In 2012, when Boeing wanted to test its wireless signal on new planes, they placed massive piles of potatoes on the seats. Potatoes absorb and reflect radio and wireless signals in the same way that humans do due to their high water content and chemical makeup.

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.

The Nazis pondered releasing an army of potato bugs on their adversaries, which they felt might be dumped on England to ruin its crops and bring severe starvation. However, experts recognised that almost 40 million insects would be required for the operation if it was to be successful—though several million had been hoarded by the time the war ended.

Without mentioning the city's diverse population, no list of interesting facts about New York is complete. The city's residents speak roughly 800 different languages collectively. Almost half of New York households speak more than one language, and one-third were born outside of the country. And, because New York has the most people of any city in the United States, one in every 38 people in the country is a New Yorker.

It's true: the fourth-smallest country in Europe has no airports. In fact, the Principality of Liechtenstein lacks both a harbour and a shoreline, making it a doubly landlocked country. That is, it is landlocked, and the nations bordering it are also landlocked. The nearest airport is St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport in Switzerland, however there are other options for getting to Vaduz, including train, bus, and vehicle.

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.

Yes, indeed! You may walk by foot between the United States and Russia during certain times of the year, owing to two islands known as Big and Little Diomede. Big Diomede is located in the Russian Federation's easternmost region, whereas Little Diomede is located in Alaskan territory. When the water freezes in the winter, daring visitors can cross the 2.4-mile distance between the two islands. However, you do it at your own peril; while experts believe the voyage is technically feasible, it is risky and not encouraged.

Alaska, the biggest state in the United States, was sold for a total of $7.2 million, or roughly 2 cents per acre. In 1867, the state was bought. America made its $7.2 million investment back more than 100 times over in the 50 years that followed. Talk about a good investment.

The entire ban was based on the discovery of a picture of a swastika-adorned Pooh owned by a single person known for supporting the Nazi party. That was apparently enough to get Winnie banned for good.

If you look closely at your zipper, you'll notice the letters YKK, which stand for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha. This business, founded in Tokyo in 1934, is believed to create 7 billion zippers every year.

Ecologists estimate that treating one ton of ore yields 1–2 grams of gold. The same quantity of precious metal may be obtained by processing all gold-bearing components from 41 mobile phones. A tonne of electronics includes almost 300 grams of gold. However, the cost of the devices is prohibitively expensive for this gold-mining method to be profitable.

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!

Sechs Kies is South Korea's most established idol group. The band was founded in 1997 with six members and currently has five active members. Some may not consider them the longest because they were on hiatus for more than ten years; however, the longest-lasting idol group could also be considered Shinhwa, who debuted in 1998 and has been promoting consistently for the past 20 years.

Shellac is also known as "confectioner's glaze" because it gives candies like jelly beans and candy corn a shiny coating. However, shellac, which is also used as a brush-on colourant and a wood finish, is derived from the excrement secretions of female Kerria lacca insects. In other words, it's bug excrement.

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.

What could be better than dedicating one day of the year to yourself? Having two of them! Many Greek names are derived from religious saints, each of whom is commemorated by the church on a particular day. People with the same name as the saint are wished a happy name day on that day, and a party is thrown with family, friends, and even neighbours. Marios and Marias, for example, have two name days each year!

Fischer was charged in 1992 with violating economic sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia. He came out of retirement to earn $5 million in a rematch against his old nemesis, Boris Spassky. Fischer never returned to the United States and eventually settled (and died) in Reykjavik after renunciating his American citizenship.

Dubai claims to have the world's largest picture frame. The 492-foot-tall Dubai Frame soars above the city's skyline and is a popular tourist attraction.

Humans have celebrated the start of each new year with parties, festivals, and religious ceremonies for millennia. However, we haven't always agreed on the beginning of the year. Four thousand years ago, the first new moon after the Vernal Equinox was regarded as the dividing line between the previous year and the new one in ancient Babylon. After Julius Caesar made major changes to the Roman calendar in 45 BCE, January 1 became the start of the new year for the first time. Ancient Romans commemorated the day with sacrifices to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings (after whom the month of January is named), as well as gift exchanges and large parties.

Despite camels' cultural and aesthetic dominance in the UAE, the Arabian Oryx is the country's national animal. With two long straight horns and a short tufted tail, the oryx is a medium-sized animal. On the 50 Dirham currency note is a depiction of an oryx.

During the Classical Period, Ancient Sparta was a colossally rich kingdom. Mostly because of their conquest and dominance over a nearby people known as the Helots. When a Spartan boy attained maturity and became a man, the Spartan state bestowed upon him a grant of public farmland. They also sent him a contingent of Helot slaves to work it. This effectively transformed every Spartan citizen into a rich member of the traditional upper class. As a result, they did not have to work for a living. Private property still existed, which is significant because...

Malaysia is home to the world's biggest cave chamber. The Sarawak Chamber at Gunung Mulu National Park is enormous, with enough capacity for 40-50 Boeing 747s. It's another matter if you could actually park these jets in the Sarawak Chamber...

In Greek mythology, Zeus had a passionate love affair with Europa, a Phoenician princess. To entice her away, he disguised himself as a bull and carried her off to sea on his back, transporting her to the island of Crete. The famous 1747 painting "The Rape of Phoenicia" by Francois Boucher sits at Paris' Louvre.