Croquet originated from a French game called paille-maille in the 16th and 17th centuries. It became popular in Britain as pall-mall during the reign of Charles II. Croquet was included in the Olympics once in 1900, with only French participants. Other strange events like tug-of-war and pigeon shooting were also briefly included. Croquet is thought […]
Golf originated in Scotland and was temporarily banned by King James II in 1457. It spread to other countries with the help of royalty, and became a mass-produced sport during the Industrial Revolution. Golf courses offer beauty, exercise, technical challenge, and social opportunities for all ages and genders. If it seems like more people enjoy […]
Chips and salsa are the most popular Super Bowl® snacks, followed by chicken wings. Americans eat over 1.25 billion wings during the game. Pizza, desserts, and dips like guacamole and onion dip are also popular. The day is the second biggest for food consumption in the US. The type of food most people eat while […]
Bic’s disposable ballpoint pens have sold over $100 billion worth since their introduction in Europe in 1950, averaging 57 pens sold per second. Bic’s success with disposable products also includes a long-lasting lighter, but failures with underwear and perfume. Bic’s line of disposable ballpoint pens was so popular that in 2005, the company reported that […]
Mohammad is the most popular name in the world, with an estimated 150 million people named after the prophet of Islam. The name is popular even in countries where Islam is not the main religion. Other popular names include Ravi among engineers, Billy among law enforcement, and variations of Emily among girls in various countries. […]
Amsterdam has more bicycles than people, with 40% of trips made by bike. The Netherlands has 22,000 miles of cycleways and civil servants dedicated to improving cycling. Amsterdam is nicknamed “the Venice of the North,” but rather than gliding down the canals in a gondola, residents of the Dutch capital prefer to cycle on the […]
A South American mummy from 6,000 BC had a mustache tattoo to attract his wife. In South Korea, tattoos are illegal for anyone other than licensed doctors due to health risks, but people still get them at clandestine parlours. Tattoo artists risk fines and jail time if caught. Korea’s interest in tattoos may have grown […]
Iceland’s Prohibition began in 1915, with a total ban on all alcohol, and only ended in 1989 when beer stronger than 2.25% ABV was authorized for sale. Beer was associated with Denmark and seen as encouraging alcoholism. Icelanders drink an average of 7.1 liters of alcohol per year. When most Americans think of Prohibition, the […]
A Dutch town named Geldrop has named a quarter of its streets after JRR Tolkien and his characters, including Tolkien Lane and streets named after elves and dwarves. The neighborhood’s original planning was suggested by a big Tolkien fan, and even the local kindergarten is named De Hobbit. JRR Tolkien created new languages and wrote […]
Saudi Arabia has strict codes of behavior, including dress mandates and bans on pork and nutmeg due to its potential for hallucinations and fatal poisoning. Photography of certain buildings is illegal, cinemas were banned for 35 years, and Valentine’s Day is not celebrated. As a conservative Islamic country, Saudi Arabia is known for its strict […]
Pinball was once illegal in major US cities due to its lack of flippers, making it prime gambling territory. Churches and politicians also opposed it, but it became an acceptable pastime in the 1970s as a game of skill. Mayor La Guardia even smashed machines in raids. The Addams Family is the best-selling pinball machine […]
In 1830s Vermont, homes had angled second-story windows called “witch windows” to keep witches out. They may have also been used for removing coffins. They are most common in central and northern Vermont and have other names like Vermont windows or lazy windows. Some say they were originally designed as vents. Some 140 years after […]
“Karl the Fog” is a popular Twitter account with 360,000 followers, created by an anonymous user who wanted to show the nice side of San Francisco’s constant fog. The tweets are often tongue-in-cheek comments about the persistence of fog in the Bay Area. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America and fortune cookies […]
Retail salesperson is the most common job in the US, with about 3% of the workforce employed in this field. One-third of them work for Wal-Mart. Most popular jobs pay less than $30,000 annually, with auto salesmen making the most per hour and clothing salesmen making the least. Retailers earn about the same as janitors. […]
Gift cards are replacing gift certificates and are available at major supermarkets. Popular options include Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart, as well as preloaded Visa, Mastercard, or American Express cards. Popular gift cards include iTunes, Wii Points, and Starbucks. Some gift cards have expiration dates or fees, so read the fine print. A new shopping […]
In 17th century Massachusetts, Puritan leaders made Christmas observances illegal due to their dislike of the holiday’s pagan roots and association with alcohol and sexual activity. The ban lasted for two hundred years until it was repealed in 1681, but Christmas did not become a public holiday in Massachusetts until the 19th century. Despite this […]
Hunting is declining in the US, which is good news for wildlife, but bad news for conservation agencies that rely on hunting-related taxes for funding. Some states are considering alternative funding sources, such as sales taxes and taxes on wildlife hobbyists. President Teddy Roosevelt protected 230 million acres of land for wildlife, and the word […]
The American Folk Art Museum in New York City displays various types of folk art, including paintings, sculptures, and quilts created by amateurs. Exhibits showcase different sides of American folk art, and the museum’s founders believed in its importance to American cultural history. The American Folk Art Museum is a museum dedicated to displaying American […]
Bananas have become the most popular fruit in the US due to their convenience and affordability. Americans ate an average of 10 pounds of bananas in 2010, surpassing apples. Bananas have surpassed apples as the most popular fruit in the United States, according to the US Department of Agriculture. In 2010, Americans ate an average […]
The People’s Party, or Populist Party, was a short-lived political party in the US formed in 1887 by farmers and workers unhappy with economic conditions and the two major parties. The party’s platform included political and economic reforms, and it gained electoral victories in the early 1890s. The party’s broad appeal came from the Omaha […]
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