Agatha Christie, renowned for her intricate plots and iconic detectives like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, extended her interests beyond writing. Beyond the typical world of country estates, Christie engaged in diverse activities, including participating in archaeological digs in Egypt and Syria.

In a surprising departure from her literary persona, the Queen of Mystery found joy in an unconventional hobby: surfing. During a 1922 world tour with her then-husband Archie, Christie learned to surf while lying down in South Africa. Progressing to standing on a board at Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, she became enamored with surfing, as detailed in her autobiography.

“Nothing like it. Nothing like that rushing through the water at what seems to you a speed of about two hundred miles an hour; all the way in from the far distant raft, until you arrived, gently slowing down, on the beach, and foundered among the soft flowing waves. It is one of the most perfect physical pleasures that I have known.”

Before ascending to the presidency as the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy served as a US Navy officer during WWII. In 1943, his boat was sunk by a Japanese battleship, leaving the crew stranded on a Pacific island. Two Solomon Islander scouts, Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, discovered the survivors, and Kennedy, quick-witted, carved a rescue message into a coconut shell.

The scouts successfully delivered the coconut through Japanese-occupied territory, leading to the crew’s rescue. Years later, as President, Kennedy kept the coconut shell on his Oval Office desk as a poignant reminder of the perilous incident that almost prevented him from returning to the US, let alone becoming the Commander-in-Chief.

For Lego enthusiasts in Cornwall, England, a beach stroll can turn into a dream come true as Legos are a literal gift from the sea. The phenomenon dates back to February 13, 1997, when a rogue wave hit the cargo ship Tokio Express, causing 62 containers filled with over 4 million Legos to spill into the ocean.

Due to their buoyancy, Legos have been washing up on beaches ever since, with many pieces having sea-themed designs. While most are found in Cornwall, these ocean-borne Legos have been discovered as far away as Texas and Australia. Decades after the maritime mishap, people continue to stumble upon these wayward Legos along the shorelines.

Square dancing gained popularity in US schools, thanks to Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company. In the 1920s, Ford, a fan of country-western square dancing, introduced it to his workforce and incorporated it into social events. He extended this influence to the public school system, with about half of American schools adopting square dancing by 1928.

However, Ford’s motivation was also rooted in racism, as he saw it as a White antidote to what he perceived as the infectiousness of jazz, associated with Black and Jewish Americans. Ford aimed to promote a form of White culture and power through the widespread adoption of square dancing.

In April 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine faced a catastrophic event as one of its reactors exploded, causing a significant fire and meltdown. The incident released radioactive debris into the atmosphere, impacting 5 million people and prompting a mass evacuation from a 1,000-square-mile exclusion zone.

Despite the evacuation efforts and attempts to manage the aftermath, the plant continued to operate. The remaining three reactors stayed in service due to power shortages in the collapsing Soviet Union and the lengthy decommissioning process for nuclear plants. Chernobyl’s last reactor finally ceased operations in 2000, marking the end of its operational tenure, 14 years after the devastating disaster.

By the late 19th century, a lady’s outfit wasn’t considered complete without a hatpin, a long pin securing her hat. Women, however, repurposed hatpins as self-defense tools against unwanted advances. Leoti Blaker, in 1903, used hers to fend off an assailant on a stagecoach, highlighting the pins’ role in providing women with a sense of protection, independence, and empowerment in public spaces.

Yet, unintended injuries from hatpins led to laws restricting their size. In 1910, Chicago outlawed large hatpins, a trend that quickly spread across the country. This regulation aimed to prevent accidental injuries caused by hatpins in public spaces.

“Similar laws subsequently passed in several other cities, including Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and New Orleans. Ten thousand miles away, in Sydney, Australia, sixty women went to jail rather than pay fines for wearing “murderous weapons” in their hats. Even conservative London ladies steadfastly refused to buy hatpin point protectors.”

As hatpins lost popularity in the 1920s, the regulations against them also waned.

From the late 19th century, the South Pacific saw the emergence of cargo cults—religious movements interpreting the arrival of supply goods for colonial or military personnel as divine blessings. The influx of goods during World War II, brought by Allied servicepeople to Pacific islands, intensified these beliefs. When the servicepeople departed, locals sought to attract the goods back through their traditions.

