Humble beginnings

The beginning of an establishment for the engraving and printing of U.S. currency can be traced as far back as August 29, 1862, to a single room in the basement of the Main Treasury Building where two men and four women separated and sealed by hand $1 and $2 U.S. notes which had been printed by private bank note companies. Today there are approximately 2,800 employees who work out of two buildings in Washington, D.C. and a facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Read More......

Toothpicks are deadly

Believe it or not, English scientists have reviewed all available documentation in the world about the causes of death, and came to the interesting data, that each year 8,000 people drown with a toothpick.

Read More......

The most distant galaxy ever observed

The most distant galaxy ever observed is estimated to be around 13,000,000,000 light-years away. Discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2004, it is located behind the galactic cluster Abell 2218, which bends the object's light. It is a small, energetic galaxy whose light that is seen on Earth now would have set out when the universe was just 750 million years old. This is the most distant object that can be observed consistently; some ephemeral gamma-ray bursts have been observed that are slightly more distant than this object.

Read More......

Athletes who won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games

Only four athletes have ever won medals at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games: Eddie Eagan (United States, Sumer olympics: boxing - light-heavyweight, Winter olympics: bobsleigh - four-man), Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway, Sumer: sailing, Winter: ski jumping), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany, Sumer: track cycling, Winter: speed skating), and Clara Hughes (Canada, Sumer: track cycling, Winter: speed skating).

Read More......

Barbie facts

1. BarbieÒdoll has had more than 80 careers -- everything from a rock star to a paleontologist to a presidential candidate.


2. BarbieÒdoll's first career was a teenage fashion model.

3. BarbieÒGoes to College was introduced in 1964.

4. Army BarbieÒ, introduced in 1992, represented a medic Sergeant enlisted in Desert Storm.
5. The first Olympic athlete BarbieÒwas introduced in 1975; she is competing again as an Olympic swimmer in 2000.

6. Summit BarbieÒdolls were introduced in the 1980s to commemorate the end of the cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

7. BarbieÒdoll represented a candidate for President in 1992 and is running again in 2000 with a platform of opportunities for girls, educational excellence and animal rights.

8. The military series of BarbieÒdolls, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps went through approvals by the Pentagon to ensure the most realistic costumes.

9. BarbieÒdoll represented an astronaut in 1965, 1986 and 1994.

10.In 1997, Share A Smile® Becky® was the first Mattel, Inc. fashion doll introduced with a wheelchair.

11.The Barbie™ Sport collection, including a clothing line and sport-related dolls, was introduced by Mattel in 1998 to allow girls to play out their athletic aspirations every day.
12.BarbieÒdoll was introduced in Europe in 1961.
13.Italian was the first nationality BarbieÒ doll represented in the Dolls of the World® Collection.
14.Quinceanera TeresaÒdoll was released in Mexico in 1994 to celebrate Girls Day.

15.The BarbieÒdoll is currently marketed in more than 150 nations around the world.

16.Placed head to toe, BarbieÒdolls and family members sold since 1959 would circle the earth more than seven times.

17.Every second, two BarbieÒdolls are sold somewhere in the world.

18.One of the latest nationality BarbieÒdoll is Spanish Barbie, released in 2000 wearing an ensemble inspired by the "traje de luces" (suit of lights) worn by toreadors.
19.BarbieÒdoll has represented 45 different nationalities.

20.The first black and Hispanic BarbieÒ dolls were introduced in 1980.

21.Freundshcafts (Friendship) BarbieÒwas introduced in 1990 to commemorate the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.
22.BarbieÒdoll has had over 43 pets including 21 dogs, 12 horses, 3 ponies, 6 cats, a parrot, a chimpanzee, a panda, a lion cub, a giraffe and a zebra.

23.The best selling BarbieÒdoll ever was Totally Hair BarbieÒ, with hair from the top of her head to her toes.

24.The full name of BarbieÒdoll is "Barbie Millicent Roberts." She is from Willows, Wisconsin and went to Willows High School.

