Sesame seeds were so prized during the Middle Ages that in some parts of the world they were worth their weight in gold.

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- Ancient Trade Routes

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The face of Uncle Sam, the fictional personification of the United States, was modeled after a door-to-door salesman from Canada.

See also:
- Library of Congress: Uncle Sam

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At the 2006 World Gourmand Expo, Asian desserts took last place in every category: taste, texture, aroma, appearance and presentation.

See also:
- The Food of Asia

keywords: food and drink, culture and places, asia, cuisine, chopsticks, grass jelly, pat bing soo, china, thailand, cambodia, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Gregor Mendel, best known as the "father of modern genetics" for his experiments with pea plants, was also the father of the modern nudist movement.

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- Mendel's genetics

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High-heeled shoes were originally designed for male aristocrats.

See also:
- How to walk in high heels

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Nomadic herdsmen of northern Africa commonly used the "Pythagorean theorem" – two centuries before Pythagoras was born.

See also:
- Thinkquest.org

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The museum that housed the largest collection of original Smokey the Bear memorabilia was burned to the ground by an arsonist.

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- Smokey the Bear

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On April Fool's Day, 1975, pranksters broke into London's Big Ben and switched its gears so that it ran counter-clockwise.

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- Big Ben

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Roman governor Pontius Pilate had a tattoo of an angel across his back.

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- Catholic Encyclopedia: Pontius Pilate

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Johnny Appleseed planted twice as many pear trees as apple trees.

See also:
- Factropolis, The Obscure Trivia Authority

keywords: history, food and drink, famous people, nature, agriculture, pioneer, nurseryman, missionary, john chapman, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The Vikings wore primitive tube socks made from sheeps' bladders and peat moss.

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- Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga

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William Shakespeare was dyslexic.

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- International Dyslexia Association
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

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Emperor penguins appear in one of the ancient Minoan frescoes on the Santorini archipeligo in the Aegean Sea.

See also:
- The Thera Foundation

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Marilyn Monroe was a pipe smoker.

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- MarilynMonroe.com

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Major League Baseball's elite players are supplied by a small gum manufacturer renowned for unique flavors, which include "tobacco" and "beef jerky."

See also:
- MLB.com

keywords: entertainment, science and technology, food and drink, sports, chewing gum, mlb, nicotine, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Coconut milk can be used as an antiseptic.

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- American Red Cross

keywords: food and drink, first aid, germs, bacteria, health, clean, antibacterial, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

For the duration of his presidency, Ronald Reagan slept with a roll of Life Savers candy under his pillow to bring good luck.

See also:
- Biography of Ronald Reagan
- The Wrigley Company

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In 1951, the remains of a 2,500-year-old Egyptian mummy mysteriously washed ashore on a Florida beach.

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- Mummies of ancient Egypt

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A guitar pick used by Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) was carried to Mars aboard NASA's Mars Exploration Rover "Spirit."

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- NASA.gov

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American televangelist Jim Bakker played a Sleestak on one episode of the classic children's television show "Land of the Lost."

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- TV.com

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A wishing well in Las Vegas holds the record as the world's most lucrative. On some holidays, its profit rivals that of nearby casinos.

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- Official Las Vegas Tourism Web Site

keywords: entertainment, money, currency, gamble, gambling, las vegas, nevada, the strip, casino, one-armed bandit, slot machine, poker, vice, throwing money away, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

Many Dutch sailors in the 15th century spoke in a dialect noted for its extensive use of rhyme.

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- Languages of the World

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The first hair dryer was powered by diesel fuel.

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- How hair dryers work

keywords: science and technology, history, hair, fashion, cosmetics, health and beauty, hairstyle, blowdryer, fun fact, trivia, fact of the day

Australian Aborigines have an unusually high tolerance for physical pain.

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- Aboriginal life and culture of Australia

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Leading art historians believe Leonardo da Vinci used a fingerpaint technique to create the background of the Mona Lisa.

See also:
- Louvre Museum

keywords: history, famous people, culture and places, art, la gioconda, la joconde, louvre, museum, lisa gherardini, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

The tomato has been brought back from the verge of extinction at least three times since it was first domesticated.

See also:
- California Tomato Commission

keywords: science and technology, history, food and drink, fruit, vegetable, produce, plants, solanum lycopersicum, nightshade, italy, italian, cuisine, maya, beefsteak, tomatoes, cultivation, agriculture, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day

A pigeon produces its weight in droppings every eight days.

See also:
- American Racing Pigeon Union

keywords: nature, birds, feces, fecal matter, fowl, dove, rock pigeon, bert and ernie, trivia, fun fact, fact of the day