At a 1976 Amsterdam chess tournament, Soviet grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi politely asked an English competitor how to spell the words “political asylum.” He then went straight to a police station and announced that he wished to defect.

Chess & Abstract Strategy Games /

Viktor Korchnoi In this Eastern Slavic name, the patronymic is Lvovich and the family name is Korchnoi. Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi (Russian: Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, IPA: [vʲiktər lʲvovʲɪtɕ kɐrtɕˈnoj]; 23 March 1931 – 6 June 2016) was a Soviet (before 1976) and Swiss (after 1980) chess grandmaster and writer. He is considered one of the strongest […]

At a 1976 Amsterdam chess tournament, Soviet grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi politely asked an English competitor how to spell the words “political asylum.” He then went straight to a police station and announced that he wished to defect. Read More »

During World War I, the German government carried out a census of Jews to prove that german Jews weren’t pulling their weight in the war effort. What they found out instead was that Jews were overrepresented on the front lines.

History, Law & Government /

Judenzählung Judenzählung (German for “Jewish census”) was a measure instituted by the German Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL) in October 1916, during the upheaval of World War I. Designed to confirm accusations of the lack of patriotism among German Jews, the census disproved the charges, but its results were not made public. However, its figures were leaked

During World War I, the German government carried out a census of Jews to prove that german Jews weren’t pulling their weight in the war effort. What they found out instead was that Jews were overrepresented on the front lines. Read More »

Sleight of hand artist Apollo Robbins was so proficient that he once managed to pick the pockets of 2 secret service agents assigned to former president Jimmy Carter. He managed to steal the forner president’s itinerary, the keys to his motorcade and the badges of the agents.

Magic /

A Pickpocket’s Tale A few years ago, at a Las Vegas convention for magicians, Penn Jillette, of the act Penn and Teller, was introduced to a soft-spoken young man named Apollo Robbins, who has a reputation as a pickpocket of almost supernatural ability. Jillette, who ranks pickpockets, he says, “a few notches below hypnotists on

Sleight of hand artist Apollo Robbins was so proficient that he once managed to pick the pockets of 2 secret service agents assigned to former president Jimmy Carter. He managed to steal the forner president’s itinerary, the keys to his motorcade and the badges of the agents. Read More »

Nicaraguan Sign Language is a sign language that spontaneously developed among deaf children in Nicaragua in the 1980s. It is of particular interest to linguists because it is believed to be to be an example of the birth of a new language, unrelated to any other.

People & Society /

Nicaraguan Sign Language Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN; Spanish: Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua) is a sign language that was developed, largely spontaneously, by deaf children in a number of schools in Nicaragua in the 1980s. It is of particular interest to the linguists who study it because it offers a unique opportunity to study what

Nicaraguan Sign Language is a sign language that spontaneously developed among deaf children in Nicaragua in the 1980s. It is of particular interest to linguists because it is believed to be to be an example of the birth of a new language, unrelated to any other. Read More »

A German man (Martin Juergens) claims the Moon has belonged to his family since 1756, when the Prussian King presented it to his ancestor as a symbolic gesture for services rendered. It was decreed the Moon would pass to the youngest born son.

Books & Literature /

Extraterrestrial real estate Chilean lawyer Jenaro Gajardo Vera became famous for his 1953 claim of ownership of the Moon. Martin Juergens from Germany claims that the Moon has belonged to his family since July 15, 1756, when the Prussian king Frederick the Great presented it to his ancestor Aul Juergens as a symbolic gesture of

A German man (Martin Juergens) claims the Moon has belonged to his family since 1756, when the Prussian King presented it to his ancestor as a symbolic gesture for services rendered. It was decreed the Moon would pass to the youngest born son. Read More »

The oldest known domesticated dog remains are over 14,000 years old. The dog died young and is unlikely to have been much use to humans. Nevertheless, it was buried in an elaborate grave alongside two humans.

Dogs, Hobbies & Leisure /

Origin of the domestic dog The dog diverged from a now-extinct population of wolves 27,000-40,000 years ago immediately before the Last Glacial Maximum, when much of the mammoth steppe was cold and dry. The origin of the domestic dog includes the dog’s genetic divergence from the wolf, its domestication, and its development into dog types

The oldest known domesticated dog remains are over 14,000 years old. The dog died young and is unlikely to have been much use to humans. Nevertheless, it was buried in an elaborate grave alongside two humans. Read More »

Lighthouses had different techniques for rotating the light, most being too slow, making the light less visible. Augustin Fresnel proposed a mercury flotation system in 1825. Despite some lenses weighing over 6,000 lbs. the design reduced friction, increased rotation, and ultimately saved lives.

Science /

Lens Rotation by Thomas Tag Introduction There are three major types of lenses used in lighthouse towers – fixed, flashing, and a combination of fixed and flashing. Flashing lights are the most effective and powerful. The first lens created by Augustin Fresnel was a flashing lens. The flashing lens rotates and has a number of

Lighthouses had different techniques for rotating the light, most being too slow, making the light less visible. Augustin Fresnel proposed a mercury flotation system in 1825. Despite some lenses weighing over 6,000 lbs. the design reduced friction, increased rotation, and ultimately saved lives. Read More »

French cavalry captured a Dutch warship fleet trapped in ice in 1795, “The only time in history that men on horseback captured a fleet of ships”.

History, Military /

The Only Time in History When Men on Horseback Captured a Fleet of Ships The French Revolutionary Wars lasted a decade, but their strangest moment may have lasted just a few days. The Battle of Texel remains the only instance in history where a cavalry troop — horse-riding soldiers — captured a fleet of ships.

French cavalry captured a Dutch warship fleet trapped in ice in 1795, “The only time in history that men on horseback captured a fleet of ships”. Read More »

Although all official records state 343 fire fighters died on 9/11. There was a 344th, Keith Roma, who saved 200 people, climbing tower 1 four times. He was NYFP (Fire patrol) so the FDNY don’t list him on the list of dead even though they promised they would.

Sensitive Subjects /

The firefighter everyone forgot about on 9/11 On September 11th, 2001, 19 terrorists caused the deaths of 2,977 people. Of those, many of them were firefighters who spent their last moments attempting to save the lives of everyone still trapped in the burning Twin Towers. According to official statistics and the New York Fire Department,

Although all official records state 343 fire fighters died on 9/11. There was a 344th, Keith Roma, who saved 200 people, climbing tower 1 four times. He was NYFP (Fire patrol) so the FDNY don’t list him on the list of dead even though they promised they would. Read More »

Armie Hammer’s grandfather, oil tycoon Armand Hammer, tried to buy the Arm and Hammer brand of household products due to similarity to his name. When they refused, he bought stock until he became a controlling shareholder. Armand was named after the socialist labor party symbol.

Computer & Video Games /

Arm and hammer This article is about the symbol. For the brand, see Arm & Hammer. For other uses, see Arm and hammer (disambiguation). Arm-and-hammer symbol at the Mechanics’ Bank and Trust Company Building in Knoxville, Tennessee The arm and hammer is a symbol consisting of a muscular arm holding a hammer. Used in ancient

Armie Hammer’s grandfather, oil tycoon Armand Hammer, tried to buy the Arm and Hammer brand of household products due to similarity to his name. When they refused, he bought stock until he became a controlling shareholder. Armand was named after the socialist labor party symbol. Read More »

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