October 18, 2011

Haunted attractions in the United States bring in an estimate $300–500 million each year, and draw some 400,000 customers.

October 17, 2011

Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when the poor of England would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls' Day (November 2).

October 16, 2011

"Some folklorists have detected [Halloween's] origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, whose original spelling was Samuin"--Nicholas Rogers, historian.

October 15, 2011

The Irish carved turnips and put coals or small candles inside. They were placed outside their homes on All Hallow's Eve to ward off evil spirits. They were also known to use potatoes and rutabagas.

October 14, 2011

Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. Consumers spend over $2.5 Billion during Halloween.

October 13, 2011

Historically, in England, a piece of bread crossed with salt was carried in the pockets of travelers on Halloween to keep them safe.

October 12, 2011

If your pumpkin lantern shrivels up, you can restore it by soaking it overnight in water to re hydrate it.

October 10, 2011

About 99% of pumpkins sold are used as Jack O' Lanterns at Halloween.

October 9, 2011

A pumpkin is really a squash, and comes from the same family as the cucumber.

October 8, 2011

It is thought that the colors orange and black became Halloween colors because orange is associated with harvests (Halloween marks the end of harvest) and black is associated with death.

October 7, 2011

The average American consumes enough caffeine in one year to kill a horse.

October 6, 2011

Red wine will spoil if exposed to light.  Hence the tinted bottles.

October 5, 2011

An olive tree can live up to 1500 years.

October 4, 2011

Natural pearls will melt in vinegar.

October 3, 2011

In the movie 'The Wizard Of Oz', Toto the dog's salary was $125 a week, while Judy Garland was $500 a week.

October 2, 2011

The Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal is farther East than the Atlantic entrance.

October 1, 2011

In Holland, you can be fined for not using a shopping basket at a grocery store!

September 30, 2011

Only one book has been distributed in more copies then the Bible; The IKEA catalog.

September 29, 2011

More than 6,000 people with pillow-related injuries check into U.S.
emergency rooms every year!

September 28, 2011

A kind of jellyfish (Turritopsis nutricula) upon reaching adulthood can transform itself back to childhood by converting its cells. It may repeat this to live forever.

September 27, 2011

Hot water freezes faster than cold water (the Mpemba effect.)

September 25, 2011

The element Californium is often called the most expensive substance in the world (as much as $68 million for one gram.)

September 26, 2011

1 inch (25mm) of rain water is equivalent to 15 inches (381mm) of dry, powdery snow.

September 24, 2011

A rubber tire is actually one single molecule.

September 23, 2011

9 out of 10 lightning strike victims survive!

September 22, 2011

In ten minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all the world's nuclear weapons combined!

September 21, 2011

A toothbrush within 6 feet of a toilet can get airborne bacteria from flushing.

September 20, 2011

If you are bitten by a poisonous snake, and fail to receive medical attention, you still have a 50% chance of survival.

September 19, 2011

Most lipstick contains fish scales.

September 18, 2011

The average human body contains enough fat to make seven bars of soap.

September 17, 2011

The average human body contains enough iron to make a small nail.

September 16, 2011

There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the world.

September 13, 2011

More than ten people a year are killed by vending machines.

September 12, 2011

Coughing can cause air to move through your windpipe faster than the speed of sound - over a thousand feet per second!

September 10, 2011

Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don't.

September 9, 2011

65 percent of people tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of the left.

September 8, 2011

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

September 7, 2011

The housefly hums in the middle octave, key of F.  Coincidentally, this is the key for most American-made car alarms.

September 6, 2011

The national anthem of Greece, based on the "Hymn to the Freedom", written by Dionysios Solomos, a distinguished poet from Zakynthos Island, was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. It has 158 verses. To this day, no one in Greece has memorized all 158 verses.

September 5, 2011

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.

September 4, 2011

The United States Government keeps its supply of silver at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.

September 3, 2011

Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.

September 2, 2011

101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan (Wendy) are the only two Disney cartoon features with both parents that are present and don't die throughout the movie.

