Trivia

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I did  not  know that  is  to  about 10  days  to  go from  Missouri  to  California===and that is took stage coaches 24 days

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Microsoft

On April 4, 1975, Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about the goliath tech company started by two software geeks...

The Word Microsoft Was First Mentioned Was in a Letter

Bill Gates originally called the company Micro-soft, which is a combination of the words microcomputer and software. However, the name lost the hyphen when it was registered in New Mexico in 1976. The company’s first big client was Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS).

Microsoft Is Into Codenames, a Little Bit Like the Secret Service

Microsoft loves to use codenames for its projects, which helps distinguish projects their engineers are working on and helps to disguise them from potential competitors. The company has come up with some inventive codenames, such as Darwin for the Windows Installer and Hydra for multiple services because the mythical monster had a number of heads. Their personal finance software was Flintstones themed, using the codenames Barney and Betty.

People Who Work at Microsoft Must Have a Real Sweet Tooth

Those who work at Microsoft believe in tradition, and they are expected to bring M&Ms to the office on the anniversary of their employment. How many they bring depends on the number of years they have worked there. When you have to bring one pound of M&Ms for each year you’ve worked for Microsoft, that can result in a boon for local dentists if you’ve worked there for a long time.

The Company Keeps the U.S. Patent Office Busy

Microsoft applies for about 3,000 new patents each year and holds more than 10,000. That makes the company among the top U.S. patent holders. Most of the patents have to do with software developed by the company. Their 5,000th patent related to technology developed for Xbox 360, allowing people to watch video games from a remote location.

Employees of the Company Call Themselves “Softies

Employees at Microsoft tend to call themselves “Softies,” and on average, they are represented by males, age 38, who brings in an average salary as a developer of $106,000. The campus at Microsoft employs about 88,000 people across more than 32 million square feet of space. The male workforce constitutes 76 percent of Microsoft’s employees in the United States.

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I did not  know that the  people that  work there bring a  pound of  M&M'S for  each  year they work  there

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Howard Hughes

On April 5, 1976, the reclusive and mysterious billionaire Howard Hughes died at age 70. Hughes was a real estate mogul, a successful Hollywood producer, and a record-setting aviator. Here are 5 things you didn't know about Howard Hughes...

Hughes Became a Millionaire at age 18

Hughes’ father, Howard Sr., was a dropout from Harvard who made his way to Texas to work in the oil industry as a wildcatter. After inventing a new drill bit that made drilling for oil easier, he went into business with a partner to manufacture it. The younger Hughes, whose mother had previously died, inherited that company from his father at age 18, after his father died. It made him a millionaire.

Hughes Set Not One, but Two Speed Records

The first speed record Hughes set was on January 13, 1936, in his H-1 Racer monoplane, where it was clocked at 352 mph at a course near Santa Ana, California. The metal and wood single-seat plane took Hughes 18 months to design and build, and was tested at the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at Caltech in a wind tunnel. On January 19, 1937, he flew across the country from Burbank, California to Newark, New Jersey, in a speed that cut the current record by 75 seconds.

His Famous Wooden Airplane Only Took to the Skies Once

Hughes had a U.S. government contract during World War II to construct an aircraft that could be used to transport up to 700 troops or carry 60 tons overseas. The Spruce Goose, constructed of birch, was the biggest aircraft up-to-date with a 320-foot wingspan. In 1947, following the end of the war, Hughes piloted the plane for around a mile at Long Beach, California, above the water, and this was the only time it ever flew.

His Severe Phobias Turned Him Into a Recluse

About 30 years before his death, Hughes' phobias took over, and he spent the rest of his life in hotel rooms to avoid germs. He wore tissue boxes as footwear to keep himself germ-free. His extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder caused him to go so far as to write a manual for his staff on how to open canned peaches, which included removing the label first, washing the can until bare metal showed, rewashing it and not touching the can to the bowl they were pouring the fruit into. As he got older, he rarely brushed his teeth, bathed or trimmed his nails and hair, but he insisted that his staff put paper towels over their hands when they served his food.

He Was as Controversial After Death as He Was When He Was Alive

Hughes died of kidney failure on a flight from a hotel in Mexico to a medical facility in Texas, but the drama didn’t stop there. He died intestate, having sired no children, though many fake wills showed up that claimed a part of his estate. Eventually, the estate was split between 22 cousins, with Hughes Aircraft going to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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I  did not  know  that  he  became a  millionaire  when  his  father  died  and  inherited  his  father's  company

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Henry Ford_2

Auto pioneer Henry Ford died on April 7, 1947, after a lifetime of innovation that led to the rapid spread of the automobile as a form of transportation.  Here are five things you didn't know about Henry Ford...

The Name of the Edsel Was Not the First Choice

The Ford Edsel, released in the 1950s, was really a disaster. It was poorly timed (released as a recession was beginning), poorly made, poorly designed (there were 18 different versions that were supposedly based on consumer research — yet the designers ignored most of the actual research), and, well, poorly everything. And it was named after a dead man. While some might see that as a tribute, others no doubt would have been turned off the car by the association. The Edsel was named after Edsel Ford, a son of Henry's who had died in the 1940s. The Ford company and Edsel's widow actually did not want to name the car after him, but the company had so much trouble coming up with another name that when a vice president at the company advised that they should call the car Edsel, the company and Edsel's widow agreed. Edsel himself, by the way, was named after Henry Ford's co-worker and friend, Edsel Ruddiman.

Ford Got His Start Inventing Cars With a Job That He Worked 24 Hours a Day — With No Set Hours

Ford landed a job with the Detroit Edison Company as the main engineer. His job was essentially to fix problems in the system, and that meant he was on-call 24 hours each day. However, that meant that instead of being stuck in an office for set hours, Ford could tinker around with his cars when he wasn't handling electrical issues.

He Kept Losing Investors Because He Didn't Want to Release a Passenger Car

Ford's investors wanted him to come up with a passenger car that could be mass-marketed. But Ford kept putting that off, instead preferring to work on race cars (or what were considered race cars in the early 1900s) and keep improving existing models, instead of coming up with anything new. As a result, investors kept dropping him; there was no sense in staying with him if he wasn't going to deliver goods that could make back the money that investors had given him.

Ford Invented the Charcoal Briquet. And Yes, That's How Kingsford Spells It

If you're planning to use a charcoal grill over the spring and summer, and you're buying briquets for the grill, you can thank Henry Ford for that in addition to car designs. Ford wanted to do something with the wood waste that his company produced and found that he could turn it into small charcoal squares that lit easily. He began marketing the charcoal briquets (not briquettes, as it's sometimes spelled) and eventually renamed the company Kingsford, after Edward Kingsford, his brother-in-law who helped him find the location that would supply wood for his sawmill.

Ford Had to Basically Crowdfund to Finance His New Car Company

Remember those race cars that Ford worked on instead of designing a passenger car, so his investors left? Ford eventually came around and designed a car that could be sold to the general public. By that time he had left the Henry Ford Company, so he wanted to start a new company, the Ford Motor Company. However, he had annoyed so many backers and local wealthy citizens that he basically had to crowdfund to get the money to start up his venture.

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I  did  not  know  that  he  work on  race cars=====I  did  not  know that  he  made  charcoal for  grilling

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Margaret Thatcher_2

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died on April 8, 2013. Known to many as the Iron Lady, she was the longest-serving prime minister in the 20th century and the first female British PM. Here are five things you didn't know about Margaret Thatcher...

She Was Instrumental in Developing Soft-Serve Ice Cream

Every time you get soft-serve ice cream, you can thank the Iron Lady herself. Before moving into politics, Thatcher was a food scientist who had studied chemistry. At one point, she and other scientists worked on a project to add air to ice cream, which would produce a product with fewer ingredients to save companies money. The result was a softer ice cream with the consistency of whipped topping. The product became known in the UK as Mr. Whippy.

Her Unpopular Reputation Was Cemented After a Particular Cut to Britain's Budget

Thatcher's move into politics wasn't easy, and in fact, in the 1970s, she had to come up with major budget cuts. One cut she made was to a children's school milk program in which children up to age 11 would receive free milk at school. The program was a remnant of wartime Britain. While some claimed the students didn't like the milk and that it was often warm, others were outraged that the program was ending (and in fact, some students held a long grudge against Thatcher as a result). While the program continued for children under 7 (and Thatcher later expressed remorse), the nickname "Thatcher, Thatcher, Milk Snatcher" stuck.

She Was Nearly Assassinated in 1984

It's been a long time since violence in Northern Ireland and bombings by the Irish Republican Army and Unionist counterparts were in the news, but in the 1980s, stories of killings, beatings, and more were commonplace as Northern Ireland dealt with "the Troubles." Some of these violent acts made their way over to England, including an assassination attempt on Thatcher's life in 1984. A bomb planted by an IRA member at her hotel in Brighton didn't kill her (obviously), but it killed five other people.

While Many Mourned, Some Took to the Street to Actually Celebrate Her Death

After Thatcher's death in 2013, many papers ran tributes and biographies, and many heads of different countries offered their condolences. But many other people actually celebrated, holding street parties. Whether they remembered the end of the milk program, protested against a poll tax, or dealt with her attacks on unions and the NHS, the crowds wanted to show how glad they were that she was gone. Signs marking her death and chants calling her things like a witch were common.

She's the Subject of a Public Holiday in the Falkland Islands

Thatcher acted quickly when Argentina tried to take over the Falkland Islands, a British territory off the coast of Argentina. The result was a two-month battle that saw the UK retain control over the area. As a tribute to Thatcher, the Falkland Islands celebrate Margaret Thatcher Day every January 10.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Civil War

On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Here are 5 things you didn't know about the Civil War...

Many of the Combatants During the Civil War Weren’t Home-Grown

The Union Army during the Civil War was multinational and multicultural, made up of 10 percent German and 7.5 percent Irish immigrants, as well as a high number of French, Polish, Scottish, English and Italian soldiers. In 25 percent of the regiments, foreigners made up the majority of the soldiers. In 1863, African Americans were allowed to enter the Union Army, and some believe this may have contributed to the Union victory in the war.

The U.S. Secretary of War Thought General Sherman Was Crazy

William Tecumseh Sherman commanded the Kentucky forces for the Union in October 1861 when he requested 60,000 soldiers to help defend his territory and 200,000 to attack the Confederates. Simon Cameron, the U.S. Secretary of War, removed Sherman from his command, calling his request “insane.” In 1862, Sherman was assigned to Paducah, Kentucky, by U.S. Grant, who was his friend and supporter, seeing in him a competent military leader, and the rest is history.

Some Men Had Glow in the Dark Wounds After One Battle

Following the 1862 Battle of Shiloh, soldiers appeared with wounds that glowed in the dark after laying in the mud for several days. One thing that doctors noticed was that their wounds healed better than others. In 2001, two Maryland teens determined that the soldiers' body temperatures were lowered by being in the cold mud for so long, which made ideal conditions for Photorhabdus luninescens, a bacterium that inhibits pathogens and is bioluminescent.

Women During the Civil War Didn’t Just Sit at Home

Women were involved heavily in the Civil War, making uniforms, tents and flags as well as serving as nurses for both the North and South. However, hundreds of women on both sides disguised themselves and fought as men during the war. Others served as spies, such as Virginia’s Elizabeth Van Lew, who used hollowed-out eggs to convey information to the military.

Robert E. Lee’s Estate Became Arlington Cemetery

Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Mary, his wife, had to flee their large estate in Virginia, which was called Arlington and overlooked Washington, D.C. The U.S. government confiscated the property in 1863 for back taxes of $92.07 and allowed a cemetery to be located there. The government eventually tried to give the property back to George Washington Custis Lee, Robert E. Lee’s oldest son, but he sold it for $150,000 to the government, and now it is known as Arlington National Cemetery.

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I  did  not know about  how she  was  involved  in  making  soft ice  cream

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I did  not  know  how the  National Arlington  Cemetery  was  the  land that  belong  to  ROBERT  LEE  

and that the  U.S.  GOVERENT  took  it  over 

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5 Things to Know About The Breakup of The Beatles

On April 10, 1970, Paul McCartney announced that the Beatles, who had performed together for eight years, were going their separate ways. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the breakup of one of the most successful rock-and-roll bands in history...

Both George Harrison and Ringo Starr Had Left the Group Before

Harrison temporarily walked out on the group because of the tensions on January 10, 1969. Ringo Starr had walked out previously during a recording session on August 22, 1968. He said that he felt like an outsider and wasn’t performing well. McCartney filled in on the drums during the recording of “Dear Prudence” and “Back in the U.S.S.R.” but asked Starr to come back, saying that they loved him and that he was the world’s best drummer.

