Fact of the Day

[(Kirito)]

Some states refused to enforce Prohibition.

 

Along with creating an army of federal agents, the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act stipulated that individual states should enforce Prohibition within their own borders. Governors resented the added strain on their public coffers, however, and many neglected to appropriate any money toward policing the alcohol ban. Maryland never even enacted an enforcement code, and eventually earned a reputation as one of the most stubbornly anti-Prohibition states in the Union. New York followed suit and repealed its measures in 1923, and other states grew increasingly lackadaisical as the decade wore on. “National prohibition went into legal effect upward of six years ago,” Maryland Senator William Cabell Bruce told Congress in the mid-1920s, “but it can be truly said that, except to a highly qualified extent, it has never gone into practical effect at all.”

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FLAGS OF THE WORLD

 

Did you know... that the flag of Nepal is the only country that does not have a standard rectangular flag, and in the same time it is the oldest official flag in the world?  The blue frame stands for harmony and peace, reminiscent of Buddha, who was born here.  Crimson, on the other hand, is the national color. Some people compare the triangles with the Himalayan summits, but they are actually a Hindu symbol.

[Grundy]

Did you know... that the Bhutan flag stands out for one feature , the druk ( which is the ,,Thunder Dragon,, of Tibetan and Bhutanese mythology ) ? The name of the country means ,,dragon,, ( druk ) so it is logical to be placed on the flag . The druk originates from the Bhutan mythology , and holds jewels in his paws , that represent wealth .

[(Kirito)]

The Bikini Atoll’s flag is similar to the USA flag, but with black stars representing islands destroyed by nuclear testing, to serve as a reminder of the debt the US still owes them for nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning.

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - AUTOMOBILES

 

Did you know... that in 1807, Francois Isaac de Rivaz designed the first car that was powered by an internal combustion engine running on fuel gas.  The journey of modern automobiles began in 1886 when German inventor Karl Benz created an automobile that featured wire wheels with a four-stroke engine fitted between the rear wheels.

 

[Grundy]

Did you know... that in the year 1916 , 55% of the cars in the world were Model T Ford , which is still an unbroken record ?

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - METAL DETECTORS

 

Did you know... that a metal detector uses harmless, electromagnetic induction, in other words, a simple magnetic field, to locate metals?  The technology has been around for many years. What has improved is the application of the technology and the compact nature of first rate detectors.  Metal detectors for security use come in a variety of different styles. The two most common types are walkthrough detectors and handheld (wand style) detectors.

[Grundy]

Did you know... that if a piece of electrically conductive metal is close to the coil , eddy currents ( loops of electrical current induced within conductors by a changing magnetic field in the conductor ) will be induced in the metal , and this produces a magnetic field of its own ?

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WOLVES

 

Did you know... that wolves develop close relationships and strong social bonds?  They often demonstrate deep affection for their family and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the family unit.  They have a highly organised social structure enabling them to enjoy maximum cooperation when hunting, communicating and defending territory.  Wolves live and hunt in packs. They are known to roam large distances – as much as 20 km in a single day. Wolf packs in the far North often travel hundreds of kilometres each year as they follow migrating herds.  Wolves are highly territorial animals, and generally establish territories far larger than they require to survive; in order to assure a steady supply of prey. Territory size depends largely on the amount of prey available: in areas with an abundance of prey, the territories of resident wolf packs are smaller.  These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey.  A single wolf is capable of catching and killing a deer unaided, but when hunting as a pack they prey on much larger animals, including deer, elk, and moose.  Wolves also eat smaller mammals such as birds, fish, lizards, snakes, but also eat fruit.

[Grundy]

Did you know... that perhaps one of the the most well known characteristic of the grey wolf is its hauntingly beautiful howl ? This is a primary communication tool , both between lone wolves and their pack , as well as between packs . When it comes to territory , inter-pack howling will determine the size and strength of different pack , often determining weather or not to attack or retreat .

[lucaslink2]

Did you know... that wolves are one of the few species that are mates for life? or at least until one of the dies.

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CHOCOLATE

 

Did you know... that there are multiple celebrations of chocolate each year?  Holiday makers are constantly on the hunt for a reason to munch on chocolate, so the calendar offers plenty of excuses to buy a bar.  July 7 is also Chocolate Day, a nod to the historical tradition that the day marks when chocolate was first brought to Europe on July 7, 1550, though a number of sources argue that it might have hit the continent’s shores as far back as 1504, thanks to Christopher Columbus.  Official day or not, we do know that chocolate first arrived in Europe some time in the 16th century.  There's also National Milk Chocolate Day on July 28, International Chocolate Day on September 13, and, of course, National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day on November 7.

[lucaslink2]

Did you know... that hot chocolate was the first chocolate treat? Also, the cacao tree can live up to 200 years but can only produce good seeds for consumption for 25 years.

[Grundy]

Did you know... that the smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves , which triggers relaxation ? Also , Chocolate has over 600 flavor compounds , while red wine has 200 . 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - RACE HORSES

 

Did you know... that Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1964 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canadian icon, and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1965. Induction into the Racing Hall of Fame in both Canada and the United States followed in 1976. As a competitor, The Blood-Horse ranks him as one of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th century. A sire of sires, he has been called the leading male-line progenitor of modern Thoroughbreds worldwide.

 

At age two, Northern Dancer won the Summer Stakes and the Coronation Futurity in Canada and the Remsen Stakes in New York, and was named the Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.

 

At three, he started the year with wins in the Flamingo Stakes, Florida Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes. Northern Dancer then became the first Canadian-bred to ever win the Kentucky Derby, following up with a win in the Preakness Stakes. With a chance at the American Triple Crown, he finished third in the Belmont Stakes. Returning to Canada for a hero's welcome, he then won the Queen's Plate in his last race.

 

Northern Dancer retired to stud in 1965 at Windfields Farm in Canada. He was an immediate success when his first crop reached racing age in 1968, but the success of his second crop, led by English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky II, brought his name to the international stage. Northern Dancer was relocated to the Maryland branch of Windfields Farm, where he became the most sought sire of his time.

[Grundy]

Did you know... that Thoroughbreds racehorses can trace their lineage to three “foundation” sires of the 17th century : the Byerley Turk,  the Darley Arabian , and the Godolphin Arabian ? Each sire was brought to England from the Middle East , and their offspring ultimately resulted in the Thoroughbred we know today .

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - PHOTOGRAPHY

 

Did you know... that the first color photograph was taken in 1861?  The world’s first color image was the result of layering layering three separate images of red, green and blue filters.  These were then projected onto a photosensitive plate with the corresponding filters.  It was Thomas Sutton who suggested this process. This photographer and inventor created the first SLR camera around the same time as the color image.  He was also the one who developed the earliest panoramic camera with a wide angle lens in 1859. We owe a lot to him.

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by DarkRavie

[Grundy]

Did you know... that the word ''photography'' has Greek origins ? It comes from photos which means light , and graphein which means to draw . The term was first used during the 1830s . When joined together , the words mean ''drawing with light'' . Traditionally , Sir John Herschel is credited for coining the term ''photography'' and making it known among the masses . Although some other people , including Hercules Florence and Johann von Maedler also have used this term in their writings . Earlier , photographs were called as sun prints or heliographs .

[lucaslink2]

Did you know... that the fastest horse trained by Francis Vitale, Winning Brew clocked up a speed of 43.97 mph over two furlongs of the Penn National Race Course in Pennsylvania. 

[lucaslink2]

Did you know... that the world’s most expensive photograph sold for $4,338,500.