One notable cargo cult venerates John Frum, a mythical American figure believed to bring prosperity to the island of Tanna. Celebrated on February 15 as John Frum Day, islanders engage in elaborate rituals dedicated to this enigmatic persona. As described by writer Paul Raffaele:

“On this holiest of days, devotees have descended on the village of Lamakara from all over the island to honor a ghostly American messiah, John Frum. “John promised he’ll bring planeloads and shiploads of cargo to us from America if we pray to him,” a village elder tells me as he salutes the Stars and Stripes. “Radios, TVs, trucks, boats, watches, iceboxes, medicine, Coca-Cola and many other wonderful things.”

Distinctive accents are not exclusive to humans; according to a 2012 study, goats also exhibit accent-like variations in their vocalizations. Animal behavior researcher Alan McElligott and his team observed 23 baby goats raised in four different groups, each developing unique communication patterns based on their specific group dynamics. This finding suggests that, much like humans, goats have the capacity to develop and adapt their vocalizations in distinctive ways.

“…it is possible that this is related to forming a sort of group identity, wherein knowing members of your own group is actually important, and also knowing if other individuals actually don’t belong to that group.”

Winter poses challenges for motorists dealing with icy roads, typically addressed by salt trucks to de-ice roadways. However, in many places, salt alone may not be sufficient.

Some locales enhance their de-icing capabilities with unique ingredients like cheese brine, pickle juice, or beet brine. Despite the varied byproducts, the goal is the same: to create an antifreeze effect. As highlighted in a 2016 Wired article:

“Mixed with chemical additives, the… brine goes down before the storm and keeps the snow from freezing to the road.”

It works because brine, with its high salt content, lowers the freezing point of water, making it difficult for ice to form on roadways and effectively melting existing ice.

Winston Churchill, known for his aristocratic background, had a strong affinity for alcohol, making it a part of his daily routine and social gatherings. He enjoyed champagne, brandy, and even used whiskey as a mouthwash, according to his private secretary Jack Colville.

Despite the Prohibition era in the US, Churchill, who spent a significant amount on champagne in 1936, found a way around the alcohol ban. Following a car accident in 1931, a physician prescribed alcohol for his recovery, allowing him to legally consume it in a country where it was largely prohibited.

Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not visible from space with the naked eye. This is a common myth that has been debunked by astronauts and experts.

The wall is relatively narrow and has colors that blend with the natural landscape, making it difficult to discern from space without aid. While certain structures and city lights are visible from low Earth orbit, the Great Wall is not one of them without the assistance of optical aids like binoculars or a telescope.

Cleopatra VII, the famous queen of ancient Egypt, was of Greek descent. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which was of Macedonian Greek origin. Cleopatra’s family ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great, and they maintained a tradition of intermarrying among close relatives. Cleopatra herself was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and her lineage traced back to Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s generals.

Despite being of Greek descent, Cleopatra embraced many aspects of Egyptian culture and presented herself as a pharaoh. She learned the Egyptian language and customs and was involved in various aspects of Egyptian religious and political life during her reign.

The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar on August 27, 1896, holds the record as the shortest war in history. The conflict erupted when Sultan Khalid bin Barghash declared himself the ruler of Zanzibar in defiance of British influence.

The British issued an ultimatum for the sultan to step down, and when this was ignored, they opened fire on the sultan’s palace. The war lasted for only about 38 minutes, with the majority of the sultanate’s naval vessels quickly incapacitated. The swift British victory marked the end of the Zanzibar Sultanate and highlighted the overwhelming military superiority of the British Empire during this period.

Harold Holt, the 17th Prime Minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Melbourne on December 17, 1967. Holt was known for his love of swimming and had gone into the water alone. Despite an extensive search and rescue operation, his body was never recovered.

The circumstances surrounding Holt’s disappearance led to various speculations and conspiracy theories, but the official conclusion was that he likely drowned. The incident remains one of the most mysterious events in Australian political history. Holt’s disappearance led to the swift appointment of John Gorton as the new Prime Minister.

The first recorded instance of a tomato-based sauce for pasta in Italy can be traced back to the late 18th century. Before this time, tomatoes were initially met with suspicion and considered poisonous by Europeans since they belong to the nightshade family. However, by the late 18th century, tomatoes gained acceptance and found their way into Italian cuisine.

The introduction of tomatoes to Italian cuisine is associated with the Naples region, where the first recorded recipe for a tomato-based sauce appeared in the late 1700s. This early tomato sauce was a simple preparation with tomatoes, oil, garlic, and sometimes herbs.

