A few other fictitious-sounding details about pirates are correct. According to National Geographic, battling pirates would have lost limbs from time to time, and some of them would have replaced their missing appendages with a hook or a wooden peg. "Members of the crew... received compensation for the loss of body parts in action—an early form of worker's compensation," according to the Smithsonian Institute.

The large pagoda in Yangon is iconic of Myanmar and attracts pilgrims from around the country. Tourists marvel at this giant, gold plated complex in the centre of the former capital. When you visit, you can understand why it’s so valuable. More than 60 tonnes of gold cover the exterior of the pagoda. And if you look up at the top of the main stupa that extends up into the sky, you’ll see a giant diamond sat inside the hti. This is a real 75 carat (or 15 gram), practically flawless diamond on top of the pagoda. And not to mention the thousands of others that decorate the statues and pavilions.

If you visit northern Norway in the summer, you may take advantage of the midnight sun. Admire the night scenery in the setting sun, with extra daylight for outdoor activities and living like a native. In the northern city of Troms, for example, the sun only sets for 3-5 hours each night between May and July. In June, closer to the summer solstice, the sun never sets.

Your vision board can also increase your desire for the things you wish to attain. When you constantly think about what you want and live the life you want, you will be inspired and the desire to act will be strong. You will develop a strong desire to achieve your goals. When you look at and visualize the things you want in your life, such as your ideal sports car, you subconsciously enhance your desire to reach that goal. And having a strong desire to achieve your goals in life is a crucial attitude to develop. You will settle for less if you do not have a strong desire.

Jack Ryan started his career as an engineer, building missiles for the Pentagon, but was eventually hired away by Mattel for his "space-age savvy" and material knowledge (meaning he'd be able to make high-quality, well-functioning toys). His designs contributed to Barbie's twistable waist and "click-click" knee joints.

Every second, around 28 million litres (700,000 gallons) of water flow down Niagara Falls. It is believed to be the fastest-moving waterfall in the world. With a height of 188 feet (57 meters) and a depth of 170 feet (52 meters), Horseshoe Falls is the tallest waterfall. Glacier action caused Niagara Falls to develop some 12,000 years ago.

In comparison to other cookware, earthen pots are heat-resistant, support slow cooking, and use less oil during cooking. So, as you consume less oil and more nutritious foods, the earthy flavor of your food is accompanied by the goodness of health.

It is the biggest inland body of water in the world. The Black Sea has a total area of 163,000 square miles, which is larger than the whole state of California. The Black Sea, however, differs from most other inland bodies of water in that it is also classified as a marginal sea.

Termites can communicate and navigate their environment thanks to organs at the bases of their antennae and tibiae that can detect vibrations. Soldier termites will bang their heads against the tunnel walls when there is a potential threat, vibrating the colony as a warning. Some termite species even use the vibroacoustic signals given off by wood to decide which food source to invade next, in addition to using them for communication.

Although no one knows where tulips originated, it is evident that the Ottomans adored the flower and helped it spread throughout Europe. According to legend, the flower was introduced to Holland in the 16th century by a Flemish diplomat who visited Süleyman the Magnificent.

Karl Landsteiner identified blood types in the early 1900s, and that some types cannot mix. There are several ideas as to how these classifications came to be, but the subject of why humans have various blood types at all remains unresolved.

The typhoon season lasts from May to November, and Hong Kong has a very effective infrastructure in place to deal with these intense tropical storms. A T1 signal implies that a storm is on its way. Then a T3 indicates that the storm intensifies, so schoolchildren and the elderly should stay home. Winds up to 180km/h swirl across the city during a T8 or T10, closing businesses and public transportation.

Santa has a workforce of Elves that labor all year long to prepare presents for Christmas. The precise number of Elves at Santa's workshop is unclear, but we contacted the Grotto's HR department and were given an estimate of at least 12'.

Nalanda, one of the world's oldest ancient colleges, is being restored in rural Bihar. It was founded as a study center in the 5th century CE, when a major Buddhist monastery flourished on the site. The new Nalanda International University is scheduled to open in 2021/22 and will provide post-graduate courses in a wide range of topics.

According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Herodotus wrote in 440BC that when a pet cat died in Ancient Egyptian times the family members would shave off their eyebrows in mourning. Now that’s an interesting cat fact!

Fairy wasps are not suitable as pets. They don't even have life spans that can last a week, and first of all, they are usually too small to be seen.

Japan paid a million yen to a team of scientists who claimed to develop a "death ray" that would use wave electric power to kill persons standing kilometres away, based on Nikola Tesla's ideas. The Japanese got as far as developing a prototype that could kill from half a mile away—but the victim had to stay motionless for 10 minutes for it to operate.

Don’t Touch Me Plant is a very sensitive plant to the touch. This kind of plant is easily recognized by its characteristic of folding up and dropping down leaves when touched.

Your spine protects and safeguards the spinal cord. As you may be aware, the base of the brain is linked to the spinal cord. They are collectively known as the central nervous system (CNS). Can you believe one of your body's most vital components weighs only 35 grams?

If you thought being bilingual made you an overachiever, you’re about to get schooled. Queen Victoria was fluent in no fewer than five languages: English, German, French, Latin, and Italian. She also learned a little Hindustani and Urdu to chat with her Indian servants at Windsor Castle (above)

During the early years of the Academy Awards, the organisation provided newspapers with the names ahead of time, with the agreement that the names would not be published until 11 p.m. Of course, someone had to ruin it for everyone when, during the heated 1940 competition, The Los Angeles Times broke this rule by announcing that Gone With the Wind had won before the statue was handed out. It resulted in a rule change that is still in effect today. And for more Dolby trivia, check out these 30 Oscars Telecast Jokes That Totally Failed.

Each night more stars and constellations begin to appear in the eastern part of the sky at dusk before moving across and disappearing over the western horizon by dawn. Likewise, those constellations which we had been able to see low near the western horizon after sunset will vanish from our view only to be replaced by constellations that had been higher in the sky at sunset just a few weeks earlier. The constellations which appear in the east have a daily shift rate close to one degree per day, as completing a 360 degrees circular journey around the Sun in 365 days produces roughly that rate. One full year later, the stars subsequently return to the same position and rising time as the year before.