Random Facts: How long did it take the Apollo missions to
reach the moon?
Apollo missions took about three days to reach
the moon. But the quickest trip to the moon was the New Horizons probe, which zipped
past the moon in just 8 hours 35 minutes on its way to Pluto. However, the
spacecraft didn't even slow down or approach lunar orbit.
Which planet has the hottest surface
temperature?
Venus, the second closest planet to the Sun, has
the highest average temperatures of any planet in our Solar System, regularly
reaching temperatures over 460°C. Venus is so hot because of its proximity to
the Sun and its thick atmosphere.
When was the first penny made in America?
The one-cent coin was made legal tender by the
Coinage Act of 1864. In 1909, Abraham Lincoln was the first historical figure
to grace a U.S. coin when he was portrayed on the one-cent coin to commemorate
his 100th birthday. The Lincoln penny was also the first U.S. cent to include
the words "In God We Trust."
Which state is the largest in the USA?
Alaska is the largest state in total area, land
area, and water area. Despite being the second largest state, Texas is only 40%
of the total area of the largest state, Alaska. Montana is larger than every state
it borders; only Alaska and Wyoming have a lower population density.
What is the purpose of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was
created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations
to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO was the first
peacetime military alliance the United States entered into outside of the
Western Hemisphere.
How many hairs is on the human head?
The human head has an estimated 100,000 hairs,
though the number varies from individual to individual.
How many watts does a string of Christmas
lights use?
A 100-count string of incandescent mini lights
runs at 40 watts, while a 70 count of 5mm Wide Angle LEDs is approximately 4.8
watts in total. In fact, because incandescent wattage is 80-90% more than LED
wattage, the cost to power an incandescent can be up to 90x greater than
powering an LED.
When did Italy become a state?
Italy became a nation-state belatedly - in 1861
when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were
United under King Victor EMMANUEL. An era of parliamentary government came to a
close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist
dictatorship.
Which is the smallest ocean in the world in
terms of area?
With an area of 12 million square kilometers (5
million square miles), the Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean - more than five
times smaller than the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
Which is the largest internal organ in the
human body?
The largest internal organ is the liver. It is
also the heaviest organ, with an average of 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds). The
largest external organ, which is also the largest organ in general, is the
skin.
Why does the moon appear to change shape?
The Moon appears to change shape because we see
different amounts of the lit part as the Moon orbits Earth. When the Moon is
between Earth and the Sun, the lit side is hidden from us. As it moves around
Earth, more and more of the lit side comes into view.
Can animals see colors?
To see in full color as we know it, humans use
three cones – red, blue and green. However, cats and dogs only have blue and
green cones. This means they have a much more muted perception of color, which
is akin to color blindness in humans.
Why does father Christmas wear red and white?
Believe it or not, present-day Santa owes his
red robe not to an ancient legend or to an early myth but to the Coca Cola
Company. A long time ago Father Christmas was shown in clothes of different
colors: green, purple, light blue, navy blue, brown or red.
What breed of cat is hairless?
While they lack much of the fur of other cat
breeds Sphynx cats are not necessarily hypoallergenic. Allergies to cats are
triggered by a protein called Fel d1, not cat hair itself. Fel d1 is a tiny and
sticky protein primarily found in cat saliva and sebaceous glands.
What was the first car company in the world?
Karl Benz founded the company that would one
day be called Mercedes-Benz in 1883, and they sold their first automobile in
1886. Big whoop. Henry Ford made cars ubiquitous not long after founding his
factory in 1903.
What kind of fish is Nemo?
Ocellaris clownfish. Amphiprion ocellaris, also
known as the ocellaris clownfish, false percula clownfish or common clownfish,
is a marine fish belonging to the family Pomacentridae which includes
clownfishes and damselfishes. Amphiprion ocellaris are found in different
colors, depending on where they are located.
What is the sweetener in Diet Coke?
Diet Coke, called Coca-Cola Light in some
countries, is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola
Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the
first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark.
Where is Snake Island?
Off-limits and full of venomous pit vipers, its
nickname is frighteningly apt. Off the shore of Brazil, almost 93 miles away
from São Paulo downtown, is Ilha de Queimada Grande.
What US president was never married?
James Buchanan, Jr. (/bjuːˈkænən/; April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the
15th President of the United States (1857–1861), serving immediately prior to
the American Civil War. He is, to date, the only president from Pennsylvania
and the only president to remain a lifelong bachelor.
