A goat herder in Ethiopia is said to have discovered coffee in the 1500s. He noticed his goats munching on coffee cherries. He noticed a change in their behaviour after that; they gained a lot of energy and didn't sleep at night. The herder informed the local monks of his findings. They realised they could stay up all night praying after making their own drink from coffee beans. The news quickly spread to other Ethiopian monks and then to the rest of the civilised world.

Zeus had a large family outside of his marriage to Hera. This enraged Hera, and in order to exact her vengeance, she claimed that their son, Hephaestus, was the result of a virgin birth. This meant that Hephaestus was not descended from Zeus, which infuriated the Thunder god. And he vented his rage on Hephaestus by tossing him off the summit of Mount Olympus.

An iceberg with 20 billion gallons of fresh water could supply a million people for five years, but it would have to be towed across 10,000 kilometres of open ocean to the coast of Fujairah, which could take a year.

Doctor Strange was nearly not given to Benedict Cumberbatch. Despite fierce A-list competition from Justin Theroux, Jon Hamm, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Depp, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jared Leto, it was Joaquin Phoenix's rejection of the role that allowed Marvel Studios to officially announce Benedict Cumberbatch as the best character fit for the role of Doctor Strange.

That's correct! There are several species of this bird, including the black-winged kite, black-shouldered kite, white-tailed kite, and letter-winged kite. These birds are said to be known for their graceful gliding in flight.

Chris Carter, the show's creator, says he received the idea for The X-Files by reading a scientific poll conducted by Harvard psychiatrist John Mack, which revealed that 10% of Americans believed in extraterrestrials, even to the point of being contacted by them. According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2019, 68 percent of Americans believe the government knows more about UFOs than it is revealing. However, just around half of those sceptics believe the cover-up involves a real alien landing of some kind.

A caustic phenolic compound, urushiol, a powerful skin-irritating toxin also present in the related poison ivy in the sumac family, surrounds the seed. Although some people are sensitive to cashews, they are a less common allergen than other nuts.

Silk fabric has some pretty desirable qualities thanks to the special properties of its proteins, particularly sericin. Silk is naturally hypoallergenic and unlikely to irritate those with sensitive skin or allergies. Additionally, it is antimicrobial, which means that it prevents the development of bacteria, fungi, and mould. Overall, having it in your home is a great decision!

Your friendships are affected directly by love. When you get a boyfriend or girlfriend, you usually have to let go of two other important people in your life (such as a bestie or a family member...not cool!).

Players were never able to advance the ball. Instead, each player was required to toss it from where he caught it. The first team credited with advancing the ball by dribbling did so at Yale in 1897, and the official allowed for dribbling, initially only one per possession, was implemented four years later. The slam dunk, another major basketball technique, was outlawed from the 1967-1968 season until the 1976-1977 season.

In 1901, Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old teacher, was the first to take this spectacular voyage down the surging waters of Niagara Falls in a self-designed barrel constructed of iron and oak and padded with a mattress. While she survived, such a trip is not recommended for obvious safety reasons, and individuals who try a reckless act over Niagara Falls face a hefty fine as well as the expense of rescue. Over a dozen additional individuals have gone over the falls since Taylor.

According to English Heritage research from 2010, Stonehenge has a long and fascinating link with astronomy. This is owing, in part, to the monument's alignment with the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice. William Stukeley, a pioneering British archaeologist, discovered this in 1720. Many notable astrologers have examined Stonehenge since then, attempting to uncover links between its structure and the stars.

Dolores Umbridge, the worst villain in the Harry Potter series, wound condemned to Azkaban after Order of the Phoenix. According to Pottermore, the reason was that she was involved in imprisoning, torturing, and even ordering the deaths of several innocent witches and wizards during the Second Wizarding War. Being the worst fictional villain since Hannibal Lecter, on the other hand, is a fairly good justification to be imprisoned in Azkaban on its own. Was she worse than him who shall not be named? Maybe not, but wizards and witches like this one were crucial to his machinations, so she's surely in the running for the worst of the wizarding worst.

Natural Moonstone promotes sensations of strength and natural stability. It regulates your emotions and gives you confidence in any scenario.

Are you prone to mosquito bites? Iceland will suit you perfectly! Iceland is mosquito-free, thanks to a lack of small ponds and temperatures that are unfavourable for mosquito breeding – so you can sleep with your windows open anytime you like.

Although Noah Webster was not the first American to create a dictionary, his name has come to be associated with the American dictionary. Webster wrote An American Dictionary of the English Language in the hopes of contributing to the creation of a uniquely American lexicon with Americanized spelling and pronunciation of words. Webster became serious about becoming an etymology expert in order to thoroughly research word origins and sources. To write his dictionary, he learned 26 languages, including Sanskrit and Old English. It was published in 1828 and included the first definitions of "American" words like chowder and skunk.

It's no coincidence that the Queen in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Macbeth. Walt Disney purposefully imitated Lady Macbeth's on-screen persona, and was even quoted as picturing the Evil Queen as "a mixture of Lady Macbeth and The Big Bad Wolf."

The other 97.7% are ethnically Chinese. This is because Taiwan was ruled by the Qing Dynasty for 200 years from 1683 to 1895. During this time, the locals were pushed out in the same way native Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders were by Europeans. This isn’t an upbeat Taiwan fact but it’s important to know.

Nowadays, there are just 500,000 indigenous people made up of eight different tribal groups. Sadly, their 26 native languages have become almost extinct. Unemployment rates are high and education levels low. However, since the 80s there has been a bit of a revival and several cities host indigenous cultural events. Will it be enough?

Catnip causes enthusiasm in the majority of cats. Your cat may appear agitated, racing about and pouncing on objects. Cats' eyes dilate in numerous conditions. Of course, your cat may react differently, but many cats become more talkative and lively. A few cats may get violent when introduced to catnip, so give your cat some space if this is her first time trying it.

Many Viking women rose to positions of power and influence as priestesses and oracles in ancient culture. Many became poets, keeping on the oral traditions of the Vikings and passing them on to the next generation. The mythical shieldmaidens, female warriors who battled alongside men on the battlefield, were the most famous Viking ladies. Scholars continue to debate their existence, however, there is evidence from Byzantine Empire documents that they did exist.

When railway tracks were being laid during the 18th century, oil traces were found in Digboi, which led to the first oil well being dug in the city. Because of this, Digboi is also known as the oil city of Assam. Digboi has the oldest oil well in operation. Apart from oil, Digboi is also famous for the Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, the Golf Course, and its War Cemetry.

The term Ragnarök refers to the violent rebirth of the world, during which many gods were destroyed in the Norse mythology that inspired the Thor comics. Because the third Thor film isn't well-known in Japan, Marvel gave it a much more evocative title. As a result, Thor: Ragnarok was renamed Mighty Thor: Battle Royale, after a famous Japanese novel and film about child competitors fighting to the death in an arena. (The Hunger Games did not invent this concept.) Because Thor is forced to compete for the Grandmaster's amusement, the title has been changed.

It was typical for countries to have flocks of homing pigeons for military usage during the twentieth century. The birds may convey critical signals swiftly between bases or over enemy lines. Pigeons are credited with saving thousands of lives due to the information they delivered so faithfully. With only 5 minutes to spare, a pigeon dubbed G.I. Joe saved British troops from a bombing. During WWI, another woman named Cher Ami delivered a total of 12 important messages for the US forces. Cher Ami was hit in the breast during his last flight, yet he still managed to fly for another 25 minutes, accomplishing his job and saving the lives of 194 stranded soldiers.