The creators of the US state north of Oregon were originally planning to name it Columbia, but were concerned it would be confused with the District of Columbia. So they named it Washington instead.
The Statue of Liberty almost wasn’t…
The Statue of Liberty almost wasn’t built in New York because the governor wouldn’t use city funds to build its pedestal, but Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper articles inspired 160,000 people to donate. Though a majority of donations were less than $1, they raised over $100,000 in just five months.
Triplets were deliberately separated at birth….
Triplets were deliberately separated at birth by their adoption agency. After investigative journalist, Lawrence Wright, looked into the matter, it was revealed the triplets were part of a scientific experiment by Dr. Peter B. Neubauer.
Charles Dickens’ father was imprisoned…
Charles Dickens‘ father was imprisoned when he was boy for unpaid debts. At the age of 12, Dickens’ was forced to leave school and work 10-hour long days at a warehouse for 6 shillings per day.
The population of Rio de Janeiro…
The population of Rio de Janeiro was so unsatisfied with its politicians during the election of 1988, that a well-known local monkey from a zoo received over 400,000 votes.
A Tennessee judge who ordered a name change…
A Tennessee judge ordered a name change for a baby named “Messiah”. He was later fired after her decision was found unconstitutional on appeal—she had previously stated, “That title has only been earned by one person and that person is Jesus Christ.”
Sandwich is an English town, and…
Sandwich is an English town, and ‘wich’ literally means street, town, or dwelling. Also, the sandwich was ‘created’ following the Earl of Sandwich’s request for beef between two slices of bread. It was previously simply known as bread and cheese.
In 1983 a Royal Navy pilot landed…
In 1983 a Royal Navy pilot landed his Sea Harrier fighter jet on a container ship when he got lost during a training exercise. The ship completed its journey 4 days later and the plane was returned to service. The ship’s crew and owners filed a salvage claim and were awarded some £570,000 ($1.14 million at the time) as compensation for the “rescue.”
The long-standing notion of late WWII…
The long-standing notion of late WWII ‘Kamikaze’ pilots as hyper-nationalist zealots was largely fiction. Many pilots were reluctantly drawn from the educated and liberal in Japan, and many expressed frustration at the futility of their nation’s cause and the sanctity of the Emperor.
In the USA, if you receive merchandise…
In the USA, if you receive merchandise that you never ordered, be it unsolicited or in excess of an order, you have the legal right to keep the merchandise as gift. You have no legal obligation to notify the seller. By law, companies can’t send unordered merchandise to you, then demand payment.