September 14, 2011

When your face blushes, the lining of your stomach turns red, too.

September 11, 2011

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

September 1, 2011

During World War I, thymol from thyme was a famous battlefield antiseptic, which makes thyme the best antimicrobial herb in your kitchen.

August 31, 2011

Dandelion greens contain vitamins A and C, and its leaves are high in lecithin, which helps assist the liver in processing toxins. (potentially a cure for a hangover?)

August 30, 2011

In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.

August 29, 2011

Karoke means "empty orchestra" in Japanese.

August 28. 2011

The biggest recorded earthquake was a 9.5 on the Richter scale with an epicenter in Chile in 1960, thus making it over 1000 times stronger than the one felt in central Virginia on August 23, 2011.  For more Virginia earthquake info, check out Earthquakes in Virginia

August 27, 2011

Earthquakes on the East Coast travel farther and can do more damage further from the epicenter than their stronger West Coast counterparts because the underlying bedrock is pretty well-connected (like a concrete slab) while in the West, underlying topography is chopped-up (like a brick patio) causing the energy of a quake to dissipated closer to the epicenter.

August 26, 2011

The biggest recorded earthquake in Virginia (about a 5.8 on the Richter scale) was on May 31, 1897, in Pearisburg, the county seat of Giles County.

August 25, 2011

In earthquakes above 4.5 on the Richter scale, some buildings begin to fall.

August 24, 2011

Virginia is classified as a "moderate" seismic risk, and has a 10-20% chance to experience a 4.75 quake every century or so.

August 23, 2011

Peppers are spicy so that birds (who can't taste spice) and not mammals will eat them and carry their seeds farther than mammals would be able to.

August 22, 2011

In the final two months of pregnancy, a fetus can distinguish differences in tone and rhythm of voices, particularly the mother's.

August 21, 2011

A 20-week-old fetus can be stimulated and irritated by sounds.

August 20, 2011

At 3.5 weeks, a production of neurons in an embryo occurs at a rate of 250,000 per minute.

August 19, 2011

The ovum, even though it only measures 1/175 inch in diameter (the size of a period on a page) is the largest single cell in the human body.

August 18, 2011

"He declined to combat on such unequal grounds and retreated" Meriwether Lewis (on his encounter with a bear).


Meriwether Lewis (an alumnus of Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University)), born August 18, 1774 in Ivy, Virginia, was allegedly assassinated (or committed suicide) in his cabin in Tennessee in 1809. 

August 17, 2011

"I like to believe that love is a reciprocal thing, that it can't
really be felt, truly, by one."  Sean Penn

Sean Justin Penn, born August 17, 1960, was married to Madonna for a
very hectic four years, in which he served 33 (of 60) days in prison
for assaulting a photographer, allegedly hung a paparazzo (who had
been waiting for Penn in his hotel room) off the 9th floor balcony by
his ankles, and was charged for felony domestic assault.

August 16, 2011

"I always thought I should be treated like a star." Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone, born August 16, 1958, shares her birthday with Kathie Lee Gifford and Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore).  Madonna moved to New York with $35 to her name, got a job at Dunkin' Donuts and joined a band.  She sang, played drums and guitar for her first band "Breakfast Club."

August 15, 2011

"There's something really great and romantic about being poor and sleeping on couches."  Ben Affleck
Also, true bromance at its best: "If I ever woke up with a dead hooker in my hotel room, Matt would be the first person I'd call." Ben Affleck

Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt, born August 15, 1972, was eight years old when he first met Matt Damon (who was 10 at the time).  Matt lived two blocks away, and turned out to be a distant cousin of Ben's.  The two reached stardom when they created "Good Will Hunting." 

August 14, 2011

"Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."  Steve Martin


Stephen Glenn Martin, born August 14, 1945, was once the victim of an art forgery scam.  He purchased a painting entitled "Landscape with Horses" from a Parisian gallery for $850,000 that later turned out to be a forgery when he tried to resell it resulting in a loss of roughly $350,000.

