I was glancing through Mental Floss today when "who was the first archaeologist" raced across my mind. Well I found out there's no easy answer for that, so I'll let you do the digging. Here are ten facts you might never have thought of but could possibly produce a few hmmmms. Hope you enjoy.
1) The five most broken bones or group of bones in the human body are clavicle or collarbone, ankle, hip, wrist, and arm. Source: Discovery Fit and Health
2) The first postage stamp issued in the U.S was on July 1, 1847 in New York City. Source: National Postal Museum
3) John Wilkes Booth used a single shot flint lock derringer to kill President Lincoln. Sources: Neatorama, Wikipedia
4) Catgut is tough cord made from the intestines of certain animals, particularly sheep, but not cats. Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia
5) The first known published crossword puzzle was created by journalist Arthur Wynne. It appeared in the December 21, 1913 issue of the New York World. Sources: American Crosswords Puzzle Tournament, About.com
6) Actor James Woods has an IQ of 180. Sources: Worldof Female, Kids IQ Test Center
7) The pygmy shrew is the smallest mammal in North America. Source: Animal Planet
8) Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) was a political cartoonist between 1941-1943. He was the chief editorial cartoonist for the New York newspaper PM. Two hundred of his cartoons for the PM are reproduced in Richard H. Minear's book Dr. Suess Goes to War. Sources:
The Library uc San Diego, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
9) Virginia has been the birthplace of more presidents than any other state. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson were all born there. Sources: Fact Checking, Wiki Answers
10) A lipogram is a text that deliberately excludes a particular letter of the alphabet. An example of this is Ernest Vincent Wright's Gadsby, which omits the letter e.
Sources: Wordsmith, About. com
Well this should start you on your way to gathering that wealth of information you'll need for Who Wants to be a Millionaire should you ever try out for it.
Do you know any strange or little known facts? I'd love to hear them.
Thanks for coming by