The iconic tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel and his construction company for the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) of 1889, which was held in Paris, France, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

The tower, with its unique design and engineering, has since become one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

While Napoleon is often depicted as being very short, he was actually close to the average height for a Frenchman of his era. Napoleon’s height is commonly cited as 5 feet 2 inches (about 1.57 meters) in French measurements, but these measurements were made using the French foot, which is longer than the English foot.

When converted to the English system, Napoleon’s height is estimated to be around 5 feet 6.5 inches (about 1.69 meters). This would have been close to the average height for Frenchmen in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The notion of Napoleon being exceptionally short may have been fueled by British propaganda and misunderstandings over time.

On June 26, 1974, at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio, a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum was the first item to be scanned using a Universal Product Code (UPC), which is the type of barcode commonly used today.

The first actual physical product to bear a barcode was a pack of Wrigley’s gum, and the historic event marked the beginning of the use of barcodes for inventory and sales tracking in the retail industry.

The Olympic Games originated as part of ancient Greece’s religious festivals. The games were held every four years in Olympia, beginning in 776 BCE. The ancient Olympic Games were dedicated to Zeus, the chief deity of Greek mythology, and were a part of the religious celebrations in honor of the god.

Athletes from various Greek city-states would gather to compete in events such as running, wrestling, boxing, chariot racing, and the pentathlon. The Olympic Games held significant religious and cultural importance, fostering a sense of unity among the Greek city-states during the period when the Games were held. The Olympic truce, a temporary cessation of hostilities between warring states, was declared to ensure the safe passage of athletes and spectators to and from the games.

The concept of vending machines dates back to ancient times, and one early example comes from 1st-century Roman Egypt. According to historical accounts, the mathematician and engineer Heron of Alexandria created a machine around 50 CE that dispensed holy water in temples.

Heron’s machine operated through a system of weights and counterweights, releasing a predetermined amount of holy water when a coin was inserted.

When a pharaoh died, it was a common practice in certain dynasties to bury their servants with them, believing they would serve them in the afterlife.

Pharaohs were typically buried in elaborate tombs or pyramids along with various offerings and possessions, reflecting their status and beliefs about the afterlife. These burial practices evolved over time, and the specific customs varied across different periods of ancient Egyptian history.

The Great Pyramid of Giza was originally covered in casing stones made of highly polished Tura limestone, which reflected the sun’s rays, making it shine like a “gem”.

Over the centuries, much of the outer casing of the Great Pyramid was removed for various purposes, including construction projects in Cairo. What remains today is the underlying core structure made of larger stones, which gives the pyramid its stepped appearance.

The original white casing stones are no longer in place, and the Great Pyramid, like other ancient Egyptian pyramids, has lost its smooth outer surface.

Caligula is said to have loved his horse Incitatus so much that he gave it a marble stall, an ivory manger, a jeweled collar, and even planned to make him a consul.

According to the ancient historian Suetonius, Caligula was said to have appointed his favorite horse, Incitatus, as a Roman consul or senator. However, Suetonius wrote during the early Imperial period, long after Caligula’s death, and some scholars consider his accounts to be sensationalized or biased.

Soon after construction began in the 12th century, the foundation of the tower started to sink, causing it to lean.

The tower began to tilt in 1173 and continued for nearly two centuries. The tower’s foundation, built on soft soil, caused the tilt to develop even before the completion of the structure.

The tower’s tilt increased over the years, and various attempts were made to stabilize it. Today, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a famous landmark, known for its unintended tilt.

In 75 BCE, Caesar was kidnapped by pirates. He maintained an attitude of superiority throughout his captivity and even told them they weren’t asking for enough ransom.

Caesar’s associates raised the ransom, and he was eventually released. After his release, Caesar gathered a fleet, returned to the pirates, and carried out his promise by having them captured and crucified.

They were used to transport messages and were considered very reliable. Pigeons were particularly valued for their reliability in delivering messages, even under challenging conditions. They could navigate through difficult terrain, adverse weather, and electronic interference.

The French Army, along with other military forces, employed thousands of carrier pigeons to carry crucial messages, especially when telephone lines were cut, radio communication was intercepted, or other methods were impractical.

Big Ben is actually the name of the largest bell inside the clock tower, which is part of the Houses of Parliament. The tower itself is officially known as the Elizabeth Tower. However, due to the widespread use of “Big Ben” as a nickname, it is commonly used to describe both the bell and the clock tower.

