Trivia

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5 Things You Didn't Know About the Moulin Rouge

October 6, 1889, was the day that an odd building with a windmill opened in a rural zone of Paris. The building housed a club called the Moulin Rouge—literally, the Red Mill—that became home to the famous can-can dance. It's been the subject of paintings, movies, and even a Las Vegas casino copycat. Here are five things you didn't know about the Moulin Rouge.

The Original House Burned Down in 1915

The original building that housed the club was known for its electric power, and an electrical short may have been behind a massive fire that gutted the building. The place was rebuilt, of course, and firefighters were able to save all the neighboring buildings. But the fire was so bad that other than the facade and parts of the stage, the rest was a complete loss. Oddly enough, in October 2017, the building that used to hold the old Moulin Rouge casino in Las Vegas also suffered a severe fire, and the structure had to be torn down.

The Iconic Windmill Had a Symbolic Past

It looks like a quirky design now, but that windmill on the building wasn't there by chance. The Monmartre area used to be a processing center for items like grain milling and textiles. Windmills were common sources of power, and the one on the club was there as a symbol of the neighborhood. Only two remain, other than the one on top of the Moulin Rouge.

 

The Building Was Paris' First Electric-Powered Building

The Moulin Rouge was located in Monmartre partly because the lack of competition would make the club stand out even more and gain a lot of attention. But that wasn't enough for its founder. The building itself had the first electric power in the city of Paris. Not only were the decor and costumes colorful, but the use of electricity to light the place up added to the spectacle.

Those Dance Moves Broke Some Records

Did you know the can-can kicks were record-breaking? Dancers at the Moulin Rouge hold a Guinness world record for number of high kicks in 30 seconds. The official record is "most simultaneous high kicks in 30 seconds by a single chorus line," gained in 2010. A total of 720 kicks were recorded; 30 dancers each made 24 kicks in half a minute. One dancer, Adonis Kosmadakis, holds another record for most kicks behind his head in 30 seconds.

Not All Moulin Rouge Dancers Are Female

If Kosmadakis' record stopped you—what do you mean, his head??—you'll find this fact interesting: There are male Moulin Rouge dancers. Most people think of a line of women when they hear about the Moulin Rouge, but the club has male dancers as well.

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5 Things You Didn't Know about Arnold Schwarzenegger

On this day in 2003, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California, the most populous state in the nation.  Schwarzenegger was one of 135 candidates on the ballot, which included career politicians, other actors, and one adult-film star.  Here are five other things you didn't know about Arnold Schwarzenegger…

The Terminator Once Asked for Advice From Luke Skywalker

It seems almost impossible to think of Schwarzenegger as an unknown struggling to survive in Southern California, but when he was first starting out, he didn't know the best way to go about finding film success. He decided to ask for advice, and the person who gave it to him was none other than Mark Hamill. The exchange was detailed on Twitter in August 2018. Hamill noted that he once told Schwarzenegger to change his last name to make it easier to pronounce and to work on getting rid of his accent—and that Schwarzenegger followed none of the advice and went on to be a star. Schwarzenegger replied that Hamill's advice had been spot on at the time—Schwarzenegger was just a "rule-breaker."

After Promising to Get California's Budget Under Control, Schwarzenegger's First Targets Were Nurses

California had been dealing with an artificial energy crisis stoked by workers at Enron, and the state's budget was a mess. Schwarzenegger promised to tackle special interests, but those special interests turned out to be... nurses. And then teachers, and then other public service groups. At the same time, he had ended a controversial vehicle tax, which made the budget worse. This didn't sit well with voters, and his proposals failed.

Schwarzenegger Started as a Fiscal Hawk but Ended up Known for His Environmental Care

While his early years were marked by frustration over the budget, he eventually began to shine in another area: environmental care. Schwarzenegger liked his huge Hummer vehicles, but he knew that something had to give regarding emissions and pollution. He was a proponent of alternative fuels and enacted regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy sources, and worked toward making approvals easier for energy-saving projects. He also developed a reputation as an environmental trendsetter, creating goals for solar energy use.

The Governor's Job Wasn't Schwarzenegger's First Brush With Politics

Schwarzenegger's appeal to many voters was that he was a political outsider, and it's true that he had never held office before. However, he was not completely new. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed Schwarzenegger, by then well known for his action films, to head the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Getting Americans to exercise had long been a struggle, though more people were finally moving, and Bush thought a well-known figure like Schwarzenegger would help people become more amenable to improving their physical fitness.

Schwarzenegger Created the Infamous California "Jungle Primary"

Publicity surrounded the June 2018 California primary because of its odd structure; instead of parties choosing their top runners to compete in the main election, the state used a free-for-all style that was nicknamed the jungle primary—basically everyone jumps onto the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters face off in November, regardless of party. (It's really just an open primary taken to an extreme.) That was the brainchild of Schwarzenegger, who, along with Democratic lawmakers, wanted to end the partisanship that left the state in law-making limbo. The idea was that the two most popular candidates would face off, instead of the most popular from each party, ensuring a more representative legislature.

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5 Things You Didn't Know about the Washington Monument

On October 9, 1888, the Washington Monument opened to the public. After decades of construction starts and stops, war, budget problems, and changing tastes, the obelisk that honors George Washington was finally complete. Here are five things you didn't know about the Washington Monument...

One Stone Nearly Ended the Monument's Existence

If awards were given out for petty moves in political architecture, the Know-Nothing party of the mid-1800s would have won easily. This was an anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic political party that was competing for political control. Members became so angry that the Pope had donated one stone in the monument that they stole that stone—it came from the Roman Temple of Concord, so it wasn't just another rock—dumped it in the Potomac, and took over control of the building project, which had already been halted due to financial problems. Their "control" led to basically no work being done.

The Monument Sat Unfinished for Over 20 Years

After halting initially for financial reasons, the monument sat unfinished with little work done on it for over 20 years. At first, it was just the money and the political spat over the stone that kept the monument from being finished, but the Civil War, of course, also played a huge role. Nothing was done until 1876, when the government finally decided to do something about the half-constructed building that had been looking over the landscape for decades.

The Layout of the Monument Changed Halfway Through Construction

Though the monument's iconic and simple shape is easily recognizable now, the original plans called for a grandiose Pantheon-like structure toward the base, complete with fancy columns and festooned with statues. When construction resumed in the 1870s, the base structure was eliminated mainly because architectural taste at that point was not nearly as fancy as it had been back in the 1840s, when the original design was approved. Financial considerations also contributed to the simplification of the design.

The Monument Was Briefly the World's Tallest Manmade Structure

It was a brief but glorious reign of five years when the 555-foot height of the monument made it the world's tallest humanmade structure. For four of those years—1884-1888—the monument was closed to the public; it was only between 1888 and 1889 that tourists could visit Washington D.C. and say they'd been to the tallest building in the world. (The Eiffel Tower took over that title in 1889.) The four-year gap between the end of construction and the opening of the monument was due to the installation of a steam elevator. Now, of course, the building wouldn't even crack the top 25 tallest buildings; the 25th tallest as of July 2018 was the 23 Marina building in Dubai, sitting at 1,287 feet. As of February 2018, the tallest building under construction was the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which is supposed to reach 3,281 feet upon completion.