Yoko Ono Didn’t Cause the Breakup of the Beatles

Rumors went around at the time that John Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, was the cause of the band’s breakup. Paul McCartney, the group’s bass player, stated in an interview that Lennon was ready to leave and tired of the unhealthy rivalry between band members.

Lennon Formed Another Band Before the Breakup Was Announced

Lennon was starting independent projects apart from the Beatles when he and his wife formed the Plastic Ono Band in 1969. The couple first recorded an experimental album together in 1968, and they worked together on “Revolution 9,” which appeared in the “White Album.” Lennon also performed with the Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival, inviting George Harrison to perform as well, but Harrison said no.

A Change in Managers May Have Added to the Breakup

In 1969, the Beatles agreed to hire new managers, John and Lee Eastman, to handle contract negotiations for them. The following April, about one month after McCartney’s marriage to Linda Eastman, Lee’s daughter, the other members of the group changed their minds and wanted to hire the former manager for the Rolling Stones, who happened to be Lennon’s personal manager.

The Members of the Beatles Had Developed Other Interests

John Lennon became interested in developing new projects with his conceptual artist wife, Yoko Ono. George Harrison became interested in Indian philosophy and music, creating his own album, “Wonderwall Music,” and Ringo Starr was interested in appearing in films. Paul McCartney retained his love of the Beatles but went on to create the band called Wings, along with his wife.

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I  did  not  know  that both  RINGO  STARR and  GEORGE HARRISON  had   left  before

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Napoleon_3

On April 11, 1814, Napoleon was exiled to Elba after he was forced to abdicate as Emperor of France. Learn the truth about Napoleon, “The Little Corporal,” from his real height to his failure after invading Russia and how he might have died...

Napoleon Wasn’t Short

Napoleon was actually tall for this period of history, and although he is commonly reported as having been 5’2” inches tall, this was measured in French units. By modern standards, he would have been about 5’7”, while the average Frenchman of the day was 5’5”. One thing that might have added to the myth is that his guards were a lot larger than he was, which is where he may have gotten his nickname, “The Little Corporal.”

He Was Once Arrested for Treason

Following the French “Reign of Terror,” Napoleon was arrested on suspicion of treason after he was praised by Augustin Robespierre, who happened to be the brother of the French leader associated with the French Revolution. Napoleon was released after several weeks after the investigation went nowhere and never lost his position in the army. Following this, he was involved in repelling an attack by royalists on Paris, and then went on to lead France’s conquest of the northern part of Italy, which raised his prominence in France.

Napoleon Staged a Coup to Take Over Control of France

The French Revolution wasn’t a stranger to coups d’état, but the last was conducted by Napoleon after he returned to France in October 1799 following a military campaign in Egypt. The plot to overthrow the government included high-level officials, and on November 9, they, along with Napoleon, overthrew the Directory that was in charge of running the country. After an actual fight in the legislature, troops cleared the building and the new government was set up with Napoleon as first consul.

Napoleon’s Luck Ran Out in 1812

Napoleon scored numerous military victories, but he ran out of luck in 1812 when he invaded Russia supposedly to punish the czar for refusing to comply with the British trade embargo. Napoleon’s army, estimated at between 450,000 and 650,000 troops, moved through the country as the Russians retreated, burning everything behind them. By the time the French reached Moscow, which the Russians had torched also, Napoleon had realized that his troops, already decimated by disease and desertions, would not survive there over the winter. When the French army tried to leave Russia, the number of troops was down to just a fraction of what it was before because the Russians followed, attacking the French rear and flanks, and the difficult weather and lack of supplies did the rest.

The Great French Leader Probably Didn’t Die of Poisoning

Three weeks before Napoleon died, he wrote out his will, saying that he was dying because he was being murdered by an assassin sent by the English. The rumor that Napoleon was poisoned by arsenic was reinforced when his body was exhumed to rebury it in Paris in 1840. It was found to be in remarkably good condition, and it is known that arsenic slows decomposition. However, another theory suggests that Napoleon’s exposure to arsenic might have come from the wallpaper at the prison where he was incarcerated because green wallpapers, which were popular during the 19th century, contained arsenic as a way to get the bright color.

