Tag Archives: history

105 Ways To Eat A Peanut

By Ryan | Published: May 11, 2011

In 1916, the American south was in the midst of the boll weevil crisis. The small beetle came from Mexico and was “just a-lookin’ for a home”. It was wreaking havoc on the cotton crops, which was the primary industry in much of the southern US at the time. That year, George Washington Carver was [...]

The History of Broadcast Call Letters

By Ryan | Published: March 14, 2011

All radio and TV broadcasts are assigned a “call sign“, a sequence of three or four letters such as WKRP in Cincinnati. I got curious as to how these came about and why. When my parents grew up, in a rural area, you and all your neighbours shared the same wired phone line. That means [...]

Stylistic Evolution of Classical Music

By Ryan | Published: September 8, 2010

Far too many people are quick to say “oh, I don’t like classical music”. Really, that’s a bit like saying “oh, I don’t like food”. There are so many different kinds of “classical” music that you probably just haven’t yet found the sort that appeals to your ears. Most people use the phrase “classical music” [...]

Posted in Interesting Facts | Also tagged music | Leave a comment

The History of Human Height

By Ryan | Published: August 31, 2010

Last week I was writing about Goliath, the giant of biblical renown. The earliest records mark his height at 6 and a half feet, while later stories (including the Old Testament bible) report him being just shy of ten feet tall. I had commented that the average height was shorter then, so being over 6 [...]

Posted in Interesting Facts | Also tagged animals, your body | 5 Comments

David vs. Goliath: David’s not such a nice guy after all

By Ryan | Published: August 23, 2010

The story of “David vs. Goliath” has become a popular parable anytime the “little guy” faces off against a giant. The people do love a good David vs. Goliath triumph. However, you may not be so enthusiastic if you get to know the rest of the story. Let’s start with the famous incident. It’s about [...]

Posted in Interesting Facts | Also tagged myths, war | 2 Comments

Year At The Museum

By Ryan | Published: July 13, 2010

This day, July 13th, marks the occasion of being one year since my Learn Something New Every Day blog was launched. It would be a more joyous event except for the fact that I’ve been delinquent on the “every day” part. After a slow decline, this past month the blog has been silent. You see, [...]

Posted in Interesting Facts | Also tagged myths, words | 1 Comment

The Suspiciously Sweet Justice of Aspartame

By Ryan | Published: May 17, 2010

Aspartame! The mere mention of it sends shivers through the spines of proactive label-readers. It is an artificial sweetener that was accidentally discovered to be 180 times sweeter than sugar with no calories. Featured prominently in “NutraSweet” and diet soda drinks, where you will find the words “CONTAINS ASPARTAME” emblazoned on the front label as [...]

Posted in Interesting Facts | Also tagged food, law | 2 Comments