The Monument Has Been Closed Twice Due to an Earthquake

Imagine being over 550 feet in the air in a region not necessarily known for having strict earthquake building codes. That's what happened to a group of tourists on August 23, 2011, when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit 90 miles away from the monument in Virginia. Because of the efficient transmission of shaking through the softer mid-Atlantic-region soil, and the lack of strong seismic building codes, the quake created cracks throughout the monument resulting in its closure for three years for repairs. The monument reopened in 2014, but in 2016, WTOP reported that ongoing problems with the elevator in the monument were likely due to lingering quake damage, and that the initial $15-million repair job focused on repairing the stone but didn't focus on the elevators. Between 2014 and 2016, the elevator broke down repeatedly, and the monument closed down again in 2016. It is scheduled to reopen in 2019.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Christopher Reeve_2

Christopher Reeve, the athletic Superman actor whose own paralyzing accident led to his work as an advocate for spinal cord research, died on October 10, 2004.  Here are five things you probably didn't know about this real-life Superman...

He Was Descended From a Supreme Court Justice

One of Reeve's maternal ancestors was Mahlon Pitney, a Supreme Court justice from 1912 to 1922. While Reeve might have been known for social justice and health promotion, Pitney was much more conservative, issuing rulings that were criticized for supporting mob rule and limiting workers' rights.

Many Actors Were Considered For The Role

The list of actors on producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind’s shortlist included Al Pacino, James Caan, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Jon Voight, Warren Beatty, Burt Reynolds, Christopher Walken, Nick Nolte, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, and even Muhammad Ali.

Reeve Was Relatively Unknown When He Was Cast to Play Superman

Reeve was one of more than 200 actors who tried out for the role in the 1978 movie. Even though he was the star of the film, actors Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando received the top billing in the first Superman movie. In the film, Superman II, Reeve is still listed after Gene Hackman.

Reeve’s Muscles in Superman Weren’t Fake

Upon landing the role of Superman, a skinny Christopher Reeve was told that he?'d need to wear an artificial ??muscle suit  to become a visual match for Superman's physique. He refused, preferring to undergo a strict work out regimen and buff-up significantly for the part.  Reeve didn’t like the idea of adding padding to his costume to bulk out his muscles, so he went on a bodybuilding regimen, which he maintained throughout the filming of the movie. By doubling his protein and food intake, along with an intense exercise regime, he went from 170 pounds up to 212 pounds by the time filming was started.

He Learned to Ride a Horse for His Appearance in a Movie

Although Reeve was allergic to horses, he learned to ride for his role in the 1977 television mini-series, Anna Karenina, where he played Count Vronsky opposite Jacqueline Bisset. It was about ten years later when he began taking lessons in equestrian riding, which involves jumping hurdles. Reeve bought his American thoroughbred, Eastern Express, during the filming of Village of the Damned, released in 1995, and was riding this horse when he had his accident.

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5 Things You Didn't Know about Saturday Night Live

On October 11, 1975, Chevy Chase belted out the very first "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" and kicked off one of the most iconic TV shows in American history.  Here are five things you didn't know about Saturday Night Live.

For the First Two Years, the Show Was Not Known as "Live"

The original name of the show was NBC's Saturday Night because there was already a show—a sports show on another network—with the word Live in its similar title. However, producer Lorne Michaels wanted Saturday Night to be Live, and NBC ended up buying the rights to the name from the other show when it went off the air.

John Belushi Used to Sabotage Skits Written by Women

John Belushi was known to much of the country as a funny comedian, but to the women of Saturday Night Live, he was an enemy. He reportedly tried to get the women fired and would perform so badly during sketches written by women that the sketches couldn't be aired.

Fox News Once Used a Photo of Tina Fey on a Story About Sarah Palin

Not a joke—in June 2011, The Atlantic pointed out that Fox News used a photo of Tina Fey dressed as Sarah Palin during an SNL sketch on a story about Palin. Management at Fox was understandably unhappy, especially because this wasn't the first time people there had made that mistake. The network adopted a zero-tolerance policy for on-air mistakes.

The Debut Didn't Go so Well, but It Did Spawn a Memorable Sketch

Like a lot of other popular shows, the first SNL show didn't get the best reviews. However, it did showcase one of the more memorable sketches in the show's history: Andy Kaufman's Mighty Mouse sketch. Kaufman was never an official cast member, but he was a guest several times, using absurdist humor to get a lot of laughs. Surprisingly, though, he was eventually booted off the show by the audience. He had offended the producers with a wrestling sketch, and the discontent there morphed into him asking the audience to vote on whether or not he should stay on the show. The audience voted for him to leave.

The Show Was the Site of an Early—and Historic—#MeToo Moment

In 1992, the #MeToo movement was non-existent, and if you accused someone of abuse publicly, you didn't get a lot of sympathy (but you did get audience abuse). That's what happened to Sinead O'Connor when she appeared on the show and ripped up a picture of the Pope while singing a song modified to include references against child abuse. O'Connor was castigated (except by Lorne Michaels, who thought she was brave). However, in the ensuing decades, widespread sexual abuse of children by priests was uncovered in more than one country including Ireland; a mass grave of children was uncovered in Tuam in Ireland (the site was at a care home for unwed mothers); and the Magdalene Laundries, Irish laundries run by nuns, were accused of turning women and girls into slaves and abusing them. Another mass grave was discovered at one of the Magdalene laundry sites in Ireland, holding 155 bodies, apparently of women who had died during their time at the laundry.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know about John Denver

On October 12, 1997, a plane piloted by singer John Denver crashed into Monterey Bay off the coast of California. The award-winning singer was killed instantly.  Here are five things you didn't know about John Denver...

Denver's Career as a Singer Wasn't His First Brush With a Musical Hit

Denver is known for his singing and guitar playing, but his performances weren't his first brush with musical stardom. He was a songwriter, too, and he wrote "Leaving on a Jet Plane," which became a hit for Peter, Paul, and Mary in 1967. That song got him noticed, and while he had started singing with a group in 1968, he signed a contract of his own in 1969 and released his first solo album.

He Didn't Change His Name Totally by Choice

Denver's real last name was Deutschendorf, and he changed it to Denver ostensibly because he liked the city. However, there was some (friendly) pressure on him to change it from the record company to begin with. Luckily, both he and the record executives agreed that Denver would be a good last name.

He Received Some Very Public Hatred

It is not unusual for performers to have their anti-fans, the ones who hate them with a passion. In Denver's case, though, the hatred came from a section of the music industry. Country music was undergoing a change at that point, and there was a rift between many of country music's older stars and the newer generation, of which Denver was a part. When Denver was awarded the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award in 1975, presenter Charlie Rich actually burned the envelope that held Denver's name.

He Served on Presidential Commissions and Won International Humanitarian Awards

Denver's interests didn't stop at music and planes. He was an environmental activist, a member of organizations like the European Space Agency, a member of the Commission on World and Domestic Hunger, a founder of the World Hunger Project, and a member of the Cousteau Society. He also won awards like the Presidential World Without Hunger Award and the Albert Schweitzer Music Award.

The Interior Design of the Plane Likely Contributed to the Crash

Mechanical problems leading to plane crashes are nothing new, but in Denver's case, it wasn't the mechanics of the plane that were a problem—it was the ergonomics. The interior design of the plane had his body placed so that, when he reached over to switch fuel tanks, his body turned enough to make his right foot hit the controls for the right rudder. When that happened, the plane turned suddenly and fell into the ocean. Investigators re-created the actions needed to reach the fuel switch and showed that the turn of the foot—and thus hitting the rudder—were unavoidable.

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5 Things You Didn't Know about Ralph Lauren

On October 14, 1939, Ralph Lauren was born in New York, and he eventually would become one of the most iconic and talented fashion designers in the world. Read on to see if you know the following five things about this famous designer best known for his sportswear line Polo Ralph Lauren...

Lauren Started Out by Selling Ties

At age 26, Lauren became inspired by a tie worn by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., but the company he worked for in 1966 wasn’t interested. He went into business himself by turning rags into ties in Chicago and selling them to New York shops. He was noticed when Neiman Marcus bought 1,200 of his ties and opened a store in 1967, marked with his distinctive Polo label.

Lauren Introduced the Polo shirt in 1974 but Didn’t Invent It

Rene Lacoste invented the design for the shirt in 1926 and wore it at the U.S. Open. He found that the tennis attire worn in that day was uncomfortable, so he used a cotton fabric that was knit loosely and provided ease of movement. Adding a flat collar, placket with buttons and a longer tail in the back, the modern-day Polo shirt incorporated these features.

Ralph Lauren's Famous Polo Shirts Were Introduced in 1972

Lauren liked the uniform that polo players wore, which was the one designed by Lacoste, and admired their glamorous lifestyle, so he developed his logo based on that. The shirt was originally sold in 24 colors. The name Polo was dropped in 2011 because Lauren thought it had become too generic.

Ralph Lauren Wasn’t His Original Name

Lauren’s original name was Ralph Reuben Lifschitz, and he was the son of a house painter and an artist from Belarus. It was his brother, Jerry, who originally changed his name to Lauren when he was a teenager, and one brother, Lenny, kept his original name for a number of years. 

Lauren Designed Clothes for Several Famous Movies

Lauren outfitted the cast of several movies in the 1970s, including Robert Redford’s attire in The Great Gatsby, released in 1974. He also supplied clothing for The Wild Party, released in 1975, which starred Raquel Welch and James Coco; and Diane Keaton’s clothing for the 1977 Woody Allen’ movie Annie Hall. His fall collection in 2016 was based on Downton Abbey, and Lauren was the sponsor for its last season in 2016.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About I Love Lucy_2

On October 15, 1951, I Love Lucy premiered on television, and after its run, it remained one of the most popular reruns in television history. To mark this landmark event in TV history, here are 5 things you didn't know about one of the greatest sitcoms of all time...  

The Actors Were Required to Smoke on the Show

It was difficult for CBS to find a sponsor for its new show, but the tobacco company Philip Morris signed up with a few stipulations. One was to bring up the name of the company and for the actors to smoke their brand of cigarettes on air. Ball smoked Chesterfields but got around the problem by having her favorite brand stuffed into a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes.

Desi Arnaz Wore Lifts

Ball was 5’7” and Arnaz was 5’9”, but he appeared much taller because he wore four-inch high shoe lifts. Additional cushions were also added to the loveseat they sat on, so he would appear taller than his wife even while seated. The extra cushioning also allowed Arnaz to rise more gracefully onto his much higher than normal shoes.

The “Uh-Oh” Woman Was Lucille Ball’s Mother

Fans of I Love Lucy are probably familiar with the woman off stage who says “uh-oh” periodically during the laughter when Ball gets into a difficult situation. That was Lucy’s mom, Dede, who always attended the tapings of the show. The sound engineer, who had his own company during the 60s and 70s, provided laugh tracks for sitcoms, and Dede’s “uh-oh” can be heard on some shows she had probably never seen.

Vitameatavegamin Was Apple Pectin

Ball was a stickler at memorizing her lines and usually did not speak extemporaneously or improvise. She did not consider the “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” show as one of her favorites because she was afraid she would forget her lines. Ball spooned her apple pectin (aka vitameatavegamin) during the show with the comfort of knowing that the lines were written down off-side near the podium.

William Frawley and Vivian Vance Weren’t the First Choices to Play Fred and Ethel

Ball had worked with Gale Gordon on the radio show My Favorite Husband and wanted him to play Fred Mertz; however, Gordon wanted more money for the role than Desilu was willing to pay. William Frawley was hired, even though he was a reputed heavy drinker, with the proviso that if he missed showing up for anything other than illness, he would lose his job. Bea Benaderet was Ball’s first choice as Ethel Mertz, but Benaderet was unavailable, so Vivian Vance was eventually chosen after one of the show's directors saw her in a play.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Marie Antoinette

On October 16, 1793, Marie Antoinette was executed, almost a year after the beheading of her flamboyant husband, Louis XVI. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about Marie Antoinette...

Marie-Antoinette Married at Age 14

To seal the newfound alliance between longtime enemies Austria and France that had been forged by the Seven Years’ War, the Austrian monarchs offered the hand of their youngest daughter to the heir apparent to the French throne, Dauphin Louis-Auguste. On May 7, 1770, the 14-year-old royal bride was delivered to the French on an island in the middle of the Rhine River, and a grand procession escorted the archduchess to the Palace of Versailles. The day after Marie Antoinette met the 15-year-old future king of France, the two were wed in a lavish palace ceremony.  One thing we do know about the marriage itself is that it was not consummated for six years following the wedding.

It’s Doubtful That She Said “Let Them Eat Cake”

When told that starving French peasants lacked any bread to eat, the queen is alleged to have callously declared, “Let them eat cake!” There is no evidence, however, that Marie Antoinette ever said this, but other people certainly did. Jean-Jacque Rousseau, the philosopher, mentions it in a book and attributes that quote to a princess, but Marie Antoinette was a child at the time it was written. The remark was also ascribed to two aunts of Louis XVI before it was apocryphally tied to Marie Antoinette.

Marie-Antoinette Was Something of a Tomboy

Marie Antoinette, called Antonia by her family, was the 11th of 16 children born to Empress Maria Theresa and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. As a highborn young lady, he was taught how to play musical instruments, embroidery and how to act at court. However, she also took up horseback riding to follow the hunt, which endeared her to her the court. Joining in as a member of the hunt, she was known to ride astride wearing breeches as a man did.

She Was Executed After Spending 10 Weeks in the Conciergerie

The trial of Marie Antoinette was held from October 14 through October 16, 1793, and the jury found her guilty of theft, treason and sexual abuse, which had been charged against her by her son under duress. She was sentenced to the guillotine. The former queen of France was taken to the Place de la Revolution and lost her head at about 12:30 p.m., the same day as her sentencing.

A U.S. city is named in honor of Marie Antoinette.

When a group of American Revolution veterans founded the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory in 1788 at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, they wanted to honor France, which had been instrumental in assisting the patriots against the British. They named their new community—Marietta, Ohio—after the French queen and even sent her a letter offering the monarch a “public square” in the town.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Al Capone

On October 17, 1931, Al Capone was found guilty and sentenced to eleven years in federal prison for tax evasion. In honor of this, what would you call it? An anniversary?  Here are five things you probably didn't know about Chicago's famous mobster...

He Hated Being Called “Scarface”

Capone was known to lie about how he got the scars on the side of his face by saying he was wounded in the war, even though he was never in the military. It was the press that nicknamed him Scarface as he rose to prominence among area gangsters.  Capone got the scars on his face in 1917 while he was working at the Harvard Inn as a bouncer. Another criminal named Frank Galluccio became angry when Capone insulted his sister, Lena. Galluccio then slashed Capone with a knife three times across the face. As a result, Capone needed 80 stitches and ended up with his famous nickname.

He Was Never Charged With The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

On February 14, 1929, seven men affiliated with the George “Bugs” Moran gang were shot to death while lined up against a wall inside a garage in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The group of attackers consisted of at least four men, two of them dressed as police officers. The crime became known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and stunned the nation. There eventually was ample public speculation that Capone, a Moran rival, had masterminded the murders however, he was never charged in the case, which went unsolved.

Capone Was Never Charged With Murder

Capone was busy throughout the years threatening witnesses and making payoffs to officials and police, and that may be why he was never charged with murder—even though in 1920, he was named Public Enemy No. 1 by the Chicago Crime Commision. The crime that finally brought him down was income-tax fraud because he never paid his taxes. He was sentenced in October 1931 to 11 years in jail on five charges, including three felonies, which was the longest sentence ever given to anyone for tax fraud in that day.

Capone’s Brother Was a Lawman

Ironically, Capone’s brother, James Vincenzo Capone, was busily trying to catch bootleggers as part of a task force when his brother was known as one. Capone’s brother had changed his name following World War I to Richard Hart, and he worked in Homer, Nebraska, as the town marshal. During the prohibition era, Hart would disguise himself and lead raids to catch suspect bootleggers.

Capone Was an Early Resident at Alcatraz Prison

The infamous Alcatraz, located off the coast of San Francisco, was generally reserved for prisoners who were difficult to handle or violent and thought to be inescapable. Capone, age 33 at the time, began his prison sentence in Atlanta in 1932, but he was then sent to California by train and from there to Alcatraz. Capone became ill with syphilis, and in 1939, he was sent to serve one of his misdemeanor sentences at a prison near Los Angeles at Terminal Island.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Alaska

On this day in 1867, the U.S. formally takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia.  Discover the following things you probably don’t know about the largest state in North America...

The Official Sport Is Dog Mushing

A competitive sled dog race called the Iditarod has been held annually since 1973. It's named after an ancient trail from Nome to Seward. The Iditarod is not a race for the faint of heart because it covers a distance of more than 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, through potential blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and hazardous terrain. The record for the fastest completion time is held by Mitch Seavey of Sterling, Alaska, who made the trip with his dogs in eight days, three hours, forty minutes and 13 seconds.

The Biggest Earthquake in North America Was in Alaska

An earthquake centered south of Prince William Sound on March 27, 1964, still holds the record as the biggest quake in America, registering at 9.2 on the Richter scale. Underwater landslides and tsunamis contributed to the destruction and killed 139 people. Heavy damage was inflicted on many towns along the coast, including Whittier, Kodiak, Anchorage, and one town, Valdez, had to be abandoned and rebuilt elsewhere.

There Is a Desert in Alaska—Really

While you won’t find any camels there, Alaska has a desert called the Kobuk Sand Dunes that's located in the Western Arctic National Park. Although it has shrunk in size over time, originally covering about 350 square miles, it still occupies an area of around 25 square miles with some dunes that are more than 150 feet high. Caribou migrate across the dunes twice a year, which is something you will never see in the Sahara.

The Japanese Invaded Alaska During World War II

Several of the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska were taken over by the Japanese in 1942 and held for months. American troops that arrived to liberate the island had been trained to fight in the desert and found it difficult to deal with the climate in Alaska. The battle between the Americans and Japanese over the islands of Kiska and Attu went on for 15 days before the Americans won, and the battle for the islands resulted in the deaths of 2,650 Japanese and 549 Americans, a total higher than the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Motor Vehicles Are of Limited Use in Alaska

The old adage that “you can’t get there from here” applies in a large part of Alaska because there are large areas, including Juneau, the state capital, that can’t be reached by car or truck. In fact, about 75 percent can’t be reached by car, so snow machines and bush planes take people where they are going. Three main roads in the state travel from Anchorage to Fairbanks, back down through Anchorage and travel down the Kenai Peninsula.

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5 Things You Didn't Know about the Battle of Yorktown_2

On Oct 19, 1781, victory was declared after the siege of Yorktown, which was the last major battle for American independence. He are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the the Patriot victory at Yorktown which effectively brought an end to the American Revolution....

The French Helped the Americans Win Their War for Independence

One problem faced by the American rebels was that they had no real navy, which was important to fight back against the British and to provide more maneuverability. French ships, commanded by the Comte de Grasse, helped by not only assisting the rebels but also by creating problems for the British in India and the West Indies, forcing them to split their fleet. The British ships were largely unable to assist their troops because the French had blocked the Chesapeake Bay, which meant General Cornwallis was surrounded and could not get reinforcements.

The British Were Heavily Outnumbered

George Washington’s army was composed of about 17,000 American and French troops, while the British under Cornwallis numbered around 9,000. With Washington's troops surrounding Yorktown and the British under constant fire, it became inevitable that the British would lose. The 20-day siege ended with the British raising the white flag of surrender.

Washington and Cornwallis Didn’t Attend the Ceremony of Surrender

British General Cornwallis, pleading illness, did not attend the surrender of more than 7,000 troops and 900 seamen, 15 galleys, 30 transport ships, a frigate and 144 cannons. He sent Brigadier General Charles O’Hara in his place. Washington didn’t attend either, perhaps in response to Cornwallis’ absence, and sent Benjamin Lincoln to handle the surrender.

