• The 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is thought to be the first novel written in the English language. Author Daniels Defoe’s name did not appear on the title page of the book’s first edition, leading readers to believe that Crusoe was a real person who was a castaway on a remote island for 28 years. […]
It’s no use searching the skies for Halley’s Comet – it won’t appear for another 39 years! But you CAN search out these facts about this famous astronomical mystery -- Tidbits has done the work for you!• Comets are made up of water, ice, dust, and carbon dioxide. They have long luminous tails that are […]
by Millie Jones Are you thinking about taking advantage of all those years of experience fixing up your home to start a flipping business? As a retired senior, you can build a successful company renovating houses, but be cautious and understand what you are getting into before making any investment. Today, Tidbits offers some tips […]
by Millie Jones As your family members age, there may come a time when you start to wonder if you need to be closer to them, so you can ensure they can get the help they need. It’s sometimes a difficult call about who needs to move where when the time comes. Many times, senior […]
Few people are aware that on the same day as the Chicago Fire, a far more devastating fire occurred only a few hundred miles north of Chicago. The Peshtigo Fire killed some 1,200 people in Wisconsin— five times as many as the Chicago Fire— and became North America’s worst forest fire in history. The town […]
BARNUM BITS Before he was the owner of his own successful circus, Phineas Taylor Barnum worked the ticket booth and performed as a clown in a small circus. In 1871, he started his “Grand and Traveling Circus, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus.” P.T. Barnum grossed $400,000 his first year. He wasn’t afraid to use a little […]
The term “brand name” originated with whiskey producers who “branded” their names on the barrels. MARKETING MAGIC • The 1930s were host to a barrage of “sandwich signs”---walking billboards worn on the front and back of the human body---announcing the Blue Plate Special at Joe’s or praising the benefits of mustard plasters • Ferrari launched […]
FIRST FACT The letter “H” is about the ninth most-frequently used letter of the alphabet in printed material. As an abbreviation, H might stand for His or Her in H.M. (His or Her Majesty). H can mean hydrogen, harbor, Hawaii, or Hindustan. In the world of electricity, inductance (induced voltage) is measured in units of […]
• The Old Norse noun “viking” meant an overseas expedition, and a “vikingr” was a sailor who went on one of these expeditions. Today many English words can be traced to Norse roots.• The word “berserk” comes from the Old Norse word meaning “bear skin.” How did bear skin come into our language meaning “frenetically […]
Believe It Or Not There are more than 30 Believe It Or Not “Odditoriums” around the world, displaying artifacts, photos, and stories collected by Robert Ripley as he traveled the world seeking out the unusual. Here are some of the articles displayed at the various Ripley museums: A ¾ scale model of a 1907 Silver […]
