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Curious Facts

1007 surprising, true stories about animals, history, space, food and the everyday things around us. Each one checked against trusted sources.

Illustration of GPS satellites orbiting Earth with glowing signal lines reaching the groundSpace & the SkyThe Clocks on Navigation Satellites Run Fast. Einstein Explained Why Decades Before LaunchA glacier flowing down a wide mountain valley between steep rocky wallsEarth, Nature & the OceanA River Carves a V. A Glacier Carves a U. The Difference Is Written in the MountainsIllustration of a loaf of sliced bread in vintage wax paper packagingFood & Kitchen SecretsSliced Bread Was So Beloved That a Wartime Ban Lasted Less Than Two MonthsIllustration of an elegant fountain pen and a simple ballpoint pen lying side by side on a sheet of paperInventions & Everyday ThingsA Newspaper Editor Tired of Smudged Pages Invented the Pen You Use Every Day
A northern European city with brick buildings lining canals crossed by many small bridgesStrange Places & GeographyThis City Has More Bridges Than London, Amsterdam, and Venice Put TogetherIllustration of a green clover and a hatEveryday Science & Curious CustomsSt. Patrick's Color Was Once Blue. Here's How Green Took Over the Holiday
Illustration of a dog sitting by a window, watching the driveway for its ownerAmazing AnimalsYour Dog Waits at the Window Before You Pull In. Scientists Have Argued Over WhyIllustration of a pair of well-worn leather shoes sitting on a wooden floorThe Human BodyYour Bones Stopped Growing Decades Ago. So Why Do Your Old Shoes Suddenly Feel Tight?
The bakery of an early 1900s ocean liner, with loaves of bread on wooden racksHistory's OdditiesThe Titanic's Icy Water Killed in Minutes. The Ship's Baker Said He Lasted HoursIllustration of two satellites orbiting high above the curve of the EarthSpace & the SkyIn 2009, Two Satellites Collided at 26,000 MPH Above Siberia. Pieces Are Still Up ThereIllustration of a large oak tree with a thick carpet of acorns on the ground beneath itEarth, Nature & the OceanSome Years Your Yard Is Buried in Acorns, Other Years There Are Hardly Any. Here's WhyIllustration of a cup of coffee on a wooden table inside a dimly lit old-fashioned coffeehouseFood & Kitchen SecretsKings, Sultans, and Religious Courts All Tried to Ban Coffee. None of Them Won
Illustration of glowing birthday candles on a frosted cake in a dim roomInventions & Everyday ThingsWe Blow Out Birthday Candles Every Year. The Custom Goes Back Centuries to GermanyIllustration of a long flat prairie strip under a wide open skyStrange Places & GeographyFor 40 Years, Oklahoma's Panhandle Belonged to No State at All. Here's WhyIllustration of a brass bell mounted beside a boxing ringEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Spooky Graveyard Story Behind "Saved by the Bell" Is a Myth. The Truth Is in a RingIllustration of a small brown wood frog with a dark eye mask resting on frosty fallen leavesAmazing AnimalsThis Little Frog Spends Winter Frozen With No Heartbeat. Then Spring Arrives
Illustration of a person sighing while sitting on a park benchThe Human BodyYou Sigh All Day Without Noticing. Your Lungs Are Quietly Asking for ItIllustration of an old fort on a tropical coast with cannons facing the seaHistory's OdditiesThe Shortest War in Recorded History Was Over Before Most People Finish Their CoffeeIllustration of the far side of the Moon in sunlightSpace & the SkyThe So-Called Dark Side of the Moon Gets Just as Much Sunshine as the Side We SeeIllustration of many cats lounging on stone steps and docks in a small Japanese fishing villageEarth, Nature & the OceanOn This Tiny Japanese Island, Cats Outnumber People by About 20 to 1
Illustration of a bubbling green bean casserole with crispy onions on a holiday tableFood & Kitchen SecretsMillions of Families Serve It Every Thanksgiving. It Started as a Quick Assignment in 1955Illustration of a vintage cash machine set into a brick bank wallInventions & Everyday ThingsThe First Cash Machine Didn't Take Cards. It Took Slightly Radioactive Paper SlipsIllustration of a beach covered in sea glassStrange Places & GeographyThis Sparkling California Beach Was Once the Town Dump. The Ocean Did the RestIllustration of a yellow ribbon tied in a bow around the trunk of a large oak treeEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Yellow Ribbon on the Old Oak Tree Began as a Story About a Man Coming Home