Casualties in the 20-Day Battle Were Surprisingly Light

After 20 days, you would expect there to be a high number of casualties on both sides, but this didn’t happen. The Americans lost 28 and 107 were wounded, while the French lost 60 with 194 wounded. Among the British, there were 156 dead, 326 were wounded and 70 were listed as missing.

The Treaty of Paris Recognized the United States as a Country

The American Revolution formally ended September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. It set the legal boundaries between the United States and British territory and was detailed, including prisoner exchanges and even fishing rights. The terms of the treaty were considered generous toward the United States because of the future potential for trade between the two countries.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know about General MacArthur

On October 20, 1944, Douglas MacArthur returned with troops to the Philippines to wrest the country from its Japanese occupation, keeping his promise of “I shall return.” Here are 5 things you might not know about General MacArthur...

MacArthur Achieved the Third Highest Score in the History of West Point

In 1899, MacArthur entered West Point and graduated in June 1903 as its top student that year with 2,424 academic merits out of the maximum of 2,470. This score still stands as the third highest in the history of the academy. The highest scores are held by Charles Mason, a supreme court judge who lived in Iowa, and General Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederate troops during the Civil War.

Both MacArthur and His Father Were Awarded the Medal of Honor

They hold the honor of being the first father and son duo to receive this award. Arthur MacArthur, Jr. was a soldier with the Wisconsin Union Army and was at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, where, singing “On Wisconsin,” he ran up the hill and planted his regimental flag. About 70 years in the future, his son received the Medal of Honor for his outstanding leadership during the invasion of the Philippines during World War II.

He Was Given a Ticker Tape Parade Even Though He Had Been Fired

President Truman fired MacArthur because he had been pushing Congress to take over North Korea, which was against Truman’s wish to bring the Korean War to a close. Truman believed that continuing the conflict might lead to World War II, but MacArthur would not back down from his stance. Returning to the United States, MacArthur was treated to a ticker tape parade in Manhattan anyway due to his popularity.

In 1928, MacArthur Presided Over the Olympic Committee

The president of the Olympic Committee died in 1927, and MacArthur took over as president in time for the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam. Always competitive, he told the participating athletes that they didn’t come to the games to lose. His pep talk must have worked because the teams for the United States went home with 17 Olympic records and seven world records—two times the number of records of any of the other countries.

He Was One of Few American Military Leaders to Be Awarded a Five-Star Rank

Nine generals and admirals were raised to the rank of five-stars, including Douglas MacArthur. The others were Admirals William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz and William Halsey, Jr., along with Generals George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry Arnold, Omar Bradley and John J. Pershing.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Old Ironsides

On October 21, 1797, the USS Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides, was launched into Boston Harbor.  It is best known for its amazing performance during the War of 1812, but it has a longer history than that. Here are five things you didn't know about Old Ironsides...

It Took Three Attempts to Put the Boat in the Water

The Constitution, as with any ship, was built out of the water and had to be launched into the water. However, this ship was extremely heavy compared to its predecessors. So heavy, in fact, that launching it didn't work the first two times, and the shipyard warned those near the harbor that launching could create a huge wave (it didn't). Overall, the ship displaced 2,200 tons of water once it was out of dry dock.

Its Nickname Came From Its Thick Construction

The Constitution was made of wood, as was standard in the 1700s, but its construction was unusually thick, with three oak layers and copper sheathing among the ship's features. This tough-for-its-times hull was so good that the cannonballs lobbed by the Guerriere during the War of 1812 bounced off the sides, giving the ship its nickname of Old Ironsides.

John F. Kennedy's Grandfather Advocated for the Ship's Preservation

It shouldn't be that surprising that the presidential family known for its connections to Massachusetts would have connections to the Constitution, but John F. Kennedy's family was particularly close. His grandfather, John F. Fitzgerald, was a Congressional representative for the district that held the Constitution in the late 1800s. Fitzgerald lobbied successfully for money to be set aside for the preservation of the ship (the money ended up not being used).

It's Still a Commissioned Warship Staffed by Active Military

The Constitution is a National Historic Landmark, but it also still has its commission, meaning it's still technically an active warship (though it did officially retire in 1855). It likely won't see any action except a few harbor cruises now and then, but the commission does also mean that the ship is staffed by active Navy personnel and resides in a Navy dockyard.

It Is Seaworthy in the 21st Century

Over the decades, various monies have been allocated for the Constitution's renovation and upkeep. Sometimes this money wasn't actually used, but other times it was extremely helpful—such as in 1927 when the ship was restored to be seaworthy. It spent a few years touring the coast until it was docked again in 1934; in 1997, however, it was once again restored to be seaworthy and set sail briefly. It sailed again in 2012 as part of a commemoration of victory against the Guerriere. It underwent more restoration in 2015, with the Department of Defense estimating that only 8 to 12 percent of the ship is actually original now.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About the Cuban Missile Crisis

In a televised address on October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy revealed to the American public that U.S. surveillance aircraft had detected the presence of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, triggering the so-called Cuban missile crisis.  Here are five things you didn't know about the Cuban Missile Crisis...

It Was the Only Time the Country Went to DEFCON 2

The United States uses a scale to indicate its state of alertness regarding international nuclear war. This is an older scale than the color alerts used after 9/11. DEFCON runs from 1 to 5, with 5 being peaceful and 1 being war. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. went to DEFCON 2, which was the highest it had ever been. The last time the U.S. had been that close to international nuclear war was in World War II when the country bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, though the DEFCON system wasn't created until 1959.

Turkey Unintentionally Played a Key Role in Ending the Crisis

The Soviets eventually agreed to dismantle their bases in Cuba if the U.S. would remove its Jupiter missiles that were stockpiled in Turkey. The U.S. agreed to this, telling the Soviets that it had planned to remove them soon, anyway, but that they would need more time so as not to alarm the Turkish government, and the U.S. did remove the missiles in 1963. However, Turkey itself had nothing to do with brokering or agreeing to the deal, and had it known about the promise earlier, it might have protested the Jupiter missiles' removal, complicating the deal.

The Crisis Was the Catalyst for the USSR's Drive to Have as Many Nuclear Weapons as the U.S.

The Soviets thankfully backed down during the Cuban Missile Crisis, allowing most people in the region to stop worrying. However, the sting of backing down stayed with the Soviets, and that drove them to increase their nuclear arsenal until they were equal to the U.S. in firepower. So the end of one crisis pretty much led to the start of another.

The End of the Crisis Gave Birth to the Hotline

After the Cuban Missile Crisis had calmed down, the U.S. and the USSR worked to prevent miscommunications with each other. Both sides realized that nuclear war wasn't something to play around with, and they wanted to avoid additional situations like the crisis that had just ended. As a result, the two countries created a direct phone line called the Hotline that connected the President's office with that of the USSR.