August 13, 2011

"Keep cool; anger is not an argument." Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster served in the House of Representatives for ten years (representing New Hampshire), the Senate for nineteen years (representing Massachusetts), and served as the Secretary of State for three presidents.

August 12, 2011

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." George Washington

One Friday morning, George Washington reported a sore throat, the next night, December 14, 1799, he died, his final words being "'Tis well."   Many people around the world mourned his death.  Napolean, for example, ordered 10 days of mourning in France.  Martha Washington, in order to protect their privacy, burned all of the letters between her and George.  Only five survive.

August 11, 2011

"A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes. " Vera Wang

Vera Ellen Wang trained to be a figure skater, even competing at the 1968 US Figure Skating Championships.  It was only once she did not make the Olympic team that she began her career in fashion. 

August 10, 2011

"Deep breaths are very helpful at shallow parties. " Barbara Walters

Barbara Jill Walters (born in 1929) cohosted NBC's "The Today Show" with Frank McGee, but was not officially titled cohost until his death.  McGee refused to co conduct interviews with Walters unless he could ask the first four questions.

August 9, 2011

"Everybody has to be a little lucky, I think. " Christopher Walken

Ronald "Christopher" Walken, a first generation American, has appeared in over 100 movies and television shows. 

August 8, 2011

"Life is a game and true love is a trophy. " Rufus Wainwright

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright was nominated for a genie award for Best Original Song at the age of 15, only 2 years after he first started touring.

August 7, 2011

"I don't really look at myself as the kind of person who craves attention, but I've never been to therapy so there's probably a lot of stuff about myself that I don't know. " Al Yankovic

Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic continued on with a concert in Minnesota in 2004 even after he was informed that both of his parents were found dead, victims of carbon monoxide poisoning.  

August 6, 2011

"People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people - and that social norm is just something that has evolved over time. "
Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook,  could read and write French, Hebrew, Latin, and ancient Greek. He was known in college for occasionally reciting lines from Homer's "The Illiad" and other epic poems.

August 5, 2011

"Words impress me. If a man can speak eloquently and beautifully to me, I just melt on the floor."
Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones married Michael Douglas (25 years her senior to the day) only a few weeks after his divorce was finalized.  Eleven years later, they are still married.  In April 2011, Catherine Zeta-Jones sought treatment for bipolar II disorder.

August 4, 2011

"To read too many books is harmful." Mao Zedong

Chairman Mao's personal physician published a book after the man's death that claimed that he was a chain smoker who rarely left his bed, never bathed or brushed his teeth, and had a large number of sexual partners from whom he contracted multiple venereal diseases.

August 3, 2011

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it
would be a merrier world." J. R. R. Tolkien 

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned at the age of 12, his father
having died of rheumatic fever when Ronald, as his parents called him,
was only three and his mother having died of type 1 diabetes.

August 2, 2011

"Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present."
Friedrich Nietzsche  Also, "'Evil men have no songs.' How is it that
the Russians have songs?"  Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche was originally Prussian, but applied for annulment
of his citizenship.  Once granted the annulment, he spent the rest of
his days stateless but claimed (falsely) to be a decedent of Polish
nobility.

August 1, 2011

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." Leo Tolstoy 
also, "Nietzsche was stupid and abnormal."  Leo Tolstoy 

Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, a Russian author (and son of a Count) best
known for his novels "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", was
described by his teachers as "unwilling and unable to learn". 
Eventually, he found himself in massive gambling debts, so he joined
the Russian army with his brother.

July 31, 2011

How long should a man's legs be? Long enough to touch the ground.
J. D. Salinger

Jerome Davide Salinger, author of "The Catcher in the Rye", did not
learn that his mother, Miriam (originally Marie), was not Jewish until
after his bar mitzvah.  He was kicked out of high school once and
dropped out of college twice.

