Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. Here is the answer to a recent question we received. Why is the Golden Gate Bridge red? Shouldn’t it be gold? Or have a different name? First of all, the […]
Who needs a groundhog or looking outside to see the sunshine and flowers? In Switzerland, they know it’s Spring when the snowman explodes. Since the 16th century, the city of Zurich, Switzerland, was welcomed Spring with Sechselauten, a festival whose name means “the six o’clock ringing of the bells.” The seasonal shift was noticed by […]
Here’s what we dug up about pro basketball team names and their origins. Los Angeles Lakers There are no lakes in L.A. The team was originally the Minneapolis Lakers; Minnesota is the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” Seattle SuperSonics Named after a supersonic jet proposed by Seattle-based Boeing in the late ’60s. (The jet was never built, […]
This week, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction went to Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer. But some years, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama or Fiction isn’t awarded at all. Here’s a look at those years when the judges just couldn’t agree. In 2006, […]
Here are 11 random facts about America’s longest-running game show. (1) The Price is Right debuted on American television in 1956 on NBC, in both prime-time and daytime versions. Both were hosted by former radio announcer Bill Cullen, and they were huge hits—in the top 10 from 1959 to 1961, making it the most popular […]
The Bathroom Readers’ Institute was born in 1987. Here’s what was going on in the rest of the world in 1987. The Tracey Ullman Show, a variety program on the new Fox Network, airs a short cartoon called “The Simpsons.” Sen. Gary Hart, the likely 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, drops out of the race after reports […]
Ever wonder how rock bands get their names? So do we. After some digging around, we found these origins. CHICAGO They originally called themselves Chicago Transit Authority, but had to shorten it after the city of Chicago sued. ALICE COOPER Lead singer Vincent Furnier claims to have gotten his stage name from a Ouija board, […]
There are only so many notes, so occasionally one hit song sounds a lot like another hit song. In 1982, the Australian rock band Men at Work hit #1 in the U.S. with “Down Under” a song about a proud Australian man traveling the world. It’s also notable for being one of few major hit […]
In the trade-crazy world of professional sports, some trades still stand out as being…unusually unusual. BEER FOR A PITCHER: Pitcher Nigel Thatch of the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League, a professional baseball league in the northern United States and Canada, was traded in May 2006. The Flyers, according to the official league announcement, “assigned […]
This week, NBA star Kobe Bryant closed out his 20-year career by scoring 60 points in his final game. Here’s how some other basketball stars fared their last time on the court. In 1991, Magic Johnson’s career was abruptly cut short when he announced that he was HIV positive. He didn’t play that season, but […]
Because if we didn’t we’d go to jail. Okay, but there are other reasons why taxes are due by that particular date. The United States was founded after declared independence from the United Kingdom, an action in part due to “taxation without representation.” Not being taxed was an American concept that lasted for a good […]
Great ice cream! You can really taste the beaver butt! Ingredient: Beaver secretions Found in: Ice cream Explanation: The male North American beaver marks its territory by urinating on things. Along with the urine, it secretes a liquid called castoreum, which gives off a sweet scent. Castoreum also enhances the intensity of vanilla flavor, which […]
When a friend told Uncle John that she’d recently had her gallbladder removed, he wondered: What does a gallbladder do, and how can you live without it? GALLBLADDER Location: This four-inch pear-shaped sac sits just under the liver, below your ribs on your right side. What It Does: It’s part of the digestive system. The […]
We don’t really mind if this page puts you to sleep, here are 16 sleep facts you should know. (Nighty night.) (1) If it takes you less than five minutes to fall asleep, it probably means you’re sleep deprived. Healthy sleepers need between 10 and 15 minutes to doze off. (2) Researchers at Oxford University […]
Before the days of instant interaction via the Internet and social media, the way to tell a celebrity you liked their work was to write them a fan letter. In return, you might get a signed headshot and a form letter. Here are some celebrities, from then and now, with creative responses to fans. Steve […]
Some people become famous at the Olympic games because they win a medal. Others become infamous because they don’t play by the rules. Here’s a look at the BRI’s Olympic Hall of Shame. ROMAN EMPEROR NERO Year: A.D. 67 Place: Olympia What happened: Nero decided to compete in the chariot race. In the middle of […]
It’s the most famous curse in theatrical history: Shakespeare’s Macbeth is cursed. Theater people just call it “The Scottish Play” in an attempt to avoid that curse. Here are some examples of when the Macbeth curse proved horribly true—if those involved can be believed. Macbeth was first presented in London in August 1606. The actor […]
Celebrities, politicians, and captains of industry had to start somewhere. Turns out they pretty much started out with the same lame jobs as the rest of us. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer, was a summer intern at Hewlett-Packard. J. K. Rowling worked for Amnesty International. Chris Rock was a busboy at a Red Lobster. […]
