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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 an old typewriter-style keyboard key printed with the @ symbolInventions & Everyday ThingsThe @ Sign Was an Obscure Shopkeeper's Symbol Until One Programmer Gave It a New JobIllustration of a clock tower in a small townStrange Places & GeographyA Border Runs Down This City's Main Street. Keeping Every Clock in Sync Took Some DoingA single copper penny resting on a wooden tableEveryday Science & Curious Customs"A Penny for Your Thoughts" Is Nearly 500 Years Old. Back Then, the Penny Was SilverIllustration of a cat watching birds through a windowAmazing AnimalsYour Cat Makes a Strange Clicking Sound at Birds. Here's What It May Mean
Illustration of an older man stretching his legs on a park bench after a morning walkThe Human BodyYou Felt Fine After the Workout. Two Days Later, the Stairs Became a MountainIllustration of a portrait of a Hawaiian queen in a palaceHistory's OdditiesAmerica Has Only One Royal Palace. Its Last Queen Was Held Prisoner in an Upstairs Bedroom
Illustration of a blue Earth rising over the gray horizon of the MoonSpace & the SkyThe Most Famous Photo of Earth Wasn't the First. It Was Almost Taken Without ColorIllustration of a sprouting seed in soil with a root growing down and a shoot growing upEarth, Nature & the OceanPlant a Seed Upside Down and It Still Grows the Right Way. Here's the Hidden Trick
Illustration of a golden baked dish of macaroni and cheese fresh from the ovenFood & Kitchen SecretsMac and Cheese Was Once Fancy Enough for a President's State DinnerIllustration of a brown flat-bottomed paper grocery bag full of vegetables on a kitchen counterInventions & Everyday ThingsA Man Stole Her Paper Bag Design and Patented It First. She Fought Back and WonIllustration of a long suspension bridge silhouetted against a dusky skyStrange Places & GeographyIn 2020, San Franciscans Heard an Eerie Hum on Windy Days. It Was Their Famous BridgeIllustration of red and white Christmas stockings hanging over a warm, glowing fireplaceEveryday Science & Curious CustomsChristmas Stockings Hang by the Fire Because of a Legend About Three Secret Bags of Gold
Illustration of a flock of birds over golden fields in autumnAmazing AnimalsBirds Raised in Cages Still Get Restless When It's Time to Fly SouthIllustration of a crowd of faces in a vintage train stationThe Human BodySome People Can Recognize a Face They Saw Just Once. Police Have Put Them to WorkIllustration of ancient stone ruins beneath clear blue shallow waterHistory's OdditiesSwimmers in Greece Float Right Over a 5,000-Year-Old Town, Streets and AllIllustration of a small space probe with a heat shield flying close to the blazing surface of the SunSpace & the SkyThis Space Probe Could Fly From New York to Tokyo in About a Minute
Illustration of a quick change from autumn to winterEarth, Nature & the OceanFall Really Is Shorter Than Summer Here. Earth's Orbit Is Partly to BlameIllustration of a brown egg floating near the top of a clear glass of water on a kitchen counterFood & Kitchen SecretsDrop an Egg in a Glass of Water and It Reveals Something Hidden Inside the ShellIllustration of a vintage TV remote control with a cordInventions & Everyday ThingsOne of the First TV Remotes Was Named Lazy Bones. It Was Tied to the Set by a WireAerial illustration of the Mississippi River delta branching into the Gulf of MexicoStrange Places & GeographyThe Mississippi Wants to Change Course, and Floodgates Have Held It Back Since 1963
Illustration of an old calendar page with certain dates highlighted in red inkEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Red-Letter Day" Started With Monks and Red Ink, and Some Judges Still Dress for ItIllustration of a polar bear walking across Arctic sea iceAmazing AnimalsUnder That Snow-White Coat, a Polar Bear Looks Nothing Like You'd ExpectA person warming up by a crackling fireplace on a snowy winter eveningThe Human BodyYour Body Has a Special Kind of Fat That Works Like a Tiny Built-In FurnaceIllustration of an empty space on a museum wall where a famous painting once hung in 1911History's OdditiesThe Mona Lisa Vanished From the Louvre in 1911. Its Disappearance Made It a Superstar