In regions of India where the soil is red, elephants take on a permanent pink tinge because they regularly spray dust over their bodies to protect themselves against insects.

The amethyst gets its name from the Greek amethystos, which means "remedy for drunkeness."

The names of some cities in the United States are the names of other U.S. states. These include Nevada in Missouri, California Maryland, Louisiana in Missouri, Oregon in Wisconsin, Kansas in Oklahoma, Wyoming in Ohio, Michigan in North Dakota, Delaware in Arkansas, and Indiana in Pennsylvania.

During his entire 47 years in government, Herbert Hoover turned over each of his Federal salary checks to charity. He had become independently wealthy before entering politics.

Soft drinks are American's favorite beverage. Water ranks #2, and milk is #3. The average American drinks about 52 gallons of soft drinks per year.

Rennet, a common substance used to curdle milk and make cheese, is taken from the inner lining of the fourth stomach of a calf.

The leaf-cutting ant can lift more than 50 times its own weight.

At sea level, there are 2,000 pounds of air pressure on each square foot of your body.

The gloves worn by professional boxers weigh a regulation 8 ounces. The Golden Gloves, on the other hand, weigh 10 ounces.

Natural gas has no smell. The odor is artificially added so that people will be able to identify leaks and take measures to stop them.

According to Greek historian Herodotus, Egyptian men never became bald. The reason for this was that, as children, Egyptian males had their heads shaved, and their scalps were continually exposed to the health-giving rays of the sun.

A car operates at maximum economy, gas-wise, at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour.

Florence, Italy was the first city to mint its own gold coins in 1252. The fiorino became known as the florence, then the florin.

As the popularity of Black Friday grew, Canadians started crossing the border to take advantage of the Black Friday deals in the U.S. In 2008, some of the major retailers in Canada began offering their own Black Friday promotions to counter cross-border shopping.

Originally, the mark was simply referred to as "the stripe." Over time, it began to be called a "Swoosh," but there is no record of a specific date or occasion for its taking on that name. In the 1960s, a Blue Ribbon Sports brochure for Tiger footwear used the term "Swoosh" fibers to describe a shoe, so it is likely that the word was used in the...Read more

English naval hero Viscount Horatio Nelson chose to be buried in St. Paul's Church in London rather than in the national shrine of Westminster Abbey because he had heard that Westminster was sinking into the Thames.

Paul Winchell, the ventriloquist, was not only the voice of Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh films, he also invented the artificial heart. He donated the patent for it to the University of Utah.

Dachshunds are the smallest breed of dog used for hunting. They are low to the ground, which allows them to enter and maneuver through tunnels easily.

Although cruising seems to be a very much "in" vacation, only about 10 percent of Americans have ever taken a cruise.

A male emperor moth can detect and find a female of his species a mile away.