The first lighthouse to use electricity was the Statue of Liberty in 1886.

Theodore Roosevelt, a staunch conservationist, banned Christmas trees in his home, even when he lived in the White House. His children, however, smuggled them into their bedrooms.

Zebus are humped cattle found in India, China, and northern Africa. Zebubs are tsetse-like flies found in Ethiopia.

Legend has it that tortellini was created to honor the Roman goddess Venus's belly button, after an Italian innkeeper spied on her through a keyhole and told the community the titillating details.

Catherine II of Russia kept her wigmaker in an iron cage in her bedroom for more than three years.

The Colosseum received its name not for its size, but for a colossal statue of Nero that stood close by, placed there after the destruction of his palace.

It is worth noting that a school's eliteness or cost does not necessarily mean that is a preppy college. Preppy culture idealizes athleticism and sociability. The culture also emphasizes deference to tradition and ritual and, generally speaking, disapproval of ostentation. The term "preppie" is associated, not with dramatic designer fashions, ...Read more

In regions of India where the soil is red, elephants take on a permanent pink tinge because they regularly spray dust over their bodies to protect themselves against insects.

The amethyst gets its name from the Greek amethystos, which means "remedy for drunkeness."

The names of some cities in the United States are the names of other U.S. states. These include Nevada in Missouri, California Maryland, Louisiana in Missouri, Oregon in Wisconsin, Kansas in Oklahoma, Wyoming in Ohio, Michigan in North Dakota, Delaware in Arkansas, and Indiana in Pennsylvania.

During his entire 47 years in government, Herbert Hoover turned over each of his Federal salary checks to charity. He had become independently wealthy before entering politics.

Soft drinks are American's favorite beverage. Water ranks #2, and milk is #3. The average American drinks about 52 gallons of soft drinks per year.

Rennet, a common substance used to curdle milk and make cheese, is taken from the inner lining of the fourth stomach of a calf.

The leaf-cutting ant can lift more than 50 times its own weight.

At sea level, there are 2,000 pounds of air pressure on each square foot of your body.

The gloves worn by professional boxers weigh a regulation 8 ounces. The Golden Gloves, on the other hand, weigh 10 ounces.

Natural gas has no smell. The odor is artificially added so that people will be able to identify leaks and take measures to stop them.

According to Greek historian Herodotus, Egyptian men never became bald. The reason for this was that, as children, Egyptian males had their heads shaved, and their scalps were continually exposed to the health-giving rays of the sun.

A car operates at maximum economy, gas-wise, at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour.

Florence, Italy was the first city to mint its own gold coins in 1252. The fiorino became known as the florence, then the florin.