Sunday, December 19, 2010

Did you know~12

* ...that the Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever attracts waterfowl by making a fool of itself?
* ...that the 1702 Spanish treasure fleet was destroyed in the Battle of Vigo Bay?
* ...that the Canis Minor Dwarf Galaxy is our nearest galactic neighbor?
* ...that the Melisende Psalter, produced in the 12th century, is the most notable example of Crusader art?
* ...that Indiana's Eel River once served as informal boundary between the lands of the Potawatomi people in the north and Miami people in the south?
* ...that in 1960 the American Ballet Theatre became the first American ballet company to perform in the Soviet Union?
* ...that the Milky Way's galactic halo contains many globular clusters?
* ...that the Thor, Baldur and Vidar are the best-known sons of Odin but that Snorri Sturluson names at least five others?
* ...that during the Great Depression confidence man Oscar Hartzell defrauded thousands of people with false promises of access to the estate of Sir Francis Drake?
* ...that more than 50 members of the Diet of Japan were involved in the Recruit Scandal of the 1980s?
* ...that holy cards are an important devotional practice for many Roman Catholics?
* ...that the Death's Head moth is named for the mark on its back, which resembles a human skull?
* ...that St. George, Bermuda was founded by sailors headed for Plymouth Colony in Virginia?
* ...that chalcocite, a profitable and desirable kind of copper ore, was particularly plentiful in the now-depleted copper mines of Cornwall, England and Bristol, Connecticut?
* ...that the Cementerio General de Santiago is the final resting place for Chilean presidents?
* ...that Colin Pitchfork was the first person to be convicted using DNA fingerprinting?
* ...that the casque of the Tarictic Hornbill is hollow and made of keratin?
* ...that the death toll from the 1942 Sook Ching massacre is unknown, but probably lies between 25,000 and 50,000?
* ...that in Pac-Mania Pac-Man has the ability to jump?
* ...that the larvae of the horse-chestnut leaf miner moth destroy the leaves of the horse-chestnut tree?
* ...that Danielle Reyes finished second place on the American version of Big Brother in 2002?
* ...that in the United States, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its Republican counterpart promote the election of members of their respective parties to the United States Congress?
* ...that the IBM 350 was the first important milestone in early IBM disk storage?
* ...that in the presence of risk, subjective expected utility is a valuable method used in economic decision theory?
* ...that Stella McCartney, the fashion designer daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney, studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design?
* ...that the Office of the United States Trade Representative tried to stop Singapore from hosting the first World Trade Organization ministeral meeting because of the caning of Michael P. Fay?
* ...that according to Buys-Ballot's law wind travels counterclockwise around low pressure zones in the Northern Hemisphere?
* ...that the extreme points of the United Kingdom include Out Stack as the northernmost, Rockall as the westernmost, The Lizard as the southernmost and Lowestoft Ness as the easternmost?
* ...that the Rosa canina was often planted in victory gardens during World War II?
* ...that the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was responsible for American weights and measures from 1836 until the establishment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1901?
* ...that Youppi of the Montreal Expos was the first mascot to be thrown out of a major league baseball game?
* ...that the Malmedy massacre trial is often used in extreme right-wing German propaganda?
* ...that enharmonic scales are the third genus of musical scales?
* ...that no admiral has ever served as Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces?
* ...that many of Ford Motor Company's car makes are based on the same automobile platform?
* ...that Cairine Wilson was Canada's first female senator?
* ...that that the Fifth and Sixth Crusades were turned back by Al-Kamil, a nephew of Saladin?
* ...that actuarial notation uses a halo system with superscript or subscript symbols placed before or after the main letter?
* ...that script breakdowns are the intermediate step between script and production in theater, film, television and comic books?
* ...that Chidiock Tichborne wrote his only known poem on the eve of his execution for treason?
* ...that sidewinding is unique to caenophidian snakes like vipers?
* ...that seven countries have more than one capital city?
* ...that Kolkota, India is called the City of Palaces because of its abundance of European-style buildings?
* ...that in basketball technical fouls are rule violations that occur outside the play of the game?
* ...that Jane Avril was the inspiration for Nicole Kidman's character in the film Moulin Rouge!?
* ...that bond convexity is a measure of the sensitivity of bond prices to interest rate changes?
* ...that Chetham's Library in Manchester, England is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world?
* ...that Dunash ben Labrat, a medieval Jewish writer, introduced Arabic language poetic meter into Hebrew poetry?
* ...that blue boxes used for phreaking were also called Spiros, a reference to disgraced Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew?
* ...that, according to legend, one of the Holy Nails used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was incorporated into the Iron Crown of Lombardy?