232/500
Europe’s Highest Building is Located 14,941 Feet Above Sea Level

The Margherita Hut is the highest building in Europe. Situated on top of a subpeak of Monte Rosa in the Pennine Alps at an elevation of 14,941 feet above sea level, the mountain hut belongs to the Italian Alpine Club. It was originally constructed in 1889 and was restored completely in 1977.

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The Vatican Has Its Own Astronomical Research Station

The Vatican has an astronomical research and educational institution called the Vatican Observatory. They have a telescope and it is operated by priests and scientists. The observatory has also received awards and honors for its contribution.

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Lewis Hamilton Donated £20 Million to Help Under-Privileged Children Get into Motorsports

Sir Lewis Hamilton has pledged £20 million (over $27 million) to a new charity called Mission 44 to help young people from under-represented groups in the U.K. get into motorsport, which has a high-cost entry barrier denying many groups the opportunity to enter. Hamilton was the first, and so far the only, Black driver to race in the series.

229/500
Arctic Foxes Have Thick Fur that Changes Color

Arctic foxes have deep, thick fur that helps them maintain a consistent body temperature. Their fur also changes color depending on the season to offer great camouflage. In the winters, their fur turns white and helps them to blend in with snow, and in the summer, the fur turns brown and grey.

228/500
What Pianist Anton Rubinstein’s Wife Did to Get Him Out of Bed

Pianist Anton Rubinstein liked staying in bed much too late, but his wife figured out a clever way of getting him out of bed. She would play incomplete chords on the piano, which bothered him so much that he would get out of bed and complete the chord. While he was up, his wife would strip the bed to prevent him from getting back on it.

227/500
Christmas Used to Be Illegal in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay

Christmas used to be illegal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony until 1681, when the ban on it was reluctantly lifted, but public celebration of Christmas was still frowned upon. Anyone caught singing carols or making merry was accused of disturbing the peace. Christmas was finally declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.

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Why are Dalmatians the Unofficial Mascot for Firefighters?

For centuries in the US, Dalmatians have been the unofficial mascot for firefighters. That is because in the 1800s, when the fire equipment was horse-drawn, Dalmatians were used as guards that would run alongside the carriages and clear the path in front of the horse. The dogs would even defend the horses against other dogs or animals that could attack or spook the horses.

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The Rich History of the Fiat Factory in Turin

The construction of the Lingotto building in Via Nizza began in 1916. It originally housed a car factory for Italian automotive company Fiat, and it was the largest car factory in the world at that time. The building also had a test track on the roof, and it was featured in the 1969 film, The Italian Job.

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Here’s What the Rich Did Right before Prohibition Law Passed

During Prohibition in the United States, buying or selling alcohol was illegal but drinking alcoholic beverages was legal. Because of this, some affluent drinkers built huge wine cellars and bought out entire liquor store inventories before the law passed to make sure that they had a healthy stash.

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Woman Bought Rare and Valuable Table for $25 at a Garage Sale

A woman named Claire Wiegand-Beckmann bought a card table for $25 at a garage sale. Over 30 years later, she found out that it was one of only six tables made by the Boston furniture maker John Seymour & Son. In 1998, the 18th-century gem was sold at an auction for $541,500.

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Marlon Brando’s Hilarious and Accurate Depiction of a Chicken

Marlon Brando was in an acting class taught by Stella Adler, who once instructed the class to act like chickens, adding that a nuclear bomb was about to be dropped on them. While most of the class clucked and ran around wildly, Brando sat calmly and pretended to lay an egg. When asked why he chose to react that way, Brando said, “I’m a chicken—what do I know about bombs?”

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How Can Owls Fly so Silently?

Because of the unique features of their wings and feathers, owls can fly virtually silently. Even when tested in a room full of microphones, a flying owl made no noise. Experts say that the sound-dampening structures evolved to help the owls become better hunters.

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The Deepest Gold Mine in the World

South Africa’s Mponeng Gold Mine is the deepest mine in the world. It reaches a depth of 2.5 miles below ground level, and it takes over an hour to reach the bottom of the mine from the surface. Illegal miners sneak into the mine and hide there for months at a time. Deprived of sunlight, their skin turns gray, and they are called “ghosts.”

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What Inspired Tolkien to Create Ents in the Lord of the Rings

When J. R. R. Tolkien read Macbeth in school, he felt “bitter disappointment and disgust” over what he considered Shakespeare’s “shabby use” of the moving forest, which actually never came alive but was revealed to be a trick. Later in life, Tolkien made a point of writing a story where the trees actually came alive. The creatures came to be known as Ents in the Lord of the Rings.

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The Great Pyramid of Giza is Not the World’s Largest Pyramid

Tlachihualtepetl, also known as the Great Pyramid of Cholula, is the largest archaeological site of a pyramid in the New World. It is also the world’s largest pyramid by volume. Standing at over 216 feet tall and 1476 feet wide, the monument is equivalent to nine Olympic-sized swimming pools. It is also four times larger than the Great Pyramid at Giza and nearly twice the volume.