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I did not know  about  Napoleon  guards were  taller than  him===Also  I  did  not  know about the  different  measurements

to  tell  how  tall  he  was

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5 Things You Didn't Know About FDR

On April 12, 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, died while on vacation in Warm Springs, Georgia. Here are five things you didn't know about the only U.S. president to be elected four times...

Roosevelt Married a Distant Cousin

Roosevelt was married on March 17, 1905, to Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, who was his fifth cousin once removed. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was another distant cousin and escorted Eleanor at the wedding as a substitute for her late father. Eleanor was Teddy Roosevelt’s niece.

His First Run for a National Office Was a Dismal Failure

Roosevelt was nominated in 1920 to run for vice president with Ohio Governor James Cox, the Democratic party’s pick for president. However, Warren G. Harding and his running mate, Calvin Coolidge, won by a wide margin. Harding picked up around 76 percent of the electoral vote and 60 percent of the popular vote.

He Was an Avid Stamp Collector

Even U.S. presidents can have hobbies, and FDR’s was stamp collecting because he appreciated their connection to history and geography. When he died, his collection contained more than 1,200,000 stamps, most of which were worth little, but it brought in $228,000 at public auction. The foreign stamps were retained and are kept at the Roosevelt Library.

Roosevelt Concealed His Disability

Roosevelt contracted a severe case of polio in 1921, which left the lower portion of his body paralyzed. Although people knew that he had suffered this disabling disease, he went to great lengths to hide exactly how disabled he was. Most of the photos of FDR that were taken after he became disabled show him standing at a podium or seated, and Secret Service agents were known to remove the film from photographer’s cameras when they attempted to catch a pic of the president walking.

An Assassination Attempt Was Made on His Life

On February 15, 1933, shortly after Roosevelt delivered a speech in Miami, an out-of-work bricklayer fired six shots toward the president, which struck five people, including the Chicago Mayor, Anton Cermak. The shooter said he did so because he hated rich people. Roosevelt, at the time, was president-elect and had not been sworn in, so some believe the assassin’s bullet was meant for Cermak, who died of his wound a few weeks later.

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I did  not  know that his  wife  was is  5th  cousin  and that  she  was  TEDDY ROOSEVELT niece

I  also  did not  know that  he  collected  stamps  from  all  over the  world

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Lincoln Assassination

On the night of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Here are five things you didn't know about the Lincoln assassination...

Lincoln Was Not the Only Target That Night

The plan that night was more extensive than just having Booth shoot Lincoln. He wanted his co-conspirators to assassinate additional officials. The plan was that Booth would shoot Lincoln at the theater, Lewis T. Powell and David Herold would assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward in Seward's home, and George A. Atzerodt would kill Vice President Andrew Johnson. All of the murders would happen around the same time that night. As it happened, only Booth succeeded (in, oddly, the most public venue of the three places); Atzerodt lost his nerve and didn't carry out his job while Powell wounded Seward and three others but did not kill Seward.

There Were Already Fears of Assassination Attempts Floating Around the Government

Lincoln had been planning to see the production of "Our American Cousin" but was advised against going out. Earlier that day, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and other government officials had warned the president that there were fears someone might try to harm him, not necessarily at the theater specifically, but just in general, and they were wary of him being in such unprotected and open circumstances. However, despite being tired and despite Mary Todd Lincoln complaining of a headache, Lincoln wanted to go, claiming the play would provide a welcome break.

John Wilkes Booth Hoped the Assassination Would Destroy the U.S. Government

Booth's ambitions were grandiose. He didn't just want to harm the president; he wanted to destroy the current U.S. government. His idea was to kill off the three most important officials in the government and bring everything to a halt, creating a sort of morbid government shutdown.

Booth Kept a Diary While on the Run

Some people are determined to record themselves and what they perceive as their accomplishment, no matter how bad the actual act. Booth apparently was of the same mind as he actually kept a diary while hiding. He recorded his disbelief at the fact that people didn't like what he'd done and that he was not receiving the accolades that he thought he deserved.

Booth May Have Killed Himself

What officials know about Booth's death was that he and Herold were hiding in a barn in Virginia, and when the two were found, Herold surrendered, apparently due to a threat that the barn would be set on fire. Booth died of a gunshot wound. What is not completely known is whether the shot was fired by one of the people who found Booth, or by Booth himself while the barn burned. There are also rumors that Booth actually escaped, but no evidence was ever presented to show that the dead man in the barn was not Booth.

