On the night that MTV launched, the opening sequence for the network featured footage of the Apollo 11 launch, simply because it was public domain and free to use. It was that opening sequence that connected MTVs image with astronauts, including the Video Music Award “moon man” trophy.

Recording Industry /

Ever Wondered Why The VMA Statue Is A Moonman? The creator of the iconic trophy speaks to MTV News about the history of the Moonman The Academy Awards has a slim gold “Oscar” figure. The Emmys has a winged woman hoisting an atom. The Golden Globes has a… well… golden globe. And the MTV Video […]

On the night that MTV launched, the opening sequence for the network featured footage of the Apollo 11 launch, simply because it was public domain and free to use. It was that opening sequence that connected MTVs image with astronauts, including the Video Music Award “moon man” trophy. Read More »

On Disneyland’s opening day in 1955, an invitation-only crowd of 15,000 was expected, but thanks to counterfeit tickets, 28,154 entered the gates. A few more even scaled a fence, using a ladder erected by an entrepreneur who charged $5 a head. On the Santa Ana Freeway, there was a 7-mile backup

Theme Parks /

Disneyland’s Disastrous Opening Day Whether or not Walt Disney wished upon a star, his dreams were about to come true as nearly half of the United States gathered around black-and-white televisions on July 17, 1955. After more than two decades of planning and a breakneck year of construction, the Mickey Mouse creator had transformed a

On Disneyland’s opening day in 1955, an invitation-only crowd of 15,000 was expected, but thanks to counterfeit tickets, 28,154 entered the gates. A few more even scaled a fence, using a ladder erected by an entrepreneur who charged $5 a head. On the Santa Ana Freeway, there was a 7-mile backup Read More »

Clue used to be spelled “clew”. This was due to clew meaning “a ball of twine” which was symbolic of following the string through a maze and helping find “the way” or “an answer”.

Uncategorized /

‘Clue’ or ‘Clew’? A clew was originally a ball of twine, and the idea of following a string through a maze led to the more metaphorical idea of a “clew” being something that helps you find your way or find an answer. It started being spelled “clue” in the 1600s. In modern times, the “clew”

Clue used to be spelled “clew”. This was due to clew meaning “a ball of twine” which was symbolic of following the string through a maze and helping find “the way” or “an answer”. Read More »

After a Polish Admiral of German descent Józef Unrug was taken prisoner during WW2, his former Imperial German Navy friends came to visit him. Unrug refused to speak German with them, saying that he had forgotten that language in September 1939 the day Germany invaded Poland

History, Military /

Józef Unrug Józef Unrug (German: Joseph von Unruh; 7 October 1884 – 28 February 1973) was a Polish admiral who helped reestablish Poland’s navy after World War I. During the opening stages of World War II, he served as the Polish Navy’s commander-in-chief. As a German POW, he refused all German offers to change sides

After a Polish Admiral of German descent Józef Unrug was taken prisoner during WW2, his former Imperial German Navy friends came to visit him. Unrug refused to speak German with them, saying that he had forgotten that language in September 1939 the day Germany invaded Poland Read More »

There is a species of sheep that survives completely on seaweed. on the island of north ronaldsay in scotland, a wall was built around the island to protect crops from sheep grazing, limiting them to the shoreline where they have adapted to survive.

Uncategorized /

North Ronaldsay sheep The North Ronaldsay or Orkney is a breed of sheep from North Ronaldsay, the northernmost island of Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. It belongs to the Northern European short-tailed sheep group of breeds, and has evolved without much cross-breeding with modern breeds. It is a smaller sheep than most, with

There is a species of sheep that survives completely on seaweed. on the island of north ronaldsay in scotland, a wall was built around the island to protect crops from sheep grazing, limiting them to the shoreline where they have adapted to survive. Read More »

The ‘ancient city of Machu Picchu’ is only 550 years old. The Tower of London predates it by almost 400 years.

Tourist Destinations /

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel, located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, on a 2,430-metre (7,970 ft) mountain ridge. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco. The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through

The ‘ancient city of Machu Picchu’ is only 550 years old. The Tower of London predates it by almost 400 years. Read More »

Getting a boner when climbing Everest is common thanks to the change in pressure

Extreme Sports, Outdoors /

Fun Fact: Climbing Mt. Everest Gives People Boners Climbing the Mt Everest is reserved for the elite, it requires months of preparation and a lot of money, but once you’ve succeeded you would have the satisfaction of being at highest point on Earth… with an extra bonus. It might sound like a dirty joke, but

Getting a boner when climbing Everest is common thanks to the change in pressure Read More »

The Tollund Man, who lived during the 4th Century BC, was so well preserved on discovery that that he was mistaken for a recent murder victim. His internal organs were intact; it was concluded that his last meal was porridge consisting of 40 kinds of seeds, eaten 12 to 24 hours before his death.

Uncategorized /

Tollund Man The well-preserved head of Tollund Man The Tollund Man is a naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was found in 1950, preserved as a bog body, on the Jutland peninsula, in Denmark. The man’s

The Tollund Man, who lived during the 4th Century BC, was so well preserved on discovery that that he was mistaken for a recent murder victim. His internal organs were intact; it was concluded that his last meal was porridge consisting of 40 kinds of seeds, eaten 12 to 24 hours before his death. Read More »

The speed of light was first estimated in 1676 by a Danish Astronomer who was timing the eclipses of Io caused by Jupiter. He noticed the period between eclipses increased with Earth’s distance from Jupiter and guessed it was because light had to travel a longer distance.

Astronomy /

Rømer’s determination of the speed of light Ole Rømer (1644–1710) was already a statesman in his native Denmark some time after his discovery of the speed of light (1676). The engraving is probably posthumous. Rømer’s determination of the speed of light was the demonstration in 1676 that light has a finite speed and so does

The speed of light was first estimated in 1676 by a Danish Astronomer who was timing the eclipses of Io caused by Jupiter. He noticed the period between eclipses increased with Earth’s distance from Jupiter and guessed it was because light had to travel a longer distance. Read More »

Alan Alda met his wife of over 60 years at a dinner party when they were the only two guests who ate the rum cake after it fell on the kitchen floor.

Music & Audio /

Alan Alda In 1956, while attending Fordham, Alda met Arlene Weiss, who was attending Hunter College. They bonded at a mutual friend’s dinner party; when a rum cake accidentally fell onto the kitchen floor, they were the only two guests who did not hesitate to eat it. A year after his graduation, on March 15,

Alan Alda met his wife of over 60 years at a dinner party when they were the only two guests who ate the rum cake after it fell on the kitchen floor. Read More »

Terms - Privacy