AMAZING FACTS

Modern history tends to put Buddha around 500 B.C. This date apparently comes from the assumption that Chandragupta Maurya, Sandrocottus of the Greek records, was the contemporary of Alexander, who is known to invade India in 325 B.C.

However, the Greek chronicles are strangely silent on the names of Chanakya (Chandragupta's Guru) who managed to install the Maurya on the Magadha throne, Bindusar (his son) and even Ashoka (his grandson) whose empire extended far wider than that of Chandragupta. The empire of Chandragupta, also known as the Magadha empire, was very powerful and had a long history but is nowhere mentioned by the Greeks.

Even Buddha bhikkus and the flourishing religion of the Buddha are not mentioned in their literature. This imbroglio has been challenged by various scholars and is precisely summarized by K. Rajaram (in "A Peep into the Past History, Seminar Papers", Madras, 1982), "There are difficulties in calculating the date of the coronation of Asoka .. In the first instance, the very identification of Sandrokotus with Chandragupta Maurya is questioned. In the second one, the date of the death of the Buddha has not been fixed accurately and therefore, the date of Asoka based on it cannot be accurate." Indeed, the Sandrocottus of the Greeks was not a Maurya.

The Greek records mention Xandramas and Sandrocyptus as the kings immediately before and after Sandrocottus. These names in any way are not phonetically similar to Mahapadma Nanda and Bindusar, who were the predecessor and successor of Chandragupta Maurya, respectively.

However, if Sandrocottus refers to Chandragupta "Gupta", the Xandramas reckons to be his predecessor Chandrashree alias Chandramas and Sandrocyptus to be Samudragupta. The phonetic similarity becomes quite apparent and also, with the assistance of other evidence, confirms the identity of Sandrocottus to Chandragupta Gupta.

Built: 1887-1889 for 1889 Universal Exhibition and Centennial of the French Revolution.

Engineers : Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier

Architect : Stephen Sauvestre

Contractor : Gustave Eiffel

Tower inaugurated: March 31, 1889

Number of Workers Killed during Construction: 1

Steps to Top: 1665 (Official Eiffel Tower Website)

Steps walkable by visitors 704 (Ground to 2nd floor)

Rivets: 2,500,000

Steel pieces: 18,038

Height: 300.51 meters (986 feet) (+/- 15 cm depending on temperature)

Height including television antenna: 320.755 meters (1052 feet)

Weight: 7,000 tons (1,000 tons removed during 1990's renovation)

Base: 412 feet square, although also noted as about 2.5 acres

Foundation Pressure: 58.26 to 64 psi (9000 psf)

Paint: 50 tons every 7 years

Paint Color: Dark Brown

Lighting : 352 projectors of 1000 watts

First TV transmission: 1957

First Radio Transmission: 1918

Maximum sway in wind: 12 cm

Visibility on a clear day: 67 kilometers (42 miles)

The Hollywood Neighborhood was named after the Hollywood Theater which opened on July 17th, 1926 with the silent movie, "More Pay-Less Work".

The first Junior Rose Festival parade was held in June 1918

The Hollywood Neighborhood was the most popular automobile cruising destination in Oregon.

The trolley operated between 1906 and 1937 in the Hollywood District and was the 3rd largest electrical transport system in the U.S. during the 1930s.

The Banfield Highway was named after T.H. Banfield, a prominent Portland businessman.

FACTS ABOUT CANCER.

1. CANCER IS A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY.

2. MAJORITY OF MALE CANCERS ARE PREVENTABLE.

3. MAJORITY OF FEMALE CANCERS CAN BE DETECTED EARLY.

4. CANCER IS NOT CONTAGIOUS.

5. CANCER IS CURABLE IF DETECTED AND TREATED EARLY.

7- DANGER SINGS OF CANCER.

1. CHANGE IN BOWELS OR BLADDER HABBITS.

2. A SORE THAT DOES NOT HEAL.

3. UNUSUAL BLEEDING OR DISCHARGE.

4. THICKENING OR LUMP IN BREAST OR ELSEWHERE.

5. INDIGESTION OR DIFFICULTY IN SWALLOWING.

6. OBVIOUS CHANGE IN A WART OR MOLE.

7. NAGGING COUGH, HOARSENESS AND FOREIGN BODY SENSATION ON THE THROAT.

SADDAM IN ARABIC MEANS 'ALWAYS READY FOR WAR'.HITLER WROTE THE BOOK "MY STRUGGLE " WHILE SADDAM WROTE THE BOOK "OUR STRUGGLE".

