Here comes the sky choo-choo!
The Month Whose Name Means ‘Ten’
Confusingly enough, it’s December, the 12th month. Thanks, Romans!
The Highest Continuously Paved Road in the U.S.
Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, reaching 12,183 feet about sea level, is the highest road that welcomes those lowly two-wheel-drive cars.
Bjorn Borg Set A Record Through Pure Stubbornness
The Swedish tennis player was the last person to use a wooden tennis racket in competition, all the way into the early 1990s. No touching underdog story arose, however, and Borg’s racket proved why the world had moved on.
Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day, and Neither Was the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Or as it was known back then, “The Tower of Pisa.” It took a whopping 200 years to complete, and they still messed it up.
Button’s Unique Unit of Measurement
To this day, the diameter of a button is denoted in “ligne.”
How Much of An Average Life Is Spent at Red Lights
When it comes time to cross to the afterlife, you’ll likely have wasted four months of your precious life waiting at traffic lights.
African Dung Beetles’ Outlandish Navigation System
African dung beetles are the only species that’s known to navigate with the guidance of something a little larger than themselves: the Milky Way.
Duran Duran’s Sci-Fi Roots
Rock band Duran Duran gets their name from a scientist named Dr. Durand Durand in the less-than-safe-for-work sci-fi cult classic Barbarella, featuring, of course, Jane Fonda.
Before the Brolly Was ‘The Robinson’
Umbrellas were originally nicknamed “Robinsons” in England thanks to the novel Robinson Crusoe, in which the titular hero invents them.
One of the World’s Luckiest Sick Days
Astronaut Ken Mattingly must have been bummed when he had to miss a scheduled mission to space after exposure to rubella. Though maybe a little less bummed after it turned out to be the doomed Apollo 13 mission. He still performed a hero’s role here on Earth, however, helping bring the astronauts safely back.
Delicious Mayan Money
It turns out that the Mayan culture likely used cacao beans as a form of currency.
The Year Your Parents Got That Fine China
Though these days it’s usually seen as the “platinum” anniversary, the traditional gift for a 20th wedding anniversary used to be a set of china.