What is a powder monkey?
A powder boy or powder monkey manned naval
artillery guns as a member of a warship's crew, primarily during the Age of
Sail. His chief role was to ferry gunpowder from the powder magazine in the
ship's hold to the artillery pieces, either in bulk or as cartridges.
What temperature is same in Fahrenheit and
Celsius?
To find the temperature when both are equal, we
use an old algebra trick and just set ºF = ºC and solve one of the equations.
So the temperature when both the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are the same is
-40 degrees.
How many dreams does the average person have in
one night?
The average person has about 3 to 5 dreams per
night, but some may have up to 7 dreams in one night. The dreams tend to last longer
as the night progresses. During a full 8-hour night sleep, two hours of it is
spent dreaming. It is not at all unusual for a person to have more than one
dream per night.
Which is the master gland in human body?
The thyroid gland, ovaries, testes, mammary
glands, and the cortex of the adrenal glands are all stimulated by the hormones
of the anterior pituitary, resulting in the pituitary gland being known as the
“master gland” for its control of the endocrine system.
How much is the most expensive coffee in the
world?
Although kopi luwak is a form of processing
rather than a variety of coffee, it has been called the most expensive coffee
in the world with retail prices reaching €550 / US$700 per kilogram.
What was inside the first Faberge egg?
Peter Carl Faberge's first egg for the Russian
royals is also called the hen egg and was made of gold and white enamel. The
inside of the egg had a yolk made of gold within which was a golden hen. The
eyes of the hen were made of rubies. The golden hen concealed a miniature crown
and at the centre hung a tiny ruby egg.
Which Roosevelt is on Mount Rushmore?
The southeastern face of Mount Rushmore in
South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest is the site of four gigantic carved
sculptures depicting the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
What was the first book to be printed in
England?
William Caxton was the first Englishman to
learn to use a printing press. The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye was his
first printed book, and the first book printed anywhere in English. It was
produced in 1473 on the Continent, in either Bruges or Ghent.
How much time do NFL players actually play?
An average professional football game lasts 3
hours and 12 minutes, but if you tally up the time when the ball is actually in
play, the action amounts to a mere 11 minutes.
Where did the name Texas come from?
The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas
meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish
to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas.
How did the killer whale get its name?
Because of their fierce reputation, orca are
sometimes called the Ballena asesina ("assassin whale") by the
Spanish. They were referred to as "whale killers" by sailors who
witnessed their attacks on larger cetaceans, and over time this name was
changed to "killer whales."
Who was the first man to cross the Atlantic
ocean?
On May 21, 1927, the aviator Charles A.
Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near Paris, completing the first solo
airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh was just 25 years old when
he completed the trip.
Who are the kings in a deck of cards?
The four kings, for example, are based on real
rulers: the king of diamonds represents the wealthy Julius Caesar; the king of
clubs is the brutal Alexander the Great; the king of spades represents the
strong but kind David of Israel; and the king of Hearts represents the
emotionally disturbed Charles VII of France.
What percentage of water is in our bodies?
By one year of age, that amount drops to about
65%. In adult men, about 60% of their bodies are water. However, fat tissue
does not have as much water as lean tissue. In adult women, fat makes up more
of the body than men, so they have about 55% of their bodies made of water.
When did the first microwaves come out?
Raytheon later licensed its patents for a home-use microwave oven that was first introduced by Tappan in 1955, but these
units were still too large and expensive for general home use. The countertop
microwave oven was first introduced in 1967 by the Amana Corporation, which was
acquired in 1965 by Raytheon.
What are the 13 colonies of the United States?
In the end the thirteen colonies were:
Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay,
Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina,
and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
What was the original name for Snickers?
The bar was marketed under the name
"Marathon" in the UK and Ireland until 19 July 1990, when Mars
decided to align the UK product with the global Snickers name (Mars had
marketed and discontinued an unrelated bar named Marathon in the United States
during the 1970s).
What was the first human invention to break the
sound barrier?
The cracking sound a bullwhip makes when
properly wielded is, in fact, a small sonic boom. The end of the whip, known as
the "cracker", moves faster than the speed of sound, thus creating a
sonic boom. The whip is probably the first human invention to break the sound
barrier.
Why do countries have stan at the end?
There are seven countries in Central Asia with
the suffix "-stan": Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The suffix comes from the Persian root
istan, or "land"—hence the "land of the Uzbeks," "land
of the Kazakhs," and so forth.