The Cuban Missile Buildup Was a Response to the Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Soviets didn't put bases in Cuba just for the heck of it. The buildup was a response to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, in which the U.S. tried to overthrow Castro. One of the conditions of the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis—now that the Soviets wouldn't have bases there to protect the island—was that the Soviets wanted the U.S. to stop trying to invade Cuba. 

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the iPod

On October 23, 2001, Apple announced one of its newest designs, a pocket-sized music player that could hold many songs in MP3 and other formats: the iPod.  The reviews were underwhelming, but what do reviewers know?  Here are five things you didn't know about the iPod...

The First iPod Stored Only 1,000 Songs on a 5GB Drive

nd that was considered fantastic. Now, an Apple device that offered only 5GB of storage would be considered a cute little toy—the current iPod Touch allows up to 128GB of storage depending on upgrades. But at the time, being able to load 1,000 songs onto a portable player that offered more storage than many regular computer hard drives was an amazing feat, especially given how quickly you could load a CD onto the player. At the time the iPod was introduced, other MP3 players made people wait five minutes to rip only one CD.

The Name Was Based on Technology From a 1960s Movie

Apple was already naming items with the now-standard "i-" prefix, but the rest of the name for the new music player came from, of all things, 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968. One of the pieces of technology in the movie was a small podlike spaceship, the EVA Pod. A freelance copywriter suggested Apple base the name for the new player off that, and "iPod" was chosen.

The iPod's Real Success Depended on Non-Apple Technology

Not only was the iPod's drive based on one made by Toshiba, combined with the existing Apple FireWire connection, but the sales of the iPod didn't start to soar until Apple made the player compatible with Windows computers. Until 2004, the iPod worked only with Apple computers, but once people could connect the player to a Windows-based machine, sales grew by a tremendous amount.

Smartphones Killed the MP3 Star

Video may not have killed off the radio star as the Buggles would have you believe, but smartphones had a major impact on the iPod line. In July 2017, the Guardian reported that Apple decided to nix most of the iPod models that weren't app-based. The only iPod now available new from Apple is the iPod Touch, a smartphone-like player that also offers video and messaging capability, including FaceTime and social media applications. The reason for the change was simply that actual smartphones had made the single-application iPods obsolete. While later models of the iPod Nano, for example, offered some non-music capability, the smartphone model had really taken off, and consumers expected to be able to use one gadget for several applications.

The iPod Was Responsible for Much of Apple's Early 2000s' Growth

You'd think a computer company would survive on the strength of its computers and not its tiny music players, but the iPod was responsible for some of Apple's strongest growth in the 2000s. Apple had long been seen as an alternative computer company that was much smaller and more of a niche market than Windows-based computer companies. Yet, the iPod managed to be so successful that Apple's growth soared a few years after the iPod's release and made Apple the leader in electronic music storage and playback.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know about Rosa Parks

On October 24, 2005, activist Rosa Parks, who helped spur the civil rights movement, died at age 92 in Detroit, Michigan. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about Rosa Parks...

Another Civil Rights Activist Was Removed From a Bus Before Parks

Pioneer activist Claudette Colvin was only 15 years old in 1955 when she made the news after she was removed from a bus in Montgomery, Alabama when she refused to give her seat up. Because Colvin was expecting a baby, and the father was married to someone else, the NAACP didn’t think they could get enough support to start a movement at that time. This happened nine months before Rosa Parks made national news after being arrested for the same thing.

Parks Had Tried to Avoid the Bus Driver

James Blake, the driver, had removed Parks from the bus he was driving in 1943 because she refused to go to the back door and re-enter after paying her fare in the front. Normally, Parks said she looked to see who the driver was before boarding but neglected to do so that memorable day when she encountered Blake again. Interestingly enough, following the Supreme Court decision that outlawed bus segregation, Parks entered one of the buses for the press to take photos, and Blake happened to be the driver.

Parks Was in a Middle Section Seat When She Was Asked to Move

Parks didn’t realize Blake was driving when she sat in one of the seats open to African Americans (if there were empty seats available for whites.) These seats had to be vacated if any white person was left standing, and African Americans were required to move to the back of the bus. On that day, four African Americans were asked to move and three did, but Parks refused and was removed from the bus and arrested.

A One-Day Boycott Was Planned in Protest

The head of the NAACP in Montgomery, E.D. Nixon, arranged a boycott of the city buses for one day as a way to protest Parks’ arrest. However, the boycott ended up going on for 381 days. Following an impassioned speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Holt Street Baptist Church, support for the boycott spread and forced the shut down of routes. Twenty-thousand of those who normally took the bus participated during the entire period with the numbers swelling up to 40,000; it cost the city a lot of money.

When She Died, Parks’ Body Was Taken to the U.S. Capitol to Lie in State

Tribute was paid to Parks when her coffin was flown to Washington, D.C. to lie in the Capitol rotunda so that people could file past in honor of her achievements. Parks was the first woman to be so honored, and around 30,000 filed past to pay their respects. It may also be considered fitting that after the coffin arrived in Washington, D.C., it was transported to the U.S. Capitol in a bus.

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PHKRAUSE

it was interesting about the 15 year old girl that was expecting a baby

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Pablo Picasso

On October 25, 1881, the legendary artist Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain. Contact your inner muse, and check out these shocking fact you might not know about one of the most important artists of the 20th century...

His Legal Name Wasn’t Really Picasso

Pablo Picasso’s real name was much longer than two simple words; his full name was Pablo Diego Jose Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. His last name was Ruiz, but he chose to go by his mother’s name Picasso, which is Italian. He explained it to a fellow artist that the name Picasso resonated more and was more uncommon than Ruiz, so that is why he chose it.

Guernica Is Picasso’s Most Famous Painting

Picasso’s painting, Guernica, depicts the city’s bombing in 1937 by the Germans during the Spanish-American War. This enormous painting is regarded as a powerful anti-war mural that depicts the suffering of people and animals in war. Since the only military target near Guernica during the war was on the town’s outskirts, and the town itself was destroyed, it is thought that the bombing was an intimidation tactic by the Germans. Most of those killed were women and children.

Picasso Was Questioned for Possibly Stealing the Mona Lisa

No, of course, he never stole the Mona Lisa, but when it was pilfered from the Louvre in 1911, a friend of Picasso’s, poet Guillaume Apollinaire, suggested that Picasso himself might have relieved the museum of its most precious painting. Picasso was taken to the police station and duly questioned. Both of the men were released later.

He Bought Cezanne’s Mountain

Picasso was a big admirer of French artist Paul Cezanne. When he found an estate for sale that was located on the side of Mont Sainte-Victoire, which Cezanne had painted at least 30 times, Picasso bought it. He informed his agent that he had just bought the mountains belonging to Cezanne.

Picasso Was Much More Than a Painter

Around 1935, Picasso stopped painting and sculpting and devoted himself to writing poetry and several surrealist plays. One of his plays was a reading with philosophers Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. Picasso was fairly dedicated, writing hundreds of poems; however, his tendency to use scatological and sexual terms may have interfered with their popularity.