OSHO RAJNISH (1913 TO 1990) HAD 93 ROLLS ROYCE CARS WITH HIM. NOBODY HAD SO MANY CARS WITH HIM IN THE WORLD. FOR ONE OF HIS CARS,'BOLLYWOOD' HERO VINOD KHANNA WAS THE DRIVER . THE CHRISMATIC GODMAN OF INDIA WAS A VORACIOUS READER AND A FEARLESS SPEAKER . THOUSANDS OF HIS FOREIGN FOLLOWERS USED TO VISIT HIM ASHRAM IN PUNE EVERYDAY . HE ESTABLISHED 'RAJNISHPURAM' ON 64000 ACRES IN OREGON IN USA. IT IS BELIEVED THAT HE WAS POISONED SLOWLY TO DEATH AFTER BEING ARRESTED THERE . HE DIED IN INDIA .

NAPOLEON WAS A SYMBOL OF COURAGE , BUT , HAD SUFFERED FROM AILUROPHOBIA,
THE FEAR OF CATS

King George I of England could not speak English. He was born and raised in Germany and never learned to speak English even though he was King from 1714 to 1727. He left the running of the country to his ministers thereby creating the first government cabinet.

Queen Anne had a transvestite cousin, Lord Cornbury, whom she assigned to be governor of New York and New Jersey. The colonists were not amused.

Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth I's mother, had six fingers on one hand

In the Forteenth century, King Edward II reigned in England and was deposed, to be succeeded by his son, Edward III. The King was imprisoned in Berkeley Castle and instructions were that no one should harm him. When the decision was made to murder him, no mark was to be left on the body. A deer horn was inserted into his rectum and a red hot poker was placed inside that. His ghostly screams are said to be still heard in the castle.

Sir Walter Raliegh financed his trip to America to cultivate tobacco by betting Queen Elizabeth I that he could weigh the weight of smoke, which he did by placing two identical cigars on opposite sides of a scale, lighting one and making sure no ashes fell. The difference in the weight after the cigar was done was the weight of smoke and Raliegh was on his way to America.

Sir Thomas Crapper, attributed to inventing the flush toilet, was a nephew of Queen Elizabeth.

The French king Louis the XIV., also known as the Sun King, was with almost certainty not the son of Louis the XIII., but the son of the Danish nobleman Josiah Rantzau, who served in France as a general and marechal of France. Rantzau was very popular with the ladies on account of his great succes on the battlefields. It seems, that he was also a favorite of the French queen; and it is told, that he had to leave France when the boy Louis grew up, because the boy was the spitting image of Rantzau.

America has 30.30% airports of the world & India has only 0.70%

The total surface area of the Earth is 197 million square miles.

The sunrays reached at the earth in 8 minutes & 3 seconds

The world’s population has increased 3.1 billion in last 40 years.

180 millions of Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually

4% of the total population drinks cold drink daily.

It’s impossible to sneeze with eyes open.

In Bangladesh, kids are punished and jailed for cheating in final exams.

It takes yard of sugarcane to make one sugar cube.

Half gallon water is required to cook macaroni.

Traffic lights were used even before the invention of cars.

A normal person laughs five times a day.

Every year in India, an approximate of 300 million tickets are sold.

Ketchup was earlier sold as medicine.

Canada is an Indian word meaning Big Village

A person generates 100 pound of red blood cells in his lifetime.

Rubber bands last longer in refrigerator.

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar

Dreamt is the only word ending with ‘mt’.

Intelligent people are with more zinc and copper in their hair

69% Americans use Internet and only 5.5% of Indians.

Plastics take 500 years to break down.

Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand

Lightning strikes the earth about 6,000 times per minute.

Lobsters have blue blood.

A man says average 4850 words in 24 hours.

The thumb nail grows the slowest and the middle nail the fastest

Chocolates can kill dogs

In 1848, Niagara Falls had a break of half an hour because of an ice jam blocking the source river.

