Throughout history, Malta has been ruled by numerous empires, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights Templars, French, and lastly the British.

Toby Gard, the creator of Lara Croft, joked that it became clear that Tomb Raider needed a female protagonist when he realised that third-person games require a lot of staring at the main character's butt, so he should probably make that butt a lady's butt to keep him sane during the long hours. In reality, Core was probably afraid of being sued by Lucasfilm for their obvious Indiana Jones rip-off, so they needed a new character who couldn't be confused with Harrison Ford. The simplest way to accomplish this was to switch genders.

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)

The Royal Spanish Football Federation grew preoccupied with inviting Lionel Messi to join the Spanish Football Team a few years after he arrived in Barcelona. But Messi had a different plan; he wanted to follow in the footsteps of former Argentina great Diego Maradona and play for his country, so he turned down the opportunity. When the Argentine Football Association learnt of the situation, they planned two under-20 friendly despite knowing nothing about young Messi (actually, they did not know who that Messi guy was).

Klecksography—the technique of creating pictures using inkblots—was a popular children's game in the late nineteenth century. In general, the game entailed pouring ink onto paper, flipping it over, and seeing what pictures appeared. Rorschach, who worked in a Swiss asylum, wondered if patients might read these inkblots differently based on pathology, and he had some success with this. That prompted him to start employing his own custom-made, abstract, symmetrical drawings to elicit mental responses from his participants. Rorschach felt that by doing so, he could delve deeper into a patient's psyche than written psychological exams permitted.

That is five times as fast as the typical airplane, which flies at 575mph.

Chia seeds make a gelatinous mixture when soaked in water, plant milk, or any other liquid, which is ideal for making a creamy pudding or thick sauce. The soluble fiber in chia also has the added benefit of stabilising blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol. With this pantry essential, everyone wins.

According to Italian studies, eating pizza daily can cut the chance of acquiring oesophageal cancer by 59%, mouth cancer by 34%, and colon cancer by 26%. (Of course, with many diet restrictions, take it with a grain of salt.)

True trivia that may break a few hearts: when the Joker first appeared in 1940, he was supposed to be a one-off event that would disappear after a few incidents. Fans were so taken with his character, and they appreciated how brutal and unpredictable he was, that he was made a regular in the Batman franchise. He's lucky he wasn't cancelled! We would never have spotted these amazing Easter Eggs in the latest Joker film if it hadn't been for the internet!

That equates to nearly 140 million individuals. Scotland has the largest percentage of genuine redheads, with 13% (40% may possess the gene), while Ireland is second, at 10%.

The Tonle Sap supports about half of Cambodia's agriculture and is a key fishing source. The incredible thing about this lake is that it regenerates in major areas throughout the rainy season when monsoon rains fall and flood the centre area between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Belgium only has 11 million residents. This makes it a densely populated country… Especially when you consider that 50% of the island is covered in forest and therefore uninhabited. In fact, 90% of the population lives along a strip of land along the east coast.

Yeti Project Japan founder Yoshiteru Takahashi allegedly discovered a yeti cave on Dhaulagiri, the seventh-tallest mountain on Earth, but his camera malfunctioned before he could capture a clear picture of the creature.

Unfortunately, they are poor breeders, making it difficult for them to rebound from their falling position. Females reach sexual maturity at seven or eight but do not normally begin breeding until a couple of years later. Males reach sexual maturity at a much later age.

Approximately 2 million people were slaughtered during the Khmer Rouge's four-year reign. That equates to one-fifth of the population. Because of the atrocities that occurred between 1975 and 1979, up to 63% of Cambodia's population is under the age of thirty.

Halloween is more fun than serious, but contrary to popular belief, it is not particularly important in a witch's calendar. They are also thought to celebrate Beltane, the first day of May, and Midsummer's Eve, which coincides with the summer solstice. In fact, in Sweden, Easter is associated with witches.

Here it is for everyone who has been waiting for it since our previous mention, or who simply skipped ahead till they discovered it. A mature butterfly has a lifespan of three to four weeks, although the full life cycle can last anywhere from two to eight months. There are exceptions to the rule, as there are to any rule. At least one butterfly species lives for around 24 hours, but certain migratory butterflies, such as the North American Monarch, can live for about eight months.

It is common knowledge that Athens was the most powerful and glorious city-state of ancient Greece. Its inhabitants created a great culture that is still respected today. It is also believed that the city was named after Athena, the goddess of knowledge and courage.

Walt was the literal man behind the mouse from 1928 to 1947. Walt kept doing Mickey's voice for shorts on The Mickey Mouse Club even after the voice work was formally given to Jimmy MacDonald in 1947.

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

Centipedes are skilled hunters due to their incredible speed and venomous forcipules. Smaller species primarily consume mollusks, worms, insects, and spiders. Larger species frequently eat small birds, bats, and frogs as food. Even other centipedes will be eaten by some centipedes! Their meals are somewhat dependent on what is available to them. Some centipedes will scavenge for food in a pinch, but most of the time, they will hunt for it. Centipedes hunt for prey with the help of their antennae and catch it with their speed. Then, after encircling their prey, they wait for their venom to take effect before consuming their meal. Really brutal, no? However, it does the job.

We have always heard that life is only possible on the planet Earth. But of all the planets in our solar system except Earth, Mars is most likely to hospitable to life on earth. In the year 1986, NASA found something that they thought to be the fossils of microscopic living things in a rock recovered from Mars.