The world's first underground railway, between Paddington (Bishop's Road) and Farringdon Street - with trains hauled by steam engines - was opened by the Metropolitan Railway on January 10th 1863. The initial section was ...Read More

President Calvin Coolidge had numerous dogs and cats, as well as a donkey named "Ebeneezer," a goose that had starred in a Broadway play, and a raccoon named "Rebecca." Coolidge was sometimes found walking around the White...Read More

The great cathedral of St. Cophia at Constantinople (Istanbul) has sustained for 1,600 years what was, until very recent times, the largest self-supporting dome ever constructed. Moreover, it has done so in an active ...Read More

It took Henry Ford's Motor Company seven years to manufacture 1 million automobiles. One hundred thirty-two working days after this figure was reached (in 1924), the company had made 9 million more cars.

Until the 1970s, Jessica was a very unusual name. William Shakespeare, who may even have made up the name, called Shylock's lovely daughter Jessica in The Merchant of Venice, but it was not until recently that large ...Read More

Armored knights in medieval times raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute.