The state flower of Massachusetts is the mayflower.
The statue by Auguste Rodin that has come to be called "The Thinker" was not meant to be a portrait of a man in thought. It is a portrait of the poet Dante.
The first hot air balloon to carry passengers was invented by the Montgolfier brothers in France in 1783. It flew five miles. The air in a hot air balloon is about 212 degrees.
The Switchback Railroad, the world's first roller coaster, opened at Coney Island, New York, on June 13, 1884. Passengers seated sideways rode an unsophisticated train on tracks over a wooden structure 600 feet long. The train started at a height of 50 feet on one end and ran downhill by gravity until its momentum died. Passengers left the train and attendants pushed the cars over a switch to a higher level. The passengers then returned to their seats and rode back to the original starting point. Admission was 5 cents. Creator Lamarcus Thompson grossed an average $600 per day. In 1998 dollars, that translates to $12,000.
The first Jewish member of the British House of Commons was Lionel Nathan Rothschild of the prominent family of European bankers. He did not assume his seat for eleven years, until Parliament finally let him take the oath in a manner acceptable to his Jewish faith.
Pieces of bread were used to erase lead pencil before rubber came into use.
The synthetic fabric of the 1970s, Gore-Tex is made with Teflon.
The first known item made from aluminum was a rattle — made for Napoleon III in the 1850s. Napoleon also provided his most honored guests with knives and forks made of pure aluminum. At the time, the newly discovered metal was so rare, it was considered more valuable than gold.
Playing cards in India are round.
In the 1900 Sears Roebuck company catalog, a piano cost $98.00 - FOB Chicago.
The Tuna Club in southern California is the oldest fishing club in the country. Its members have included Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, General George S. Patton, Charlie Chaplin, and Bing Crosby.
The first operators employed by the Bell Telephone Company were young boys who worked standing up. Only after several years did it occur to anybody to provide them with chairs.
Playland-At-The-Beach was an essential part of life in San Francisco during most of the twentieth century. With rides, games, snack bars, and amusements, Playland-At-The-Beach was San Francisco’s Coney Island. The famous Big Dipper Roller Coaster at the end of Fulton Street was the essential landmark at Playland-At-The-Beach. It opened in 1922, and was, for many years, the largest roller coaster west of the Mississippi River.
In the city of Reykjavik, Iceland, one can see the stars eighteen hours a day during the heart of the winter. During the summer, sunlight is visible 24 hours a day.
The twenty-first century will begin on January 1, 2001. (January 1, 2000 will be the first day of the last year of the twentieth century.)
Politically and socially, Switzerland is one of the most stable nations in the world. This is remarkable, considering its small size and limited supply of primary resources. The country also has significant ethnic diversity.
In the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, weaving skills are treasured, and a colorful, well-made shawl worn by an unmarried woman advises potential husbands of its wearer’s dexterity.
The first telephone book ever issued contained only 50 names. It was published in New Haven, Connecticut, by the New Haven District Telephone Company in February, 1878.
The U.S. Automobile Association was formed in 1905 for the purpose or providing "scouts" who could warn motorists of hidden police traps.
Portions of the Bible have been printed in 2,212 languages. A complete Bible exists in 366 languages; an additional 928 languages have a New Testament; and 918 have at least one book of the Bible.
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