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Stunning Cups Made by Ancient Romans

Ancient Romans crafted glass cage cups, known as the Lycurgus Cup, using nanoparticles of gold and silver to create a dichroic effect, which will make the glass display two different colors depending on lighting conditions. When viewed in reflected light, for instance, in flash photography, the cups appear green. However, when viewed in transmitted light, the cups appear blood red.

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High School Student Convinces Classmates to Ban Water

In 1997, a 14-year-old junior high school student named Nathan Zohner convinced his classmates to vote in favor of banning dihydrogen monoxide or DHMO, the chemical formula for water, as part of a science fair project. His project titled “How Gullible Are We?” showed how the use of a true fact can lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a false conclusion.

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Disneyland Once Had a Lingerie Shop on Main Street

When Disneyland opened in 1955, there was a lingerie shop on Main Street, U.S.A. Women could buy intimate apparel and enjoy a presentation on the history of underwear. There was also a mechanical figure called the “Wizard of Bras” that would wave his magic wand at guests.

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The World’s Oldest Stone Arch Bridge is in China

Built between 595 and 605 CE, the Anji Bridge in China is the oldest stone arch bridge in the world. It is 1,500 years old and has survived ten major floods, at least eight wars, and numerous earthquakes. It is still in use today, and the support structure has remained intact without needing any replacement.

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George Bernard Shaw’s Writing Hut

Playwright George Bernard Shaw had a small 64 square feet hut that he would use for writing. The hut was built on a circular track so that it could be moved to follow the sun’s light throughout the day. Inside the hut, there was a typewriter, an electric heater, a telephone for emergencies such as food, and a bunk for naps. He called it “London” so that unwanted visitors could be told that he was away “visiting the capital.”

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Secret Room in Basilica di San Lorenzo

In 1975, a 23 feet by 6 1/2 feet secret room was discovered in Florence’s Basilica di San Lorenzo, the official church of the Medici family. On the walls of this secret room, experts discovered exquisite charcoal and chalk drawings made by Michelangelo, who had lived here in 1530 while hiding from the Pope.

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Progressive Laws Described in the Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian legal text created nearly 4,000 years ago between 1755 and 1750 BCE, was surprisingly ahead of its time in certain instances. Besides having laws addressing subjects such as property rights, divorce, and the prohibition of incest, it also mandated minimum wage. It was written nearly 2,000 years before the New Testament.

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This Bizarre Canadian Tradition Has a Meaningful Reason

In Canada, there is a tradition, in which a newly elected speaker feigns reluctance as he or she is “dragged” to the chair. This practice dates back to the days when British speakers risked being executed if they had any displeasing news to report to the King.

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What Makes Pine Trees Smell so Refreshing?

Ever wondered why pine trees smell so refreshing? It’s because of a chemical called pinene that the trees produce. There are two types of pinene – alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. A-pinene has anti-inflammatory properties and is used to treat asthma.

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The Clean City Law of São Paulo

The city of São Paulo, Brazil, passed a “clean city law” in 2006, prohibiting advertisements such as outdoor posters. Around 15,000 billboards were taken down along with an additional 300,000 ostentatious business signs, bus, taxi, and poster advertisements. The public showed tremendous support for the initiative, saying that they felt like they were in a new city.

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Why is the Lotus Bridge Designed That Way?

Macau drives on the left side of the road, while Mainland China drives on the right. That means travelers between Macau and other parts of China must switch lanes without leaving the country. The clever design of the Lotus Bridge allows cars to loop under the bridge and switch lanes.

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Why Do Some Cars in Japan Display Colorful Symbols?

The shoshinsha mark is a V-shaped green and yellow symbol that new drivers in Japan must display on their car for one year after obtaining the driver’s license. Conversely, the fukushi mark, an orange and yellow symbol, is for elderly drivers. Both the symbols warn other drivers that the marked driver is not too skilled either due to inexperience or old age.

205/500
Did You Know that Dutch Trains Run Purely on Wind Energy?

Dutch trains run entirely on wind energy. One windmill running for an hour can power a train for 120 miles, and around 5,500 trips are facilitated every day. The system allows around 600,000 passengers to commute daily without any emissions.

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How One Man Forced the Government to Fix Washington D.C.’s Rat Problem

In the 1960s, rat infestation had become a serious problem in the poor neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Seeing the government’s inaction, activist Julius Hobson took matters into his own hands. He began capturing the rats in cages and threatened to release them in neighborhoods where the rich, white, and wealthy people lived. Soon after, the city set up rat control programs for the poor neighborhoods.

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Florida’s Pirate Museum Hold Authentic Pirate Treasure

There is a pirate museum in Florida that has one of only three remaining authentic Jolly Roger flags in the world along with the only known authentic pirate treasure chest that once belonged to the 17th-century pirate, Thomas Tew.