Due to the popularity of Sudoku puzzles in 2008, pencil sales in London increased significantly.

All asteroids are categorised into numerous classes based on their chemical makeup and albedo. In a nutshell, there are three basic categories of asteroids: metal, silicon, and carbon. Carbon asteroids have very black surfaces. About 75% and 17% of all known asteroids fall within the first two groups.

Stuart Sutcliffe, a Scottish painter and bassist, was a founding member of the Beatles when they were only a club act in Hamburg, Germany. He met his fiancée, Astrid Kirchherr, there and decided to stay to be with her. Only a year later, he died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 21. Meanwhile, his former comrades went on to become some of the most famous artists in history. Many others, including producer George Martin, public relations manager Derek Taylor, and road manager Neil Aspinall, have been dubbed the "Fifth Beatle" throughout the years.

Some of the rocks date back more than 540 million years. The rocks along the Russian Platform date back to the Precambrian epoch, the earth's first aeon. This epoch spanned from the birth of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago through the emergence of the first multicellular creatures. To put it into perspective, the ancient rocks in the Black Sea existed for about 300 years before dinosaurs were on the scene.

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.

Alabama residents who dress in clergy attire are thought to be breaching the law and might face a $500 fine and up to a year in jail. Reminder to self: don't dress up as a priest, rabbi, or nun on October 31 in Alabama.

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."

Images or pictures of Lord Surya and Lord Ganesh, turmeric powder, roli (vermilion), akshat (raw rice), a chawki, red cloth, earthen lamp, incense sticks, ghee and wicks, camphor, date fruits (khajur), betel leaves, a small piece of sandal (Chandan), fruits and nuts, and sweet dishes are all required for the puja. During Chhat Puja, installing Lord Surya (Sun) Yantra is also regarded highly fortunate. Wearing a Ruby (Manikya) Ring on this important occasion also brings good fortune.

In 1788, Robert Burns took a Scottish traditional ballad called "Old Long Syne" and transformed it into the version we know today. Auld lang syne translates as "times long past."

Another fun fact about Spain is that it has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Only Italy and China have more. Probably the most famous UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. This building was begun to build in 1882 and is believed to be finished in 2026.

The growth rate of toenails is around half that of fingernails. They usually expand by 1.6 millimeters each month.

Affirmations, another important weapon in your Law of Attraction armory, are also well-supported by psychological research. One researcher at the University of Exeter, for example, has published on constructive repeated thought. They discovered that persons who regularly convince themselves that they can achieve a goal are more likely to succeed. Affirmations have been shown to aid in trauma rehabilitation, and increase anticipatory planning, depression therapy, and physical wellbeing.

If you've ever been to a synagogue, you'll know that they're generally quite simple and austere places of worship. But not Budapest's Great Synagogue. This Jewish temple on Dohány Street is tall and majestic, with one of the largest and most impressive cathedral naves I've ever seen. It is one of Europe's most beautiful synagogues. The Great Jewish Synagogue, built between 1854 and 1859, seats 3000 people. It is Europe's largest synagogue and the world's second-largest (after Belz Great Synagogue, in Jerusalem).

Your vitamin D levels must be within the recommended range to ensure healthy health. Adults require 20 to 30 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (ng/mL) of vitamin D in their blood, according to the NIH. Even though a test is required to determine whether your levels are in that range, doing so is not required unless you have a condition like osteoporosis, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

In the United Kingdom, nearly £368 million is spent on whole cakes each year, which includes birthday cakes! That's nearly £1 million worth of cake per day, which is a lot of cake (and even more candles). When you extrapolate this to the entire world, you'll discover that people eat between 50 and 100 million birthday cakes every single day, not just once a year.

An annual competition for students who are blind, the Braille Institute hosts more than 1,400 students from the U.S. and Canada to test their braille skills. Contestants compete in categories like reading comprehension, proofreading, and spelling. Winners in each age group walk away with monetary prizes – and braille bragging rights for a year.

In 1867, a 15-year-old boy named Erasmus Stephanus discovered the stunning Eureka diamond in South Africa. The rough diamond weighing 21.25 carats was discovered on the Orange River near Hopetown. The polished diamond now weighs 10.73 carats.

In China, stories of an undead creature known as Jiangshi have existed since the Qing Dynasty. Though the word literally translates to “stiff corpse,” these reanimated bodies are often referred to as “hopping vampires” because they move by hopping with arms outstretched and hide in coffins or unlit areas during the day. The pale, lifeless creatures are often depicted as rotting or decomposing and are believed to kill the living with one touch. Chinese residents who fear the dead place a six-inch piece of wood at the bottom of the door to prevent them from entering their homes.

Young plants have upright stems, but as they get older, they gradually start to creep or trail. Every tiny stem produces a few thin, thorny branches that are likely 1.5 to 2.5 mitres long.

We continue to throw away our old textiles year after year, despite the fact that almost all of them can be recycled! This means that there is an alternative to dumping garbage in a landfill. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 2013 that 2.3 million tonnes of textiles were recycled, avoiding disposal. They claimed that this figure had the same environmental impact as removing 1.2 million cars from the road. Whether you choose to donate your old clothes to charity or up-cycle them into something new for yourself, imagine the environmental impact if everyone chose to recycle their clothes!

While Copernicus is credited with creating the heliocentric concept of our solar system, the Rig Veda was the first to recognize the central positioning of the sun and other planets around it in the solar system. Rig Veda 1.164.13 "The Sun travels in its orbit, which is also moving." Because the sun is heavier than the Earth and other things, they travel about it owing to the force of attraction." The sun moves in its own orbit, yet holds the earth and other heavenly things in such a way that they do not clash via force of attraction, says Rig Veda 1.35.9.

Barbie's official birthday commemorates her first public appearance at the American International Toy Fair in New York in 1959. In her black and white striped one-piece, she stood 11 inches tall and was dressed for a pool party. Barbie was instantly recognizable as the only toy in the doll aisle that wasn't modelled after a baby or a small child—having an adult woman as a plaything for children was a novel concept. One thing she lacked at first? A navel button. That was added to her design in 2000, more than 40 years later.

Flying kites without wind is difficult in the open air. However, at the Windless Kite Festival, kites can be flown indoors even if there is no wind. Every year, this festival takes place on the Longbeach Peninsula.