Clocks made before 1660 had only one hand - an hour hand.
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London's Pall Mall became the first street lit by gaslight in 1807!
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Because metal was scarce; the Oscars given out during World War II were made of plaster.
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Tablecloths were originally meant to serve as towels with which guests could wipe their hands and faces after dinner.
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Beethoven, was told by a music teacher that he had no talent for music. In fact, this teacher once remarked, “As a composer he is hopeless.”
184
When Charles Darwin first discovered the Galapagos Tortoises, he tried to ride them!
18
Modern humans first appeared about 200,000 years ago, but record keeping didn't begin until about 6,000 years ago. That means about 97% of human history is lost.
21
In 1963, the US Military created an artificial ring around Earth, similar to that of the planet Saturn. The ring was made of copper needles and was used for worldwide communications in the case that the Soviets disabled all other methods of communication.
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