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5 Things You Didn't Know The RMS Titanic_2

On April 15, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, killing over half her passengers and crew. The supposedly unsinkable ship suffered from some design failures and planning mishaps that all led to one of the worst maritime disasters in history. Here are five things you didn't know about the sinking of the Titanic...

The Lifeboat Situation Was Even More Screwed up Than the Typical Titanic Story Lets On

We know that the ship was carrying only enough lifeboats to help maybe half of the ship's population, if that. But the story is even worse when you look at the details and the excuses made after the ship sank. Not only were there fewer lifeboats because people thought the ship was unsinkable, but the number was also cut because the full complement of lifeboats that the Titanic could carry gave a cluttered impression. In other words, aesthetics won out over safety.

The mechanism that lowered the boats to the water may have been too weak to lower a filled lifeboat, too. And worst of all, an inquiry after the sinking found bizarre excuses like not needing more lifeboats because the route was so well-traveled that there was little collision risk (one would think more boat traffic would increase collision risk). Also, wrap your brain around this one, the Titanic should have had fewer lifeboats because more people supposedly would have rushed to what few lifeboats were there, filling them all to capacity and saving more people. Never mind that the boats that the Titanic did have wouldn't have saved everyone even if they were all filled. Way to pass the buck, people.

Planet Alignment and Tidal Effects May Have Played a Role

One of the many different influences at work that year was a rare alignment between the Earth, sun, and moon. On January 3-4, 1912, the sun, moon, and Earth were all very close to each other in terms of orbit. The Earth's perihelion -- the point in its orbit where it is closest to the sun -- occurred on the 3rd, and the moon's perigee -- the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Earth -- occurred on the 4th. What's more, that particular perigee was the closest in nearly 1,400 years, and it was just before a full moon. Astronomers at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, realized that the tidal effects of that series of astronomical events might have contributed to calving of glaciers in Greenland. Icebergs that formed there and then headed south could have reached the Titanic's course by April.

One Little Key Might Have Prevented the Collision

A number of factors contributed to the sinking of the ship, of course, but being able to spot icebergs ahead of time, so the ship could turn away, would have really helped. And the ship did carry binoculars that lookouts could have used. However, the binoculars were all locked away -- and the one key that could have given the crew access was carried by a crew member who was dropped from the ship's crew in England. It's not guaranteed that the binoculars definitely would have made a difference, but they would have been another tool that could have had a positive effect.

The Bulkhead Design Gave New Meaning to the Term "Cutting Corners"

Bulkheads serve a number of purposes, but one of those is to contain leaks due to hull breaches. Ships are supposed to have several separate compartments forming the bulkhead. If a part of the ship's hull is pierced and the bulkhead in that area takes on water, the design of the bulkhead is supposed to contain the leak to that one compartment. However, the builders or designers (or both) of the Titanic decided that the common walls separating the bulkheads did not need to be full walls. They were partial walls, with enough cut away so that, if one bulkhead began to fill with water, then the water could simply spill over into the next bulkhead, akin to how you can fill an ice cube tray by pouring water into one cube space and letting the excess water flow into the adjacent spaces.

The Rudder Was a Problem, Too

Talk about overconfidence. Rudders help ships change direction and move about, and the rudder on a ship needs to be sized properly to move the bulk of the ship when needed. Unfortunately for the Titanic, the rudder on the ship was too small to move the mass of the ship quickly in an emergency. Whether this was generally poor planning, overconfidence that the Titanic would never face a problem, or both is unclear, but the result was that the ship couldn't maneuver fast enough to avoid problems.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Michael Jordan

On April 16, 2003, basketball superstar Michael Jordan played his last NBA game, retiring from his position as a shooting guard with the Washington Wizards. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the great basketball player nicknamed Air Jordan...

Jordan Not Making The Varsity Team is Only Half True

If you love MJ, you probably know Michael Jordan was cut from his varsity team, that he went home and cried, and that he mentally villainized his friend Leroy Smith, who made the team over him. Well, Jordan was a 5-10 sophomore at the time, and he just didn't make the varsity team. He played on JV that season and put up a number of 40-point games. The following summer, Jordan grew four inches, made the varsity team, and averaged more than 20 points per game. So the story is true, but not in the way that it's normally told.