July 30, 2011

"Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it." Harper Lee 

Nelle Harper Lee once received a gift of a year's wages from her
friends Michael and Joy Brown so that she could pursue her dream of
writing.  During this period, she wrote "To Kill A Mockingbird" which,
when published, became an instant bestseller.

July 29, 2011

Had a hard time picking just one quote, so here are three from Ernest
Hemingway


"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to
keep your mouth shut."

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with
his fools."

"As you get older it is harder to have heroes, but it is sort of
necessary."


Ernest Hemingway served as an ambulance driver for the red cross in
Italy during WWI, where he was badly injured by a mortar explosion. 
During his six month recovery, he met and fell in love with a red
cross nurse.  She later abandoned him before their wedding and married
an Italian soldier.  Supposedly, this incident caused Hemingway to
leave many of his future brides before they had a chance to leave him.

July 28, 2011

"A gentleman can live through anything." William Faulkner 

William Cuthbert Faulkner, a member of SAE fraternity at Ole Miss, was
greatly influenced by Caroline Barr, the African-American woman who
raised him from infancy.  It was the life-long relationship he had
with her that influenced his writing, directing its focus to the
politics of sexuality and race.

July 27, 2011

"Canada was built on dead beavers."  Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood, Canadian author of "The Handmaid's Tale", discovered
she had a passion for writing at the age of six, but did not attend
school full time until eighth grade.

July 26, 2011

"A faithful friend is a strong defense; And he that hath found him
hath found a treasure."  Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott shared a birthday with her father.  She was home
schooled by her father but also received lessons from close family
friends including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, and Margaret Fuller.

July 25, 2011

"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence."  Vince Lombardi.

Vince Lombardi, head coach of the Green Bay Packers, originally
studied to become a priest at Cathedral College of the Immaculate
Conception but dropped out after four years of the six year program.

July 24, 2011

"I've learned you can make a mistake and the whole world doesn't end.
I had to learn to allow myself to make a mistake without becoming
defensive and unforgiving." Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow, left-handed, Jewish, Friends co-star, received research
credit for aiding her Neurologist father in publishing a study on the
comparative likelihood of left-handed individuals developing cluster
headaches.

July 23, 2011

"I'm fiercely loyal to my friends, and I really cherish my
friendships." David Schwimmer

David Schwimmer, co-star of Friends, had his first acting experience
at the age of 10 when he played the role of the fairy godmother in a
Jewish version of Cinderella.

July 22, 2011

"I guess we'd be living in a boring, perfect world if everybody wished
everybody else well." Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston, co-star of Friends, (with the rest of her female
co-stars) became the highest paid tv actress by the 10th season of
Friends, receiving 1 million dollars per episode.  She received to
septoplasties to correct her deviated septum and is worth roughly $110
million.

July 21, 2011

"I find the earth to be a place of misery in which I am surrounded by
the conformity that kills society."  Matt LeBlanc

Matt LeBlanc, Friends co-star, is the only co-star of friends not to
have appeared on an episode of Saturday Night Live.

July 20, 2011

"A lot of my humor does come from anger. It's like, you're not gonna
pull one over on me - which is pretty much my motto anyways."
Courteney Cox

Courteney Bass Cox, co-star of Friends, studied architecture in
college until she dropped out to pursue a career in acting.  She was
the first person to use the word "period" in reference to menstruation
on television.  She also played Alex P. Keaton's girlfriend on Family
Ties.

July 19, 2011

"If there's a silence in a room I'll try to fill it as soon as humanly
possible."  Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry, co-star of FRIENDS, was raised by his mother, former
press secretary to the Canadian Prime Minister, in Ottowa until he
moved to the US in the 1980's to pursue a career in acting much like
his father who is now the Old Spice sailor.

July 18, 2011

"The days you work are the best days." Georgia O'Keeffe 

Georgia O'Keeffe, daughter of Francis Calyxtus O'Keeffe and Ida Totto
O'Keeffe, gave up painting as a career until she attended a summer
course in painting at UVA in 1912.