Info:Did you know

Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is commonly claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument

Foot binding

In China, girls' feet were bound so the arch was forced upward, resulting in a "lotus foot"

Golden Horde

The Golden Horde was a Mongol state established in the thirteenth century after the break up of the Mongol Empire

Cloud seeding

The first attempt at cloud seeding was in 1946 when dry ice dropped from a plane led to snow fall

Earth lodge

Several Plains Indians tribes lived in semi-subterranean buildings covered with earth, known as earth lodges

B.R. Ambedkar

B.R. Ambedkar was the chief architect of the Constitution of India

Imre Kertesz

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002, Imre Kertesz, was a Holocaust concentration camp survivor

Human sexuality

Human sexual activity is more than a physical activity, it impacts the minds and hearts as well as the bodies of the participants

Anton Bruckner

For Anton Bruckner, like Bach, music served the purpose of praising and glorifying God

Sasquatch

Although sightings of Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, continue to be reported the majority of scientist remain skeptical about the existence of such a creature

Waseda University

The Waseda University academic cap is square and was specially designed to be unique, immediately identifying its wearer as a Waseda student

Bering Strait

Plans to build a bridge or tunnel across the Bering Strait were proposed as far back as the nineteenth century

Indonesia

Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world

Book of Mormon

Joseph Smith, Jr. published the first edition of the Book of Mormon in 1830 in Palmyra, New York

Treaty of Nanking

The Treaty of Nanking ended the First Opium War between the United Kingdom and China

Nelson Rockefeller

Nelson Rockefeller served as governor of New York State from 1959 to 1973 and as the 41st vice president of the United States of America from 1974 to 1977

Battle of Kursk

The Battle of Kursk, in which the Soviet Red Army defeated Hitler's German troops, was a turning point in World War II, giving the Soviets the strategic initiative on the Eastern Front

Tabernacle (Judaism)

The Hebrew word for "tabernacle" is "mishkan" which means "Place of [Divine] dwelling"

Avebury

Avebury is the site of a large henge and several stone circles, dating to around 5000 years ago

Book of Jeremiah

The Book of Jeremiah is best known for its theme of the "New Covenant" that involves a personal relationship with God

Census

The Roman census was the most developed in the ancient world, the word "census" coming from Latin "censere," meaning "estimate"

Adonis

In Greek mythology Adonis was resurrected by Zeus following his premature earthly death

Yugoslavia

The region once occupied by Yugoslavia is often described as "the crossroads between East and West"

Elf

The earliest preserved description of elves comes from Norse mythology

Daniel arap Moi

Daniel arap Moi was popularly known as "Nyayo," a Swahili word for "footsteps" which he used to describe his philosophy

Kumgangsan

Kumgangsan, the Diamond Mountain, is one of the most spectacular tourist sights in Korea

Bankruptcy

In the Jewish law there was no provision for bankruptcy; instead, all unpaid debts were canceled every seven years

Beijing

The name Beijing literally means "northern capital"

Cain and Abel

The story of Cain and Abel in Genesis tells of the first human murder when Cain killed his brother Abel

Lee Falk

Lee Falk's comic strip character 'The Phantom' inspired the costumed image of what has today become known as the "superhero."

Robert K. Merton

Robert K. Merton coined the expression "self-fulfilling prophecy"

Adoption

Only a small percentage of adopted children are orphans whose biological parents died

Richard Dedekind

Dedekind came up with the notion of the "Dedekind cut" which is foundational in defining real numbers

Land value tax

Land value tax has been referred to as "the perfect tax."

Hawaii

Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States in 1959

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon has one of the highest concentrations of hoodoos of any place on Earth.

Drawing and quartering

In Britain, the penalty of drawing and quartering was usually reserved for commoners, including knights. Noble traitors were merely beheaded

Propaganda

The original meaning of the term "propaganda" was not negative, simply "that which ought to be spread"

Songhai Empire

At its height, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Songhai Empire was the largest empire in West Africa

Longhouse

Native American longhouses serve a symbolic as well as practical purpose