What state is bordered by only one other state?
Maine is the only state to border exactly one
other state (New Hampshire to the west). Maine is the easternmost state in the
United States both in its extreme points and its geographic center.
Are Hockey Pucks Frozen?
All NHL and AHL pucks are frozen before the
game. There are reasons for that. They glide smoother and faster when frozen,
and freezing eliminates bouncing. Since pucks are made of vulcanized rubber,
they tend to bounce like tennis balls when smacked with a stick.
How old was the oldest man to live?
Guinness World Records says the oldest living
person verified by original proof of birth is Misao Okawa, a 115-year-old
Japanese woman. The oldest verified age was 122 years and 164 days: Jeanne
Calment of France, who died in 1997.
How long can a Nile crocodile hold its breath?
They normally dive for only a few minutes, but
will stay underwater for up to 30 minutes if threatened, and if they remain
inactive they can hold their breath for up to two hours.
Why do you put steak on a black eye?
Raw steaks that have traditionally been put on
black eyes were done so because the meat is cold, not because it has any
special healing properties. Ice wrapped in a washcloth or a baggie of frozen veggies
are more suitable steak substitutes.
When was pizza made?
Supposedly, this pizza was first created by the
baker Raffaele Esposito in Naples. His creation was immediately a favorite, and
Esposito was called to make a pizza for the visit of King Umberto and Queen
Margherita of Italy in 1889.
Why does Japan get so many earthquakes?
Why Japan has so Many Earthquakes. Japan is
located along the Pacific “ring of fire”, on the edges of several continental
and oceanic tectonic plates. This is an area of high seismic and volcanic
activity from New Zealand, up through Japan, across to Alaska, and down the
west coasts of North and South America.
What animal smells like popcorn?
Binturongs smell like popcorn. Or popcorn
smells like binturongs. I guess it depends on your perspective. Either way,
when I stopped by the enclosure of the large, blue-grey bearcat at the San
Diego Zoo last month, the warm, buttery scent was unmistakable.
What percentage of the earth's water is frozen?
Of the three percent of the water that is not
in the ocean, about 69 percent is locked up in glaciers and icecaps. Ninety
percent of that frozen water is in Antarctica and about nine percent covers
Greenland. Of the remaining freshwater, 30 percent of it is groundwater,
captured below our feet.
Who was the first president to win the Nobel
Peace Prize?
Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president
to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
What does ipso facto mean?
Ipso facto is a Latin phrase, directly
translated as "by the fact itself," which means that a certain
phenomenon is a direct consequence, a resultant effect, of the action in
question, instead of being brought about by a previous action. It is a term of
art used in philosophy, law, and science.
Where is Gilmore Girls?
The show follows single mother Lorelai Gilmore
(Graham) and her daughter, also named Lorelai but who prefers to be called Rory
(Bledel), living in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. This is a
town filled with colorful characters, which is located approximately 30 minutes
from Hartford, Connecticut.
What NFL team won back to back Super Bowls
twice?
The record for consecutive wins is two and is
shared by seven franchises: the 1966–67 Green Bay Packers, the 1972–73 Miami
Dolphins, the 1974–75 and 1978–79 Pittsburgh Steelers (the only team to
accomplish this feat twice), the 1988–89 San Francisco 49ers, the 1992–93
Dallas Cowboys, the 1997–98 Denver ...
What makes a platypus a mammal?
The platypus is usually considered to be a
mammal because its features are like those of other mammals. For example, it
has hair over most of its body and has mammary glands that make milk for its
young. It also has pretty good temperature control so it can be called
warm-blooded.
What football teams have never been to the
Super Bowl?
They took their name off the dubious list of
teams that had never won the big game with their 43-8 thrashing of Denver. Four
franchises - the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and
Jacksonville Jaguars - have never even been to the Super Bowl.
What is the blue in blue cheese?
Blue Vein cheeses also called Blue cheese is a
generic term used to describe cheese produced with cow's milk, sheep's milk, or
goat's milk and ripened with cultures of the mold Penicillium. The final
product is characterized by green, grey, blue or black veins or spots of mold
throughout the body.
How long do dogs live on average?
Nearly 40% of small breed dogs live longer than
10 years, but only 13% of giant breed dogs live that long. The average 50-pound
dog will live 10 to 12 years. But giant breeds such as great Danes or
deerhounds are elderly at 6 to 8 years.
Do sea otters have pockets?