25.BarbieÒ doll has five sisters, SkipperÒ, introduced in 1964, Tutti, a twin introduced in 1966, StacieÒin 1992, KellyÒin 1995 and Krissy™ in 1999.

26.BarbieÒdoll's boyfriend, KenÒdoll made his debut two years after Barbie, in 1961.

27.KenÒdoll was named after the son of Mattel founders Ruth and Elliot Handler.

28.The first celebrity to join the BarbieÒ doll family was fashion model Twiggy in 1967 and the M. C. Hammer doll, complete with a cassette of his songs, was added in 1991.

29.BarbieÒdoll's first pet was a horse named Dancer.

30.BarbieÒdoll's best friend, MidgeÒwas introduced in 1963 and then again in 1988 as California MidgeÒ.

31.Consumers can now use their computers and the Internet to customize their friend of the Barbie® doll through My Design™, launched in 1998.

32.1999 was the first year that a family member of the Barbie® doll was introduced into the line as a large-scale doll, Cuddly Soft™ Kelly®.

33.Doll collecting is second only to stamp collecting as the most popular collecting hobby in America -- BarbieÒdoll is collected by women, men and children around the world.

34.The BarbieÒPolaroid I-zone is an instant camera that allows girls to create postage-size sticky pictures of all their fun activities.

35.Close to 1 billion fashions have been produced since 1959 for BarbieÒand her friends.

36.More than 105 million yards of fabric have gone into making BarbieÒdoll and her friends' fashions, making Mattel one the largest apparel manufacturers in the world.

37.BarbieÒ doll has had more than a billion pair of shoes and over one hundred new additions to her wardrobe annually.

38.BarbieÒ doll's signature color is Barbie pink.

39.The "BarbieÒ Fashion DesignerÒ" CD ROM was the best-selling software title of the 1996 holiday season.

40.BarbieÒdoll's collection of couture includes designs by Givenchy, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, Vera Wang and Gucci.

41.The BarbieÒclothing line for real girls includes knit tops, bootleg pants, backpacks, sleepwear and accessories.
42.BarbieÒ doll was introduced in 1959 and first appeared in the now-famous black and white striped swimsuit and signature ponytail.

43.The inventor of the BarbieÒdoll is Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel. She named the doll after her daughter, Barbara.

44.The first BarbieÒ doll sold for $3.00.

45.During the first year of her introduction in 1959, 351,000 BarbieÒdolls were sold.

46.An original 1959 BarbieÒ doll in mint condition has sold for up to $10,000.
47.BarbieÒ doll is currently a $1.5 billion dollar-per-year industry.

48.In 2000, BarbieÒ doll has a belly button for the first time.

49.In 1999, BarbieÒ doll walked by herself for the first time and in 2000, she inline skates by herself.

50.BarbieÒdoll celebrated 40 years as the world's most popular fashion doll in 1999.

51.BarbieÒCD ROMs have been the best selling children's software titles in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999.

52.The latest Barbie® Software for Girls® is the Barbie® Magic Genie Bottle and CD-ROM that lets girls interact with a 3-D adventure game.

53.BarbieÒentered the world of electronics in 1999 with the e-Secret.

Read More......

Giraffe facts

- Eat up to 75 pounds of food a day (typically Acacia leaves) ¸

- Favorite food – Acacia Leaves

- Tongue is 18 inches long

- Have a four chambered stomach and will regurgitate their food for additional chewing – similarly to a cow.

- Typically get most of their water from the Acacia leaf, but will drink up to 10 gallons of water per day.

- Knobs are called Ossicones

- Although rarely heard, Giraffes can moo, hiss, roar and whistle to communicate with one another

- Have the longest tail of any land mammal – up to 8 feet long, including the tuft at the end.

- Giraffes at the San Diego zoo enjoy raw onions as a special treat

- Ancient Romans and Greeks thought that the Giraffe was a mix between a camel and a leopard. This is where their scientific Genus name of "camelopardalis" comes from.

- Their heart is 2 feet long and weighs about 25 pounds

- The heart's muscular walls are several inches thick

- They have the highest known blood pressure of any mammal in the world – up to 280/180mm Hg when prone at heart level (approximately twice that of an average human)

- Their heart beats up to 170 times/minute

- Jugular vein contains a series of one way valves that prevent the back flow of blood when the Giraffes head is down to drink water. This prevents the Giraffe from blacking out.