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6 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Wheel of Fortune

On October 26, 1946, Wheel of Fortune’s Pat Sajak was born. Sajak has hosted the popular, syndicated game show known as Wheel since 1983. Game show aficionados will be surprised at the following things they might not know about Wheel of Fortune...

The Game Show, Wheel of Fortune, Was Based on the Child’s Game Hangman

Wheel of Fortune was the brainchild of Merv Griffin, who also came up with the idea for Jeopardy! in 1964. Like many other children, he would play Hangman with Barbara, his sister, on long family trips. Later, he turned that idea into Wheel of Fortune.

Only Three People Won $1 Million During the Game’s History

The prize of $1 million was introduced on the show in 2008, eclipsing the previous top award of $100,000. The first big winner, Michelle Lowenstein, who was a newlywed, won the prize about a month after its introduction to the show. The second $1 million win was by 30-year-old Autumn Erhard in 2013 during the 30th anniversary of the show. The third was Sarah Manchester from Maryland in 2014.

Two People Lost Because of a Mispronunciation

Wheel of Fortune has strict rules that the words and phrases must be pronounced correctly in order to win. Paul Atkinson, who landed on the $1 million slice, incorrectly pronounced “corner curio cabinet” as “corno curo cabinet” and lost his chance to go onto the bonus round in 2013. It happened a second time when Renee Durette said: “seven swans a-swimmin,” dropping the final “g” that would have paid out nearly $4,000.

The Set Weighs a Bazillion Pounds

Maybe it doesn’t weigh quite that much, but it still takes 14 big trucks to move all the equipment from location to location. The wheel itself weighs 2,400 pounds, and combined with all the other equipment that has to be taken along; it rounds out at about 1 million pounds.

Pat Sajak Left the Daytime Show to Start His Own TV Show

Sajak had hosted the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune from 1981 to 1989 when he started hosting his own show but continued to host the syndicated program. Called The Pat Sajak Show, it aired beginning on January 9, 1989, and ran until April 13, 1990. It was a late-night talk show that was similar to The Tonight Show with skits, a monologue and celebrity interviews.

Only One Person Guessed the Right Answer Without Any Clues

In 1992, the only confirmed bonus puzzle was won by guessing the words “baby boy.” Several have been solved after revealing only one letter, including a woman who called the letter “l” and solved the puzzle, which was “I’ve got a good feeling about this” and won a vacation trip to the Caribbean.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Theodore Roosevelt

On October 27, 1858, Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City. He grew up to serve as the 26th president of the United States. See if you know the following things about this president who became the inspiration for the Teddy Bear.

The Teddy Bear Was Named for Roosevelt

Roosevelt was a big outdoor enthusiast, and he went to Mississippi in 1902 to hunt bears. However, he wasn’t able to locate any. A bear was located by a former cavalryman in the Confederate military, and he tied it to a tree, where Roosevelt was invited to shoot it. Roosevelt declared it unsportsmanlike, and newspaper article and cartoonists recounted what happened. Following the incident, one toy company that made stuffed animals came out with a stuffed bear that was called ‘Teddy’s Bear.’

He Originally Wanted to Be a Rancher

Since Roosevelt enjoyed the outdoors so much, it doesn’t come as much surprise that he decided to try his hand at ranching. On a hunting trip for bison in Dakota Territory, he decided to invest in a cattle ranch with a local cattleman and his hunting guide’s brother. Although Roosevelt liked to deck himself out in buckskin and spurs and ride the range, weather problems and overgrazing made his investment in ranching a financial loss.

Roosevelt Was an Early Environmentalist

During Roosevelt’s term as president, he was instrumental in setting aside around 200 million acres of land for wildlife refuges and national parks. He was a forward thinker and explained that when the oil, forests and minerals were gone and the soil was impoverished from use, the nation needed to use foresight to preserve natural resources not only for those living then but for those in the future.

He Was Blind in One Eye

Roosevelt lost the sight in one eye in 1905 when he was boxing with another man. According to his autobiography, He had significant vision problems in that eye afterward because of a detached retina. It is unknown whether Roosevelt gave up boxing at this point. However, he did have other outdoor pursuits such as playing tennis to keep himself active.

Roosevelt Set His Presidential Portrait on Fire

Roosevelt was far from being vain, but he definitely didn’t like the portrait painted of himself by Theobald Chartran. Roosevelt claimed that he resembled a “mewing cat” in the portrait, and his children even teased him about it. The portrait was first exhibited in France, the artist’s home country, and then sent back to the White House, at which point Roosevelt set it on fire.

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5 Things You Didn't Know about Orson Welles' War of the Worlds

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles produced and broadcast his adaptation of War of the Worlds. As legend has it, his production was so realistic that people across the country panicked, leaving cities and truly believing they were under attack by Martians. Here are five things you didn't know about Orson Welles' War of the Worlds...

The Panic May Have Been Fake News

As the story goes, nearly a million people fled their homes upon hearing the realistic broadcasts of an alien invasion. However, an investigation by Slate in 2013 found that the panic may not have actually happened, and the stories that said it did may have been exaggerated on two fronts. For one thing, newspapers were, at the time, in deep competition with radio for customers, and part of the panic may have been exaggerated by papers to try to make radio seem less than desirable. After all, if radio was going to play this awful trick on you, you could go back to newspapers, which would never do such a thing. The second front may have been an issue with language. Most outlets reported a panic, but the real language used by many listeners who had been asked to comment was more along the lines of disturbed, excited, and frightened, which papers handily compressed into "panicked." But the sensationalization was so effective that there were investigations and legal proceedings that looked into whether CBS and Welles had gone overboard.

Welles' Version Was Based on the Book but Deviated to Create a More Authentic Atmosphere

Just as movies tend to take liberties with the stories in books, so did Welles' adaptation. Instead of creating a straight radio play based on the exact story in H.G. Wells' book, Welles created a production that used news broadcasts, realistic breaking-news bulletins, and other features that made the production sound like a running news program. It was this realism that made the idea of a mass panic of mistaken listeners seem more believable.

There Would Have Been No Citizen Kane Had the Show's Reputation Not Gone Astray

Orson Welles was already fairly well-known for his radio voice work, but it was the War of the Worlds broadcast and ensuing kerfuffle that raised his visibility in Hollywood. As a result of the publicity from the radio broadcast, Hollywood came calling—and gave Welles the contract that allowed him to make Citizen Kane.

The Broadcast Itself Wasn't That Widely Heard

The War of the Worlds story has become so well-known—despite its apparent lack of truth—that you would be forgiven for thinking that the entire country had tuned in to the broadcast at some point. In reality, the number was far fewer. Slate reported that a survey company called households on the night of the broadcast to find out who was listening to what, and only 2 percent of the 5,000 households they called said they were listening to either Welles' program or to a radio broadcast that indirectly named War of the Worlds.