Under each foreleg, the sea otter has a loose
pouch of skin that extends across the chest. In this pouch (preferentially the
left one), the animal stores collected food to bring to the surface. This pouch
also holds a rock, unique to the otter, that is used to break open shellfish
and clams.
Do Huntsman make webs?
As adults, huntsman spiders do not build webs,
but hunt and forage for food: their diet consists primarily of insects and
other invertebrates, and occasionally small skinks and geckos. They live in the
crevices of tree bark, but will frequently wander into homes and vehicles.
How many calories are in a 2 liter of Coke?
If Coca-Cola followed that FDA proposal, a
label of a 2-liter bottle would have to say 800 Calories right on the front of
the package.
When was alcohol made legal again?
Alcohol consumption was never illegal under
federal law. Nationwide prohibition did not begin in the United States until
1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect,
and was repealed in 1933, with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment.
Are teeth part of the skeletal system?
Your teeth are also considered part of your
skeletal system but they are not counted as bones. Your teeth are made of
enamel and dentin. Enamel is the strongest substance in your body.
How long did it take to build the Taj Mahal?
It took 22 years to build it, they began
building it in 1631 and it was completed in 1653 and there were 20,000 workers
who helped. To build it there it costed 32 million rupees. Taj Mahal means
crown palace. It was the grave of Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber, the grave
of Shah Jahan was added to it later.
What determines the pitch of the sound?
Since pitch is such a close proxy for
frequency, it is almost entirely determined by how quickly the sound wave is
making the air vibrate and has almost nothing to do with the intensity, or
amplitude, of the wave.
Who was vice president during Lincoln's
administration?
Hannibal Hamlin (August 27, 1809 – July 4,
1891) was the 15th Vice President of the United States (1861–1865), serving
under President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. He was the first
Vice President from the Republican Party.
How much is the portrait of Mona Lisa worth?
Guinness World Records lists the Mona Lisa as
having the highest insurance value for a painting in history. On permanent
display at The Louvre museum in Paris, the Mona Lisa was assessed at US$100
million on December 14, 1962. Taking inflation into account, the 1962 value
would be around US$780 million today.
Which river rises in the Black Forest and flows
into the Black Sea?
The river rises in the Black Forest Mountains
of Germany and flows eastward into the Black Sea. The Danube River is an
important international waterway, flowing through or forming a part of the
borders of ten countries and through major cities such as Vienna, Bratislava,
Budapest, and Belgrade.
Are peanuts a nut?
Peanut Facts. While “nut” is in their name,
peanuts are in fact legumes. Peanuts actually grow underground, as opposed to
nuts like walnuts, almonds, etc. that grow on trees (and are sometimes referred
to as "tree nuts"). Peanuts, along with beans and peas, belong to the
single plant family, Leguminosae.
Which state has 1350 miles of coastline?
Florida has the longest coastline in the
contiguous United States, encompassing approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km),
and is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean.
Can fish breathe out of water?
Though some fish can breathe on land taking
oxygen from air, most of the fish, when taken out of water, suffocate and die.
This is because gill arches of fish collapse, when taken out of water, leaving
the blood vessels no longer exposed to oxygen in air.
Do ears grow all your life?
Bones, stop growing after puberty and muscle
and fat cells also stop dividing. But cartilage - that's the plastic-like stuff
in ears and noses - cartilage continues to grow until the day you die. Not only
does cartilage grow, but the earlobes elongate from gravity. And that makes
ears look even larger.
How much money do you get if you win the World
Cup?
COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil (AP) - FIFA will give
the 2014 World Cup winner $35 million in prize money, and all 32 competing
nations will get at least $8 million. The figures were agreed Thursday by
FIFA's executive committee as part of a $576 million fund.
When did the Rick Roll start?
The first known instance of a rickroll occurred
in May 2007 on /v/, 4chan's video game board, where a link to the Rick Astley
video was claimed to be a mirror of the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV
(which was unavailable due to heavy traffic).
How do you steer a hot air balloon?
During the flight, the pilot's only ability to
steer the balloon is the ability to climb or descend into wind currents going
different directions. Thus, it is important for the pilot to determine what
direction the wind is blowing at altitudes other than the balloon's altitude.
What do you call a female horse?
The word can also be used for other female
equine animals, particularly mules and zebras, though a female donkey is
usually called a "jenny." A broodmare is a mare used for breeding. A
horse's female parent is known as its dam. An adult male horse is called a
stallion, or, if castrated, a gelding.
