When it comes to what really matters to travelers, the United States has the rest of the world beat when it comes to its toilets. Per a survey of 100 international travel writers, the United States has, by far, the best in the world. Western Europe may have the best castles and museums, but johns finished a distant second. Scandinavia, rated ...Read more

The U.S. county that occupies the smallest area is New York County – Manhattan. Despite its small area, Manhattan is considered one of the world's foremost commercial, financial, and cultural centers. It is renowned for its many points of interest. Among these are Broadway, one of the world's best-known streets, Wall Street, skyscrapers such ...Read more

Absinthe, a distilled, highly alcoholic (45%-75% ABV) also called “wormwood" or “the Green Fairy,” is perhaps best known for its popularity in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among bohemian culture. Portrayed as a dangerously addictive, psychoactive drug it was banned in the United States and in most European ...Read more

One peculiar behavior of dachshunds is that they often roll around in odiferous things when they encounter them. This odd habit has been attributed to the dog's hunting instinct. Doing this is the dachshund's attempt to "lose its scent" so that its potential prey cannot smell it.

Early systems of measurement used body parts to calculate length. A cubit ran from elbow to middle fingertip. The distance from fingertip to fingertip of outstretched arms was a fathom.

The orchid is named after the male genitalia. Its botanical family name, Orchidaceae, means "testicles" in Greek and may derive from an early notion that the orchid possessed aphrodisiac qualities.

Country comedienne Minnie Pearl always wore a hat with a price tag hanging from it when she performed. The amount ascribed on the price tag was $1.98.

The female Victorian aristocracy in Britain would change their clothes at least four times a day.

The established throwing technique is to hold the lid between the thumb and middle finger, starting with your arm in a backhand throwing position, held at just above waist height. A flick of the wrist is critical when releasing the lid, to achieve sufficient spin. As Pringles lids require much more spin than frisbees to maintain stability, ...Read more

Kenbei is an anti-American sentiment coined in the 1990s by the Japanese, and literally means “hate America.”

Horn & Hardart opened the first U.S. automat in Philadelphia in 1902.

The theme played at the beginning of the "Green Hornet" series was the "Flight of the Bumble Bee" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Olympic (or Amateur) boxing is found at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. Olympic boxing prizes point scoring rather than physical damage or knockouts. Bouts comprise four rounds of two minutes in Olympic and Commonwealth, and three rounds of two minutes in a national ABA (Amateur Boxing association) bout, each with a one-minute interval...Read more

Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in Austria, southern Bavaria and South Tyrol during the first week of December, particularly on the evening of December 5th, and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells

Parts of the human anatomy have evolved into common expressions in American speech. A few examples include: A good head on his shoulders; the shoe's on the other foot; a heart of gold; chip on his shoulder; a nose for crime; turn the other cheek; a pain in the neck; rub someone's nose in it; a price on his head; apple of his eye; snap his head ...Read more

Jason Robards, nominated for more Tony Awards than any other actor, made his New York City acting debut in 1947 as the rear end of a cow in a production of "Jack and the Beanstalk."

A brown dwarf is a very small, dark object, with a mass less than 1/10 that of the Sun. They are "failed stars" – globules of gas that have shrunk under gravity, but failed to ignite and shine as stars.

Until the Middle Ages, passports were given only to the privileged well-to-do. In 1215, the Magna Carta established that "All merchants are to be safe and secure in leaving and entering England." One of the earliest U.S. passports on record was issued in France in 1778. It was signed by Benjamin

Seven-foot-two Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born just a bit longer than the average newborn at 22½ inches, but he weighed a hefty 12 pounds, 11 ounces. His name at birth was Lewis Alcindor.

Saint Boniface is said to have substituted a fir tree for the pagan oak in the eighth century as a symbol of faith. Martin Luther fostered the Christmas tree cult by using a candlelit tree as a symbol of Christ's heavenly home, while trees decorated with candles, fruit and paper flowers were introduced into Britain soon after Queen Victoria's ...Read more