On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from British rule, but the Portuguese refused to relinquish control of Goa. Goa's independence struggle was fought both within and outside the state, and on December 17, 1961, the Indian Army, air force, and naval forces invaded Goa and overpowered the under-prepared Portuguese army. The Portuguese governor officially surrendered on December 18th, and Goa became a part of India the next day! Every year on December 19th, Goa commemorates its second independence day.

Eat a healthy, balanced diet; exercise frequently; use good form while lifting objects that are heavy; and, if you have a persistent cough, consult your doctor.

There are only two ways to get to Machu Picchu because of its remote location in Peru's mountainous cloud forest. The first and most common method is to take a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo) at the mountain's base. Then you can take a bus or walk the rest of the way up. The second option is to hike the Inca Trail.

Take a look at your atlas if you haven't already! When turned 90 degrees, Nepal resembles the map of Portugal. It gives you something to brag about, doesn't it?

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, a 500-year-old burial site, the Atsinanana woods, which are home to numerous rare ape and lemur species, and the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, a labyrinth of limestone that spans a large portion of the island's western half. It's a jumble of twisted canyons, caverns, tunnels, and spires that's largely undiscovered. Because of the peculiar geology, there are indigenous species that have developed to live amid the karst skyscrapers.

Although Santa Claus is a one-of-a-kind Christmas persona, many actors dress up as the festive figure each year to earn additional money. Mall Santas earn roughly $30 per hour during the holidays, but can earn up to $100 per hour for their services. However, Dan Greenleaf, a professional freelance Santa who owns his own booking agency, told CNBC that the "average hourly mid-range is roughly $150" when he's booked to attend parties, houses, or other events. And if you're very skilled at saying "ho, ho, ho," you might earn $500 per hour. Greenleaf even claims that one of his Santas was promised $1,200 by a Manhattan customer for only one hour on Christmas Day!

Marie and Pierre Curie took part in examinations of Eusapia Palladino, an Italian medium who claimed she could channel the dead, and attended a series of seances two years after obtaining the Nobel Prize in Physics. Pierre obviously believed that some of Palladino's accomplishments, such as levitating items and tables, were genuine. (Marie didn't appear to be as convinced.)

 Raw cashew seeds have a natural greenish-grey color before being roasted. They take on the light brown color we all know and love after roasting.

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.

According to a 2011 research, Earth generates up to 40 terawatts of heat, half of which originates from radioactive decay in its core. Scientists studied antineutrinos that flowed up from Earth's core and discovered that radioactive decay of specific elements generates half of Earth's heat.

Kratos is a video game character, although he is also based on literary works from Ancient Greek mythology. Cratus is Pallas and Styx's son. Pallus and Styx are respective war gods and underworld goddesses, while the name "Kratos" is also related with things like "strong" and "power." Although Kratos is inspired by his Ancient Greek counterpart, the two are not identical. Kratos despises the other gods and has an insatiable drive for power, whereas Cratus is an enforcer of the celestial throne.

Rorschach felt that the results of his test may reveal a person's psychological condition. Those who ruminate on details may see more pictures in motion, whereas creative types may experience more images in motion. Depressed people were reported to be unconcerned by the introduction of color, whilst "neurotics" were said to be disturbed by the abrupt burst of red. Teenagers were the only people he believed the test failed to examine because they had too many characteristics with the seriously crazy.

Mulan was originally conceived as a straight-to-video film called China Doll, about a poor, oppressed Chinese girl who is whisked away by a white guy to live a happier life in the West. When a writer discovered the Chinese poem "The Song of Fa Mu Lan," the studio decided to combine both projects and create Mulan. Knowing the film's slightly racist, tone-deaf origins, on the other hand, casts the film in a whole new light.

Charles Dickens was a bit of an outcast. Growing up in London during the nineteenth century exposed him to such grim realities as working-class life expectancy being twenty-two years old, half a million Londoners suffering and dying from typhus due to a lack of sanitation, 220 crimes being punishable by death, and nearly half of all funerals in London being held for children under the age of ten, the majority of whom had full-time jobs as labourers in 1839, when Dickens was 27.

Yellowstone National Park, created in 1872, is the oldest national park in the United States. Every year, almost 4 million people visit the national park to admire its beauty. Yellowstone has around 16 fish species, 5 amphibian species, at least five reptile species, 67 mammal species, and over 250 bird species.

In fact, she originally majored in studio art at Smith College before switching to English. From collages to paintings, much of her art uses the abstract in unique ways. Her visual art was recently put on display at the Smithsonian National Gallery and you see it in person until May 20, 2018.

In the meanwhile, the sterling silver-copper alloy may be used to make not just jewellery but also cutlery and tableware. Because of copper's hypoallergenic characteristics, sterling silver is non-irritating to the skin.

Only 17 nations are classified as "megadiverse," according to Conservation International. Each has a diverse range of species, many of which are unique to the area. And Madagascar is one of them, due in large part to its lengthy period of isolation from humanity. It is home to more than half of the world's chameleons and dozens of lemur species.

Fatal familial insomnia is a rare hereditary condition caused by a protein produced as a result of a genetic defect. This sickness stops a person from falling asleep, resulting in death as a result of sleep deprivation. It also has an impact on brain function, causing memory loss, a loss of motor function, and hallucinations.

When most people think of Spider-love Man's interests, they instantly think of the fiery redhead Mary Jane Watson. She may be the most enduring and popular, but Peter has had a surprising number of important ladies in his life throughout the course of his lengthy publishing career. Aside from Mary Jane, his other well-known consort is Gwen Stacy. After all, it was her death that shocked the business to its core. She'd even go on to become a hero in the aptly called Spider Gwen comic series. Peter also had a shaky love connection with Felicia Hardy, alias the Black Cat, a cat-burgling anti-hero who was obsessed with Spider-Man. There were others...

Dick Clark took over as host of the show in 1974. Clark suffered a stroke in December 2004, and Regis Philbin took over as host at the last minute. Clark officially gave over hosting responsibilities to Ryan Seacrest in 2005.

Do you keep a horseshoe on your door or a lucky coin in your wallet? Some superstitious individuals think that some artifacts might attract good fortune, and they are, in a way, completely correct. People who took a "lucky charm" with them to a series of memory and analog tests scored better than those who did not, according to a 2010 research published in Psychological Science.