He Appeared as Part of a Cartoon Series

ProStars was a 1991 Saturday cartoon program that featured three sports stars fighting evil villains, helping children, and  and often protecting the environment as well. The hero characters in the show were Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Wayne Gretsky. These three men were chosen to represent the pinnacle of American professional sports in the early 1990s. The cartoon only ran for one season and featured clips of Jordan, Jackson and Gretsky at the end the program explaining the lesson to be learned.

Jordan is the First Billionaire Athlete

Jordan is currently worth 1.39 billion dollars, according to Forbes, far and away the richest athlete in professional sports history. MJ made most of his money off his partnership with Nike and his Jordan Brand, which dominates the basketball shoe market. Jordan's big investment was buying a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for $175 million. Now, that share is worth $780 million. It is no surprise that MJ's killer instincts translate over to business.

Jordan Donated His 2000-01 Salary to 9/11 Charities

Jordan has the reputation of being cold and heartless, which might be why this is a lesser known fact about him, but MJ gave $100,000 to help children who lost their parents in 9/11, and $900,000 to other organizations involved with relief. When asked about it, he said, "obviously our country has changed forever, but nothing has changed more than the lives of the families of the victims of this tragedy.”

“The Flu Game” May Have Been Inspired by Some Poison Pizza.

Game five of the 1997 NBA Finals was played between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz, and it is famously called “The Flu Game” because Jordan appeared visibly sick throughout the entire game. However, it turns out that this game may be less of a “flu” game and more of a “poison pizza” game. Apparently, Jordan had room service ordered to his room the night before the game, and he was the only one who ate the pizza. He became ill during the night.

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I did  not  know  that  the  sun==moon===earth   being  in  line had  anything to  do  with the  sinking===

I did  not  know  about the binoculars were  lock  away

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PHKRAUSE

I did  not  know that he  was  the  richest  sport  figure

dgrimm60

[dgrimm60]

PHKRAUSE

I did not  know that  he  was  the richest  sports  figure 

dgrimm60

[phkrause]

5 Things You Didn't Know About The Bay of Pigs Invasion

On April 17, 1961, 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about the Bay of Pigs invasion...

The Invasion Plans Were Leaked Ahead of Time

John Kennedy, the new president, went forward with President Eisenhower’s plan to oust Fidel Castro in Cuba when the CIA director and chief of operations told him they believed the Cuban people would join the uprising to overthrow the dictator. However, a New York newspaper shared the news in January, ahead of the April landing of the exiled Cubans who had been trained in America. In addition, many of the Cubans living in the Miami area had heard about the planned invasion and spread the word.

The Invasion Started Off Badly From the Beginning

Eight bombers, out of the 16 intended originally, departed from Nicaragua with the task of bombing the Cuban airfields. However, the CIA had employed old Douglas B-26 bombers from World War II that were painted to resemble Cuban planes used in their air force. Because the bombs hit few of their targets, Castro’s air force was mostly left intact. An additional air strike that was planned was canceled when the news of the failed attempt became public.

A Time Difference May Have Contributed to a Second Failed Air Attack

President Kennedy called for fighter planes from the aircraft carrier Essex to provide air support for the B-26s, but the planes didn’t take off. This may have been caused by confusion about the time of the attack between the Navy and the CIA. The B-26s were an hour late, and the planes were downed by the Cubans.

The Cuban Brigade Was Forced to Surrender

Brigade 2506, composed of about 1,300 trained Cuban exiles and 177 paratroopers, landed about 75 yards from the shore and had to make their way through water that was waist high while carrying heavy loads. Hemmed in by Cuban troops, 114 were killed or drowned and 1,183 were captured. Millions of dollars, collected by private citizens, went toward repatriating those prisoners on December 23, 1962.

Four Airmen Recruited by the CIA Died During the Mission

In January 1961, the CIA talked to the commander of the Alabama Air National Guard, requesting pilots and others who were familiar with the B-26 bomber to participate in a secret mission. Four of those recruits from the 100 who volunteered for the mission were Leo Baker, Pete Ray, Wade Gray and Riley Shamburger. Baker and Ray’s plane was shot down and they survived the crash but were killed by Cuban militiamen, while Shamburger and Gray’s plane was hit and crashed into the sea.