Some People Never Learn—Even When It's 1994

In 1994, CBS aired a special TV movie called Without Warning. This was meant as a tribute to Welles' War of the World broadcast, albeit with many, many disclaimers added throughout the broadcast about how the movie was fiction. CBS had learned not to mess with people's perceptions, but unfortunately, many viewers still ended up confused and more than a bit alarmed. Anecdotes from that evening indicate that some really did think it was real and that others called TV stations to ask what was going on.

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5 Things You Didn't Know About the Sistine Chapel

On November 1, 1512, the Sistine Chapel ceiling opened to the public so that visitors could view the elaborate paintings of Michelangelo. Here are 5 things you probably don’t know about the project that became one of the most important works of art in the world....

The Chapel Was Designed to Resemble King Solomon’s Temple

The chapel is the same size as Solomon’s temple as cited in the Old Testament. The outside measurements are difficult to obtain, however, the interior measures 134 feet by 44 feet. Unlike many churches in Italy, it has no processional doorways or exterior facade and can only be entered from internal rooms in the chapel.

Michelangelo Painted Himself Into the Sistine Chapel

There are some who believe that Michelangelo is one of the faces depicted at the Sistine Chapel. In the figure of the form with flayed skin, Michelangelo's distinctive face and beard are visible as St. Bartholomew on the wall that holds the altar. The figure of the saint is depicted as holding his own skin.

One Section May Contain a Hidden Brain

In Michelangelo’s depiction of God touching the finger of his creation, Adam, there is a shape in the background made by robes and angels who surround God. It bears such a resemblance to the brain of a human, complete with an artery, frontal lobe and stem, that art historians say it is probably not coincidental.

The Painting of the Last Judgment Was Controversial

Michelangelo painted the scene of the Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541, and it depicted Chapter 20 of Revelations and was painted shortly after the sacking of Rome in 1527. It was controversial because many of the figures were painted naked, and the famed artist was accused of creating a work of art for a church that was obscene and immoral. Michelangelo responded to criticism by Biagio da Cesena, the master of ceremonies for the pope, by painting his da Cesena’s face as Minos, who was the judge in the underworld.

Many of the Original Figures Were Changed

Pope Pius IV hired artist Daniele da Volterra in the 1560s to paint over the exposed private parts of the characters depicted in the Last Judgment. He also reworked the depiction of Saint Catherine and Saint Blaise because some found the original suggestive. After painting clothing over a number of Michelangelo’s figures, da Volterra became nicknamed “Il Braghettone” or “the breeches painter.”

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5 Things You Didn't Know About The Spruce Goose

On November 2, 1947, the Spruce Goose, designed and built by business magnate Howard Hughes, flew a short distance and never took off again. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about the Hughes H-4 Hercules, also known as the Spruce Goose...

The Spruce Goose Was the Biggest Wooden Airplane Ever Built

In 1942, German submarines sank many Allied ships, and Henry Kaiser, who built ships and was a steel magnate, came up with an idea to build an enormous transport plane to fly troops. Because there were restrictions on steel and aluminum during World War II, Howard Hughes designed and built the Spruce Goose, which was made completely out of wood. Unfortunately, Hughes did not make the deadline for the plane, and it wasn’t completed until about two years after the war ended, negating the need for the 499 additional planes of this type that were agreed to in the contract with Kaiser.

Howard Hughes Was Unhappy About the Nickname for the Plane

The plane was actually a Hughes H-4 Hercules, but the press quickly started referring to it as the Spruce Goose. Six times larger than any other aircraft of that time, it’s understandable that Hughes was upset about the nickname, especially since the plane was built of birch, not of spruce, and was a marvel of engineering.

The Spruce Goose Only Flew Once

The plane was flown only one time in an unannounced test flight, with Hughes as the pilot and David Grant co-piloting, accompanied by various journalists, crewmen and engineers. The flight lasted for about one minute, and the plane reached 70 feet in altitude, so the Spruce Goose’s only flight covered about one mile. Even such a short flight showed that the mammoth plane could fly, and Hughes preserved and maintained the Spruce Goose in a hanger that was climate-controlled and carried a full crew until he died in 1976.

The Spruce Goose Was Designed to Carry Troops

The plane was designed to carry a choice of 750 combat-ready troops, two Sherman tanks or 120,000 pounds in cargo. Taller than a five-story building, with a 320-foot wingspan and a length of more than 218 feet, the Spruce Goose has eight enormous propeller engines and is crafted entirely from wood with laminated plastic and fabric coverings. It was expected to have a range of about 3,000 miles at a speed of 200 mph.

The Plane Was Maintained in Perfect Condition

Following the death of Hughes, the Spruce Goose was exhibited in Long Beach, California, where the Navy considered using it to conduct test flights for low-altitude across the ocean but it never happened. In 1992, the plane was taken to McMinnville, Oregon, near Portland, and placed on exhibit at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. One of its most popular exhibits, visitors are allowed to go inside the plane to take a closer look at this amazing feat of engineering.

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5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Laika the Dog

On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first animal into space—a female dog named Laika aboard the Sputnik 2. You probably don’t know the following things about this little dog that helped pave the way for man to begin space exploration...

Sputnik 2 Was Designed to Carry a Dog

The consumables and life-support aboard Sputnik 2 were designed to last for one week, with water and food placed directly into the dog’s stomach through a tube. An electrocardiogram and information on blood pressure and respiration were received on the ground by radio. The Russians knew that the space vehicle could not be recovered; however, it was unknown at the time whether any live creature could survive the launch and orbiting of a spacecraft.

Flight Preparations Involved Three Dogs

Three dogs were originally chosen to use for flight preparation, including one named Albina, that had survived earlier tests. All three of the dogs, including Laika, were trained to live in small cages before the flight. This is because the dog that was chosen to ride in Sputnik 2 would have little room to move, and Laika was sealed into the cabin several days before the launch.

Laika Died Sometime During the Fourth Orbit Around the Earth

The small mixed-breed dog survived her launch into space, which proved that it was possible to survive a spaceflight that was sustained. However, the control system for her environment inside did not work well. The humidity and temperature kept going up, and the dog showed no sign of life by the fourth orbit, information that was not released until more than 50 years later.

Laika Was a Stray Found in the Streets

Soviet recruiters looked for strays that were female since they might be easier to handle and were often smaller. Of the ones chosen, they started out living in small capsules that were pressurized, at first for days and then for longer periods of time. Laika, which means “barker” in Russian, was taken home by her keeper shortly before the flight, so she could enjoy playing with his children before the launch.

A Memorial Was Made to Laika

In 2015, Russia honored Laika, the dog that pioneered space travel, with a statue of her on top of a rocket. Her launch aboard Sputnik 2 paved the way for the first astronaut, Yuri Gagarin in 1961. As homage to Laika, NASA, during the Mars exploratory mission in 2005, named one spot in a crater Laika.