, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo detached from its mothership and ignited its engines, rocketing billionaire Richard Branson and five crewmates past the edge of space. The 15-minute suborbital hop made Branson the first person to fly into space aboard his own privately-built spacecraft and officially ushered in… Read More »

How Long Do Twinkies Actually Last?

Imagine, for a moment that the unthinkable has happened. Whether due to nuclear war, climate change, an asteroid impact, or one too many classic 80’s movies being remade, society has utterly collapsed, leaving only a handful of survivors clinging to life amid the rubble of civilization. Every day, you and your loyal – if mildly… Read More »

The Most Horrifying Nautical Disaster You’ve Never Heard Of

When it comes to agonizing ordeals, few experiences can compare to that of being shipwrecked. If you are lucky – or unlucky – enough to escape a quick death by drowning, then you face the bleak prospect of drifting on the open sea, exposed to the blistering sun, caustic saltwater, violent storms, hungry sea creatures,… Read More »

That Time Disney Helped Give the World a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Ranked 66th on the Fortune 500, the Walt Disney Company is among the largest corporations in the United States, and the second largest entertainment company in the world. Valued at over $148 billion, the company owns 5 of the 10 most valuable media franchises including Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, operates 14 theme… Read More »

Hollywood and Its Efforts to Introduce the Wacky World of Smell-o-Vision

These days, it seems that movie theatres will try just about everything to lure viewers away from the comfort and convenience of television and streaming, from 3D releases to giant IMAX screens to “4D” seats that shake and rock along with the onscreen action. And as theatres struggle to recover from the massive hit in… Read More »

How One of the Most Famous Battles in American History Gave Birth to the American Railroad and Shaped a Continent

If you go walking through the parks and leafy neighbourhoods of Quincy, Massachusetts, you may stumble upon an unusual set of ruins. At the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, a set of crumbling granite rails rise up a shallow hill into the woods, their end flanked by a pair of carved stone obelisks. While unimpressive… Read More »