Henry Ford was obsessed with soybeans. He once wore a suit and tie made from soy-based material, served a 16-course meal made entirely from soybeans, and ordered many Ford auto parts to be made from soy-derived plastic.

The Sun gives off a stream of electrically-charged particles called the solar wind. Every second, the Sun pumps more than a million tons of material into the solar wind.

The Radhanites were medieval Jewish merchants. Jewish merchants dominated trade between the Christian and Muslim worlds during the early Middle Ages, from approximately 600 to 1000. Trade routes established under the Roman Empire stayed open during that period largely through their efforts. Their trade network covered much of Europe, North ...Read more

Legend has it that tortellini was created to honor the Roman goddess Venus's belly button, after an Italian innkeeper spied on her through a keyhole and told the community the titillating details.

Preppy (also spelled preppie) is a chiefly American adjective or noun traditionally used to describe the characteristics of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) who attend or attended major private, secondary university-preparatory schools commonly associated with New England and the northeastern United States. These characteristics include ...Read more

Disposable diapers in the United States make up enough trash to fill a barge half a city block long, every six hours, every day.

The nation of Chile’s name is from an Indian word, Tchili, meaning “the deepest point of the earth".

One Norwegian Christmas custom begins in late autumn at harvest time. The finest wheat is gathered and saved until Christmas. This wheat is then attached to poles made from tree branches, making perches for the birds. A large circle of snow is cleared away beneath each perch. According to the Norwegians, this provides a place for the birds to ...Read more

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