Which is the largest carnivorous land animal?
Today's large carnivorous land mammals,
including the record-setting polar bears—which usually weigh around half a ton
but can grow to weigh nearly a ton, are threatened in part because of the
energy intake-and-expenditure equation, Carbone told LiveScience.
What makes popcorn pop?
Popcorn is a special kind of corn. Of all the
types of corn, popcorn is the only variety that pops. Inside each kernel of
popcorn is a tiny droplet of water surrounded by a hard shell called a hull. As
the popcorn is heated, the water turns into steam, which builds pressure inside
the kernel.
What makes popcorn pop?
Popcorn is a special kind of corn. Of all the
types of corn, popcorn is the only variety that pops. Inside each kernel of
popcorn is a tiny droplet of water surrounded by a hard shell called a hull. As
the popcorn is heated, the water turns into steam, which builds pressure inside
the kernel.
Are dogs and wolves canines?
Dogs belong to the taxonomic family Canidae
(canines) which is divided into two tribes: those related to wolves (Canini)
and those related to foxes (Vulpini). A couple of canine species lay outside
these two tribes, but hyenas are not canines.
How many countries have a mcdonalds?
McDonald's Corp. is the world's largest
restaurant chain, with 34,480 restaurants in 119 countries. The burger chain
has famously gone where few fast-food chains have gone before as a symbol—for
better or worse – of capitalism.
Which president served in both world wars?
Dwight Eisenhower later served as US Army Chief
of Staff and was elected President of the United States in 1952. Lt. Gen. James
Gavin was a noted American airborne commander during World War II.
Who is the oldest person on earth?
According to the Guinness World Records, the
eldest person in the world was Jeanne Louise Calment, a Frenchwoman (1875-
1997) who died when she was 122. As for the oldest living person today, the
organization considers it to be a Japanese woman, Misao Okawa, who is 116 years
old (b. 1898).
Is there an aurora borealis at the South Pole?
This results in an oval ring around each
magnetic pole where auroras occur. The north pole aurora is called the aurora
borealis and the aurora at the south pole is called the aurora australis.
Depending on the level of recent solar activity, there may or may not be
visible auroral activity all the way around the ring.
What does the G on the Green Bay Packers helmet
stand for?
While everyone assumes the "G" stands
for "Green Bay," the oval logo actually stands for
"Greatness." The Packers hold a trademark on the logo which was
created by equipment manager George Braisher back in 1961.
Which planet does not have a satellite?
Planets around other stars are likely to have
natural satellites as well, although none have been observed. Of the inner
planets, Mercury and Venus have no moons; Earth has one large moon, known as
the Moon; and Mars has two tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos.
What is the Hundred Schools of Thought?
The Hundred Schools of Thought were
philosophers and schools that flourished from the 6th century to 221 BC, during
the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China.
What continent has the smallest population?
Geography:Australia is smallest, youngest
continent, with the lowest population density. It is often said that Australia
lies at the edge of the world, divided from other continents by long distances.
Australia is located south-east of Asia.
What vitamin is good for blood clotting?
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is most
well known for the important role it plays in blood clotting. However, vitamin
K is also absolutely essential to building strong bones, preventing heart
disease, and crucial part ofother bodily processes.
How deep does a whale go in the ocean?
They have been tracked by sonar diving to
depths of 3,900 feet. However, one Sperm whale caught by a whaling ship in
water 10,000 feet deep had a bottom-dwelling shark in its stomach, leading
researchers to believe that the Sperm whale can dive a lot deeper than seems
possible.
Why does the earth act like a magnet?
Earth's magnetic field is mostly caused by
electric currents in the liquid outer core, which is composed of conductive,
molten iron. Loops of currents in the constantly moving, liquid iron create
magnetic fields. From afar, the Earth looks like a big magnet with a north and
south pole like any other magnet.
Who was the first to circumnavigate the globe?
We all know Ferdinand Magellan as the leader of
the first voyage to circumnavigate the globe, but that's not the only
fascinating aspect of the famed Portuguese explorer's journey.
How high is Calgary above sea level?
Calgary's elevation is approximately 1,048 m (3,438
ft) above sea level downtown, and 1,084 m (3,557 ft) at the airport. The city
proper covers a land area of 726.5 km2 (280.5 sq mi) (as of 2006) and as such
exceeds the land area of the City of Toronto.