To clean tarnished copper bottoms of pots and pans, spread a little ketchup onto the bottom. Let it sit for about one minute. Wipe it clean and rinse.

When thirsty, a camel can swig down 25 gallons of water in less than three minutes.

Actor John Barrymore had a pet vulture named Maloney that would sit on his knee and hiss.

The Sun is colossal. It contains 99.8 percent of the total mass of the solar system. More than one million Earths would be required to match its volume.

The precise origin of absinthe is unclear. According to popular legend, absinthe began as an all-purpose patent remedy created by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. Ordinaire's recipe was passed on to the Henriod sisters of Couvet, who sold absinthe as a medicinal elixir. One Major Dubied in turn acquired the formula from the sisters and, in 1797, with his ...Read more

An ostrich may weigh as much as 300 pounds. Its intestinal tract is 45 feet long.

The armor of the armadillo is not as tough as it appears. It is very pliable, much like a human fingernail.

Barking Sands Beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is known for its unusual sand that squeaks or "barks like a dog." The dry sand grains emit an eerie sound when rubbed with bare feet.

In 1418, women's headgear was so tall that the doorways of the royal castle of Vincennes, France had to be raised, on the orders of the queen, to allow the ladies of the court to pass through without ducking.

"Jingle Bells," "Winter Wonderland," and "Sleighride" do not specifically mention Christmas.

Well, saying he actually created it is a bit of hyperbole on our part, but Telesphorus, the second Bishop of Rome (125-136 AD) declared that public Church services should be held to celebrate "The Nativity of our Lord and Saviour." In 320 AD, Pope Julius I and other religious leaders specified 25 December as the official date of the birth of ...Read more

If all the water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere were condensed to liquid water at the same time, there would be enough water to cover the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska) with a 25-foot-deep layer of water.

You can't keep a good hero down. Next, DC published the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline, during which four different characters - a new Superboy, the cyborg "Man of Tomorrow", the murderous "Last Son of Krypton", and Steel - are introduced as Superman, although none of them are. A de-powered Kal-El later surfaces in a Kryptonian battle suit ...Read more

Astronaut John Glenn ate the first meal in space when he ate pureed applesauce squeezed from a tube aboard Friendship 7 in 1962.

During the 1940s, Alex Jordan discovered a 60-foot chimney of rock in the pristine Wyoming Valley. He built a weekend retreat house on the sandstone formation called Deer Shelter Rock. Word about his natural discovery spread, and people came in droves to see his architectural wonder. Jordan was surprised and overwhelmed by the constant public ...Read more

The Popsicle was invented by 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905. He left a container of soda and a stirrer outside overnight, and in the morning discovered them frozen together.

While some sharks lay eggs, blue sharks give birth to live pups, as do about two-thirds of all sharks, estimated at nearly 350 species.

Camels instinctively know their own endurance and will refuse to move beyond it. If their masters try to drive them farther, they will lie down and refuse to budge.

Results of a survey show that 76 percent of women make their bed every day, compared to 46 percent of men.

The pinball machine was one of the few successful industries that grew out of the Depression in the United States. The early models typically charged 5 cents for 10 balls, did not have side flippers, and the player had to add up his own score. Because it offered inexpensive and interactive entertainment value, the pinball machine remained ...Read more