The first tightrope walk occurred in 1859, when Charles Blondin wore pink tights and walked a one-inch-thick tightrope over a part of Niagara Falls. Blondin returned to Niagara Falls numerous times more, including one excursion while blindfolded. In 2012, Nik Wallenda became the first person to walk across the Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Wallenda walked in front of tens of thousands of people and had his journey broadcast live on television.

The Indian pariah dog turned out to be the best performer of the dog squad after being accepted by Uttarakhand Police and trained with various foreign species!

Tuition expenses at the prestigious University of Geneva, for example, are 500 CHF every semester, or 1000 CHF for the whole academic year. This price range is common at public institutions, however more costly private universities are available. Still, when compared to universities in the United States, it's a steal!

Nepal is home to 5,980 flowering plant species, 2% of the world's orchids, and 6% of rhododendron species. The country is home to over 250 species of flora and fauna, including 870 species of birds (roughly 8% of the world's total), 650 species of butterflies, and the world's largest moths and honeybees. The Chitwan National Park is a protected area for endangered and rare animals like Asia's one-horned rhinoceros and the Royal Bengal Tiger.

People are divided as to whether Santa resides in the North Pole or in Finland! However, Fun Kids sources reveal that he has toy studios in both locations, as well as a vacation house in Marbella! If you reside in the United Kingdom and want to write to Santa

Termites are tenacious creatures that spend their entire lives maintaining the colony. They put in so much effort that they don't take any breaks. Imagine working seven days in a row without taking a break. These tiny bee-eaters are the model workaholics in nature! They are such destructive pests because most of their 24-hour workday is spent gnawing away at wood or other materials.

Amalgam Comics was a DC Comics and Marvel Comics publishing brand in which the two comic book companies combined existing characters into new ones. Dark Claw, an amalgamation of Batman and Wolverine, was created. Superman and Captain America merged to form Super-Soldier. Characters such as Iron Lantern and Shatterstarfire may also appear.

If you thought cats spent a lot of their lives sleeping, you’d be right. According to Veterinary Hub, Cats actually spend 70% of their lives sleeping, which works out to around 13-16 hours a day. It’s a cat’s life!

The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) of South America typically has up to 100th teeth! It feeds mostly on ants and termites.

For years, I had heard about the Canadian cuisine Poutine but had never eaten it. Despite having seen it on menus in the United States, I wanted to sample this Canadian cuisine for the first time in Canada. Poutine originates in the province of Quebec. It's made out of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds. I realize that doesn't sound very tasty (or perhaps it does). We were able to taste it at the first eatery that offered it in the area-Chez Ashton-during my Saint-Roch walking food tour in Quebec City. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it!

The insect family Mymaridae includes the fairyfly (Mymaridae). In addition, the fairyfly is a member of the subfamily Chalcidoidea of the Hymenoptera order.

Have you ever heard of sharing the DNA with Gorillas? But yes, we do. We share 98% of our DNA with Gorillas. This means that exposure to human illnesses, even a cold, can negatively impact the Gorillas as they are so much similar to us, genetically. Still, they haven't developed the necessary immunities. Interesting, isn't it?

In 2018, USA Today debunked a report making the rounds on the internet. This ranking of the "most dangerous signs" is purported to be sourced from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Still, the agency denies doing any astrological analysis of the criminals it investigates. Whoever generated the false report, though, was clearly distrustful of Cancers.

In October 2005, Yangon was the bustling capital of Myanmar. A few weeks later, it was no longer the capital and the government staff suddenly found that they had to relocate almost 400 kilometres up the road to Naypyidaw. The government built the new city in secret and then announced that it was the new administrative centre.

The board game murder mystery Cluedo is popular all around the world, and although being owned by the American company Hasbro, it was founded in Birmingham in 1943 by Anthony E. Pratt. A plaque can be found on the wall of a house on Brighton Road where Pratt used to live and create the game.

Not only do dog owners live longer lives than non-dog owners, but they are also more likely to survive and recover from catastrophic health crises such as a heart attack or stroke. Why? According to the American Heart Association, "interacting with dogs can increase your production of 'happy chemicals' such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine." "This can result in a higher sense of well-being as well as a reduction in levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Having a dog can also help decrease blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as alleviate depression and enhance fitness."

If you or someone you know has ever quit smoking with nicotine gum, you can thank Sweden. Nicorette, the first product, was created by Leo AB in Helsingborg. It was inspired by the fact that while on duty, smoking Swedish submariners would switch from tobacco to chewing tobacco or snus to get their nicotine fix. Nicorette wasn't the first time nicotine was placed in chewing gum, but they did design a polymer that regulated the flow of nicotine into the bloodstream, allowing for a continuous release and a gradual withdrawal, allowing millions of people to stop for good.

Harry Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, built the sign in 1923. It began as a $21,000 billboard for Chandler's Hollywoodland real estate development. In 1949, the sign was shortened to the one we are all familiar with.

Do you think anglerfish and other bioluminescent critters are cool? You, too, light in a similar process known as biophoton emission. Scientists have been able to record minuscule quantities of light emitted by chemical processes in our cells using ultra-sensitive cameras. The glow, however, cannot be seen with the naked eye since it is a thousand times dimmer than what humans can perceive.

Following Webster's death in 1843, George and Charles Merriam purchased the rights to revise An American Dictionary of the English Language, Corrected and Enlarged. In Springfield, Massachusetts, the two brothers printed and sold books, and their intellectual property purchase paid off. Merriams published the first revised Webster dictionary for six dollars in the fall of 1847. The book was a success, and the G. & C. Merriam Co. was renamed Merriam-Webster, Inc. in 1982. Merriam-Webster still publishes popular print and electronic dictionaries.

Kensington Palace, the current London abode of William and Kate—the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge—was Queen Victoria’s birthplace. Born on May 24, 1819, Victoria spent much of her childhood at Kensington, raised by her widowed mother (Victoria’s father died when she was eight months old) and several royal courtiers.

Malleus Maleficarum became the go-to handbook for both the hysterical masses and witch-hunters on how to deal with a witch. It was a legal and theological document written by two clergymen that offered advice like shaving the witch's hair off her body so she can't hide magical objects. Go figure.