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.

Anthropologists have discovered evidence that pre-Olmec cultures in Mexico produced chocolate around 1900 B.C. Chocolate's origins can be traced back to Mesoamerica. The Aztecs (a Mesoamerican civilization) traded cocoa beans with the Mayans because they believed they were a gift from Quetzalcoatl, the God of Wisdom. When the Aztecs took over Mesoamerica, they had a strong desire for cocoa beans, which could not be grown in the heart of their civilization. As a result, they were forced to rely on the Mayans and trade cocoa seeds with them. These were known to be so valuable that they were used as currency.

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!

It goes without saying that the ancient Babylonians were excellent mathematicians. They understood the Pythagorean theorem, for example, nearly 4,000 years ago, or more than a millennium before Pythagoras himself was born. Their mathematical prowess naturally extended to astronomy, where they routinely used arithmetic to catalogue celestial body movements and improve their astronomical predictions.

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

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...

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.

Despite the fact that Nazi scientists tried to produce weaponized versions of illnesses such as typhoid and cholera, Hitler banned the employment of offensive biological weapons in war, probably due to his experiences with bioweapons during World War I.

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.

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.

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.

Algeria is the continent's biggest country, spanning more than 2 million square kilometres and borders Mali, Niger, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania. This places it above Libya, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it is about five times the size of Spain.

As if the Nazis weren't already evil enough, they got dangerously close to producing plutonium, the material that powers nuclear bombs. When the Germans invaded Norway, they seized control of a facility in the Telemark region that manufactured heavy water, which was used to generate plutonium. However, before they could create anything, a group of 11 Norwegian commandos damaged the factory, detonating explosives in the base without incurring a single death.

Many people find this assertion odd, yet eating pizza for breakfast is really healthier than eating cereal. According to famous American nutritionist Chelsey Amer, pizza includes lipids, carbs, and protein that will keep you fuller for longer than porridge with milk. Cereals, of course, include carbohydrates and sugar. Of course, this does not mean that you should only eat pizza for breakfast, but it also does not mean that you should only eat cereal in the morning.

Although yellow is widely regarded as a mood-enhancing colour, it is not recommended as a primary colour scheme. According to studies, rooms with too much yellow may cause people to lose their tempers more easily.

The tides are caused by the tiny changes in gravitational pulls of the Moon and Sun, as well as centrifugal forces in opposing directions. The tides on Earth are at their greatest when the three bodies are aligned, which occurs near the full and new Moons. The Earth is then expanded along that line.

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.

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.

Something frowned upon in most other nations is quite acceptable in China. In China, spitting, yawning, grunting, and burping is normal eating behaviours, just as they are in Vietnam. It was repulsive to us, and we couldn't get used to it. We would bear it better if we stayed in this nation for a little longer.

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.

Yes, truly. Nintendo rented a warehouse in Tukwila, Washington, in 1981 to serve as its American headquarters. According to NPR, when a guy called Mario Segale went into his Nintendo tenants' offices demanding late rent, he created an impression. Even Segale's preference for overalls and short stature appear to have influenced Mario's design over time.

While Walt Disney invented Mickey Mouse and gave the voice, the visual was developed by animator Ub Iwerks, who designed all of the famous characteristics. You'll never look at the adorable mouse the same way again.

Few odours are as appealing as "new car smell," and it's not just because it's nice to be in a brand new car. However, while the scent may be strangely satisfying, it is actually a combination of 50+ chemicals (known as "volatile organic compounds") that are released into the car and decay quickly over time. The concentrations found in a typical new car are not dangerous, but VOCs found in nail polish, auto fuel, and petroleum contribute significantly to the new car smell.

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.