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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.

An elegant white tiered wedding cake decorated with flowers on a reception tableEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBefore Wedding Cake, Some Guests Got Pie Filled With Oysters, and Sometimes Live BirdsIllustration of two hummingbirds facing off at a feederAmazing AnimalsHummingbirds Look Sweet, but They'll Fight Over a Feeder. Their Hearts Explain WhyA happy dog running across the green South Lawn of the White HouseHistory's OdditiesSome White House Dogs Stayed Nearly Eight Years. One Even Got His Own Memorial StatueIllustration of a vintage car with tin cans and shoes tied behind it and a just-married signEveryday Science & Curious CustomsWedding Guests Once Threw Old Shoes at the Happy Couple, and It Was Meant as a Blessing
Illustration of fluffy alpacas grazing in a green field in the Andes mountainsAmazing AnimalsAlpaca Mothers and Babies Hum to Each Other Constantly. It's Only One of Their SoundsIllustration of a shipyard with a cargo ship under constructionHistory's OdditiesOne Liberty Ship Hit the Water Just 4 Days After Work Began. There Was a Catch
Illustration of a small bird on a windowsillEveryday Science & Curious Customs"A Little Bird Told Me" Sounds Old-Fashioned. The Idea Behind It Is Thousands of Years OldIllustration of a proud hen standing in a sunny farmyard with a faint dinosaur shadow behind herAmazing AnimalsThe Hen in the Barnyard Has a Surprising Family Tree, and T. Rex Is on It
Illustration of a red vintage single-engine airplane flying low over the oceanHistory's OdditiesShe Once Called Herself Baggage on an Atlantic Flight. Four Years Later She Flew It AloneIllustration of a full moon shining over a quiet beach at nightEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Word Honeymoon Sounds Sweet. Its Original Meaning Came With a Gentle WarningIllustration of a classic 1950s car parked beside a roadside diner on Route 66History's OdditiesRoute 66 Got Its Most Famous Nickname From a Novel, Not a Road SignIllustration of an American flag with white five-pointed stars waving against a bright blue summer skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Law That Created the Stars and Stripes Never Said How Many Points a Star Should Have
Illustration of a patchwork quilt hanging on a wooden fence near a farmhouseHistory's OdditiesFour Large Hams and Two Small Hams. The Underground Railroad's Real Codes Were CleverIllustration of an old wooden board game with a numbered first square and a single game pieceEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Back to Square One" Has Two Rival Origin Stories. One Involves a Very Old Board GameIllustration of the Mayflower sailing on a rough gray sea under stormy skiesHistory's OdditiesThe Mayflower Was Never Supposed to Land in Massachusetts. Rough Seas Changed HistoryIllustration of an old leather traveler's trunk packed full of belongingsEveryday Science & Curious Customs"The Whole Kit and Caboodle" Has a Word Nobody Uses Anymore. It Came From the Dutch
Vintage-style illustration of an old wooden baseball stadium with a packed grandstand under hazy skiesHistory's OdditiesDuring the 1918 World Series, a Band Played a Song That Changed Sports ForeverHorses tied to a wooden hitching post on an old dirt streetEveryday Science & Curious Customs"Hold Your Horses" First Showed Up in Print as "Hold Your Hosses"Illustration of an antique wooden swivel chairHistory's OdditiesJefferson May Have Drafted the Declaration While Turning in a Chair He Rebuilt HimselfIllustration of tall, puffy white clouds floating in a bright blue skyEveryday Science & Curious CustomsBeing on Cloud Nine Means Pure Bliss. Where the Number Came From Is Still a Puzzle
An old horse-drawn wagon carrying a large bell along a forest road in autumnHistory's OdditiesIn 1777, the Liberty Bell Was Smuggled Out of Philadelphia Under a Pile of ManureIllustration of a globe on a deskEveryday Science & Curious CustomsMeet a Stranger Who Knows Your Cousin? Science Says the World Really Is That SmallIllustration of streetlights shaped like chocolate kisses along a small-town streetHistory's OdditiesA Candy Maker With a Fourth-Grade Education Built an Entire Town Around ChocolateIllustration of dramatic storm clouds glowing orange and pink at sunsetEveryday Science & Curious CustomsThe Best Sunsets Often Come Right After a Storm. Here's the Science Behind the Glow