The first hot air balloon was launched in 1783, transporting a sheep, duck, and rooster. In France, the Montgolfier brothers created the hot air balloon. They began experimenting with balloons after witnessing the heat of a fire raise their drying clothing. Because it was uncertain how flying at such altitudes might impact humans, the initial flight included animal passengers. The flight was a perfect success, and the animals arrived safely and largely unscathed. The sheep, however, managed to land on the rooster.

The Water Festival, also known as Thingyan, is one of the country's largest celebrations. Thousands of people come to the streets in April to celebrate the Burmese New Year with a massive water battle. Everyone enjoys a good time, and it's one of the most significant aspects about Myanmar culture that every traveller should be aware of. Participating is most likely the finest vacation experience you can have here.

Some of these European facts are more recent than others. Kosovo gained independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, becoming Europe's youngest country. Kosovo, a landlocked nation in the European Balkans, with a population of almost 2 million people.

In 1769, Spanish colonists established the city that is now known as Los Angeles. In 1781, another group of 44 residents moved to the new settlement. The city was titled El Pueblo de Nuestra Seora la Reina de los ngeles de Porcincula by the Spanish ruler. This translates as "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porcincula." Because the name is extremely long, it was condensed until it became Los Angeles. As a result, Los Angeles is now known simply as "The Angels."

With its enormous size and mass, you'd think Jupiter would rotate slowly around its axis. With a rotational velocity of 45,300 km/h, it is the fastest spinning planet in the solar system. As a result, a day on Jupiter lasts only 9 hours and 55 minutes. A year, on the other hand, is much longer; Jupiter orbits the sun once every 11.8 Earth years.

Since 1995, Charles Martinet has provided voices for Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and other Mushroom Kingdom characters. It's all thanks to a friend who urged him to attend an audition at a tradeshow in Las Vegas to which he had not been invited. When Martinet arrived, the audition team had already begun to pack up their belongings. Fortunately, they still let him audition for the part.

Under the sea, there are more historic artefacts than in all of the world's museums combined. There are approximately 1,000 shipwrecks off the Florida Keys alone, some of which are protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Other underwater museums have opened in recent years, including Christ of the Abyss, a submerged bronze statue in the Mediterranean.

A local winery erected a fountain in the northern Italian town of Caldari di Ortona that splashes red wine instead of water 24 hours a day. The fountain is intended for pilgrims walking the Cammino di San Tommaso, a 196-mile journey from Rome to Ortona in the footsteps of St. Thomas the Apostle. Wine is a pleasant way to celebrate after such a long hike.

In the year 1897, machine-spin cotton candy was invented by the dentist William Morrison and a confectioner John C Wharton. These candies were first introduced to a wide audience in the year 1904 at 'Fairy Floss' and achieved great success.

USA's present 50-star flag was created by 17-year-old Robert Heff as part of a high school project. It was 1958, and there were only 48 states at the moment, but Heft had a feeling Hawaii and Alaska would get statehood shortly. His teacher gave him a B- but later raised the mark to an A after Heft submitted his design to the White House, resulting in a call from President Eisenhower announcing that it had been chosen as the official U.S. flag.

You definitely wouldn't recognise Greece if someone called it by its official name at first, but that's part of what makes it so fascinating! Hellas or Hellada is how the Greeks refer to their country, and the Hellenic Republic is the official name.

Santa Claus parades are held in a variety of places, and each one is unique in its own way. The parade in Peoria, Illinois, on the other hand, is the oldest of its sort in the United States. It's been going on every Christmas season since 1888—that's well over a century of festive pleasure!

It's amazing how ancient some of Europe's structures and cities are. Pharmacies are no different. The Raeapteek on Town Hall Square, according to VisitTallinn, is one of Europe's oldest continually running pharmacies. This institution appears to have been in operation since 1422.

King Idris I was the first and last ruler of Libya. Born into the Senussi order, he was both a political and religious leader. Before becoming King of Libya in 1951 with the end of colonial control, King Idris I served as the Emir of Cyrenaica. Because of his conservatism, the king's rule was unpopular. Colonel Gaddafi, who eventually replaced King Idris I, was toppled in a coup orchestrated by Colonel Gaddafi in 1969.

Sony built the cameras to record footage more effectively in low-light conditions. So their error was unintentional. Because they could record in infrared, the camcorders could see through clothing. During the day, though, you could see right through someone's outer layer of clothing! Sony sought to recall all of the cameras as soon as they recognised their blunder, making it their largest product recall to date.

The largest padlock in the world (according to Guinness World Records) was created by a team of students and teachers at Russia's Pavlovo Arts College and measures 56.8 inches tall, 41.3 inches wide, and 10.2 inches deep. The total weight of this heavy lock, including the key, is 916 pounds. Whatever it's guarding presumably weighs a lot more!

Angkor Wat is more than simply a famous structure or a historical site; it is Cambodia's heart and soul. The world heritage-listed structure, which was erected in the early 12th century, is the world's largest religious complex. Cambodia is the only country having a building on its flag, thanks to this iconic structure.

An ultra-luxurious lodge has been opened on Nosy Ankao, the biggest of five islands off Madagascar's northeast coast. Miavana (only accessible by helicopter) is a destination for "blue safaris," which include opportunities to see turtles, whales, and dolphins, as well as scuba diving and fishing. There's also a fantastic spa. But start saving now - doubles start at £3,220 per night.

While Assassin's Creed is already a household brand, it almost became something quite different. The original crusade-era period game was inspired by a Prince of Persia game called Prince of Persia: Assassin, which had a prince's bodyguard as the protagonist. Unhappy with the thought of a Prince of Persia game not being about a prince (which, interestingly, Nintendo doesn't see as an issue with when it comes to Zelda), Ubisoft's upper brass insisted on a new brand, and Assassin's Creed was created.

During the feudal period, rich Japanese lords constructed residences with purposefully squeaky flooring (known as Nightingale Floors) to deter ninjas. The fabled, highly trained mercenaries of mediaeval Japan were so entrenched in myth and tradition that they were thought to be capable of walking on water, becoming invisible, and controlling natural forces. That has to be enough reason to lay down some new flooring.

These bizarre facts may cause you to alter your eating habits. Those fresh apples, on the other hand, aren't all that fresh. They're typically picked between August and November, waxed, hot-air dried, and shipped to cold storage. They finally appear on grocery store shelves after six to twelve months. These apple might not keep the doctor away....

When you think about Greece, you probably see sandy beaches, turquoise seas, whitewashed houses, and blue domes. However, one of the most unexpected facts about Greece is that the bulk of the nation is really made up of mountains. It is one of the most mountainous nations in Europe, with mountains covering 80 percent of the land area. Remember to bring a decent pair of walking shoes!

Human settlers first arrived in Madagascar very recently, probably as late as 500AD, some 300,000 years after Homo sapiens originally appeared in Africa.

The origins of this strange-sounding celebration may be traced back hundreds of years, beginning in the early 1900s. People did not have refrigerators in the 1900s, so they hung a piece of cloth in their larders. It is thought that doing so provided the home good fortune, tranquilly, and wealth. The tradition evolved to accommodate the contemporary kitchen throughout time. Every year on May 29th, families throughout the world place a pillow on top of their refrigerator.