The Great Bell, or Big Ben, was cast in 1856 and is part of the clock mechanism that strikes the hour. The tower, completed in 1859, houses the clock and the Great Bell. The nickname “Big Ben” is thought to have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the Commissioner of Works at the time the bell was installed, who was a large man known as “Big Ben.”

In the 13th century, he issued a papal bull that led to the mass extermination of cats, which some believe exacerbated the spread of the Black Plague. The Black Plague, also known as the Black Death, was a devastating pandemic that occurred in the 14th century. It was primarily spread by fleas that infested rats.

It included multiple cases of cheating, athletes getting sick from the dust and heat, and one runner being chased a mile off course by aggressive dogs. Despite its difficulties, the race prompted changes in marathon preparations and underscored the importance of athlete well-being.

Urine contains ammonia, a compound that was thought to clean and whiten teeth.

The Romans believed that urine, particularly that of Portuguese individuals who were known for their diet, had cleaning properties and could help maintain oral hygiene.

This practice is documented in historical texts, including the works of the Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder.

They often used eyeliner to accentuate their eyes, believing it made them appear more fearsome in battle. Archaeological findings, including artifacts and remnants, indicate that both men and women in Viking society used various cosmetics and grooming products.

Viking men would often use a substance called “kohl” to darken their eyelids, similar to eyeliner. This was likely done for practical reasons, such as reducing the glare of the sun, as well as for cultural and aesthetic purposes.

Known as the Carrington Event, it was so powerful that telegraph operators reported sparks leaping from their equipment.

The solar storm occurred on September 1–2, 1859, and it was named after the British astronomer Richard Carrington, who observed and recorded the solar flare associated with the event.

During the Carrington Event, intense solar flares produced a large influx of solar particles and magnetic disturbances that reached Earth. The enhanced geomagnetic activity had disruptive effects on telegraph systems.

In 1947, a moth got trapped in a relay of a computer at Harvard and disrupted operations. Admiral Grace Hopper and her team encountered a malfunction and found a moth.

Admiral Hopper recorded the incident in the logbook, coining the term “bug” to describe a glitch or defect in a computer system. The log entry read, “First actual case of bug being found,” and the practice of referring to computer issues as “bugs” became a common term in the field of computer science. The actual moth, which caused the problem, is now preserved at the Smithsonian Institution.

Due to high demand and low supply, the shortage of bananas led to public outcry. A combination of factors, including unfavorable weather conditions and transportation issues, bananas became scarce in the country.

Icelanders were not accustomed to having bananas regularly available, and when they did become scarce, it led to a notable public reaction.

The scarcity of bananas in Iceland during that period created a sense of novelty and desire for the fruit.

Titled “Fart Proudly,” it was a scientific essay about flatulence. The essay was written in 1781 as a letter to the Royal Academy of Brussels, proposing a scientific investigation into the unpleasant odor of human flatulence.

In the essay, Franklin humorously suggested that a person could discover a method for making farts “not only inoffensive but agreeable as Perfumes.” While the essay was meant as satire and is often interpreted as a playful dig at the overly serious scientific inquiries of the time, it reflects Franklin’s wit and willingness to explore unconventional topics.

Named Wojtek, he helped move crates of ammunition. He became an unofficial mascot for the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps. The soldiers raised and trained Wojtek, and he became an integral part of their unit.

Wojtek was known for his strength and became famous for helping the soldiers transport artillery shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. He would carry and move heavy crates of ammunition, and his contributions to the unit were recognized.

After the war, Wojtek was relocated to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, where he lived until his death in 1963.

A woman from Israel filed a lawsuit against a television weatherman from an Israeli channel, alleging that his weather prediction was inaccurate. Despite his forecast of favorable weather, it ended up raining. The plaintiff claimed that due to the inaccurate forecast, she dressed inadequately, leading to her contracting the flu.

For years, people had to use chisels and hammers. Canned food was first introduced in the early 19th century, but the can opener, as we know it today, was not invented until many years later. The can opener was patented in 1858 by Ezra J. Warner, around 48 years after the invention of canned food.

The first commercially successful videocassette recorder (VCR) was the Ampex VRX-1000, introduced in 1956. This early VCR was indeed quite large, roughly the size of a piano, and it weighed several hundred pounds.

The Ampex VRX-1000 used two-inch quadruplex videotape and was primarily designed for industrial and television broadcasting purposes rather than personal use. Over time, as technology advanced, VCRs became more compact and accessible to the general public, eventually evolving into the consumer-friendly VCRs that gained popularity in homes during the late 20th century.