- The heart pumps about 16 gallons of blood/minute

- Oxpeckers(tick birds) are often seen "hitching" a ride on the backs of Giraffes. They help keep the Giraffe parasite free by eating ticks and other parasites off of the Giraffes skin.

- Extreme care must be taken when scientists catch Giraffes for study or for capture for a zoo exhibit. If the Scientists run the Giraffe too long, the Giraffe will suffer a heart attack due to its high blood pressure. Scientists typically target younger Giraffes for this reason.

- Have no tear ducts, although they have been seen crying

- Have never been observed bathing

- Mom Giraffes form a type of daycare for their young. One of the females in the heard will stay behind and baby sits all of the youngsters while the rest of the females go out foraging for food.

- Despite its extreme length, the Giraffes neck is actually too short to reach the ground. As a result, it has to awkwardly spread its front legs or kneel on its front legs in order to reach the ground to drink water.

- It is the tallest animal in the world
Males stand 16-18 feet; Females 14-16 feet
Males weigh up to 2,000 pounds; Females a bit lighter

- Females use their hooves as weapons only to defend their young.
They are strong enough to kill a lion, which is the Giraffe's only real predator.

- Born with horns
Both males and females have them.
Covered with skin
Males are thicker and heavier and are used sometimes to fight other males.

- Only found naturally in Africa

- Their tongue is black

- Can gallop 31-37 miles per hour

- Form herds and travel together for protection
Their average territorial range is approximately 46 square miles
Males known as bulls
Females known as cows

- Can rest standing up
Usually only sleep 5 minutes at a time
When sleeping, the giraffe generally lies on the ground, tucking its front legs under itself, then curls its neck back and rests its head on its rump.

- Females have their first conception in their fifth year.
Gestation period is 15 months
Interval between births is generally 20 months
Life expectancy of 25 years in the wild
A baby is generally 6 feet tall and will weigh about 150 pounds at birth
A baby will fall approximately 6 feet during birth before hitting the ground
A baby will begin nursing within one hour
A baby will generally also begin walking within one hour

- They spend between 16 and 20 hours a day feeding

Read More......

World's biggest screen

The Fremont Street Experience (FSE) is a pedestrian mall and attraction in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada is world's biggest screen. The FSE occupies the westernmost 5 blocks of Fremont Street, including the area known for years as "Glitter Gulch," and portions of some other adjacent streets.


The attraction is a barrel vault canopy, 90 ft (27 m) high at the peak and four blocks, or approximately 1,500 ft (460 m), in length.

While Las Vegas is known for never turning the outside casino lights off, each show begins by turning off the lights on all of the buildings, including the casinos, under the canopy. Before each show, one bidirectional street that crosses the Experience is blocked off for safety reasons.

The LED display "canopy", runs along the Fremont Street Experience promenade from Main Street to Fourth Street. Holding the canopy aloft are 16 columns, each weighing 26,000 pounds and can hold up 400,000 pounds, and 43,000 struts.

A section comprising one fiftieth of the total canopy equals the size of the world’s current largest electric sign. Originally, nearly 2.1 million incandescent lights were housed in the canopy. With the completion of the $17 million upgrade, more than 12 million LED lamps illuminate the overhead canopy. The new LED upgrade was designed and engineered by LG Electronics, who is also the primary corporate sponsor of the canopy. Within the canopy itself are 220 speakers powered by 550,000 watts of amplification.

Light & Sound Shows are presented nightly beginning at dusk. The number of nightly shows was increased during the 2004 upgrade. Some of the most popular shows include the "Lucky Vegas" show which pays tribute to some of the most well known Vegas icons. "Smoke, Speed and Spinning Wheels" gives visitors an inside look at the sport of race car driving. "Area 51" is a show that pits humans against a swarm of alien invaders. "American Freedom" serves as tribute to the United States while "The Drop" takes visitors on a journey that begins with one drop of water.

Read More......