In 1962, the schools in Tanganyika closed because of an outbreak of contagious laughter that lasted for six months

In 1980, workers in a Las Vegas hospital were suspended. They had bet on which patient would die first.

In the 1800s, if anyone failed to die after committing a suicide, they had to face the death penalty

People are using glasses since last 700 years

People above the age of 100 in US increased from 4,000 in 1960 to 55,000 in 1995.

3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the age of 30.

Ancient Egyptians used slabs of stones as pillows.

In Egypt, people shaved eyebrows on the death of their cats

Bengal tiger :

This species of tigers is also known as the Panthera tigris. It is mainly found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and some parts of Myanmar. According to zoologists approximately 3000 of these are alive at present and so they figure on the list of endangered species.

White tiger :

This is not a separate sub-species, as such. They are like the regular tigers, with only a difference in their color. They are white in color and have blue eyes with a pink nose. Their stripes maybe brown or black in color.

Indo-Chinese tiger :

This sub-specie is scientifically known as Panthera tigris corbet. These tigers are mainly found in Thailand, south China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and some parts of Malaysia. According to the numbers provided by zoologists there are no more than 1,800 of these tigers surviving in the wild, at present.

Sumatran tiger :

the scientific name for this subspecies is Panthera tigris sumatrae. It is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. There are only about 500 of these tigers presently surviving. It is the second most endangered subspecies of tigers in the world.

South Chinese tiger :

This is also known as the Amoy tiger; and scientifically it is termed as the Panthera tigris amoyensis is also known as the Amoy tiger. This is a native subspecies of central and east China. There are presently not more than 40 of these tigers, and thus the subspecies is heading for extinction.

The Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) :

Was the native tiger species of Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, and the Central Asiatic area of Russia

The Balinese tiger (Panthera tigris balica) :

Was the native subspecies of Bali.

The Javan tigers (Panthera tigris sondaica):

Was he native subspecies the Indonesian island of Java.

Experts agree that the recently concluded Beijing Olympics was one of the spectacular and finest Olympics ever conducted. China had poured in billions of dollars for the different events by building world class stadiums ,sports arenas and also for the opening and closing ceremonies

But what lies unknown is the fact , China had actually taken the next giant leap in achieving the impossible - To control the nature !

Rains and thunderstorms had threatened the closing ceremony in the Beijing Olympics.Yet ,China remained unflustered by it , and went ahead in firing rain dispersal rockets from the ground and huge planes to cover a large area
Around 241 rocket shells were fired in nine rounds from Beijin,Tianjin and Hebei to disperse the rain clouds ,
It is also believed that around 1000 rain dispersal rockets were fired for the opening ceremony

It just goes to show the advancement of technology and the power man has gained in these centuries , and a force that makes nature fear him

The concept of weather and climate control by man , as discussed in novels like Are you Afraid of the Dark by Sidney Sheldon and State of Fear by Michael Crichton
are almost becoming a reality .

According to some sources, the Koh-i-noor diamond was found in the Godavari river in central India 4,000 years ago. Tradition associated with it states that its owner will rule the world, but that to possess it is dangerous for any but a woman. This may have been a delicate piece of flattery to Queen Victoria, who once owned the gem.
The authentic history of this jewel begins in the 14 c. when it was reported to be in the possession of the rajas of Malwa. It later fell into the hands of Baber, who founded the Mogul dynasty in 1526.

During the next two centuries the diamond was one of the most prized items in the treasure of the Mogul emperors.

In 1939, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and all of the treasures of the Moguls fell into his hands except the great diamond. Nadir Shah was told by one of the emperor's harem women that the stone was hidden in the emperor's turban. The conqueror then invited the conquered to a feast and offered to exchange turbans as a gesture of friendship.

The emperor had no choice but to agree. Later, in the privacy of his tent, Nadir Shah unrolled the turban, the gem fell out, and Nadir is supposed to have exclaimed "Koh-i-noor", mountain of light.

The stone continued in the possession of the Persian dynasty, although many attempts were made to gain ownership of it. The Persian king was assassinated, and his son Shah Rukh, was deposed. In an effort to discover the whereabouts of the diamond Shah Rukh´s eyes were put out, and boiling pitch was poured on his head, but he refused steadfastly to reveal its hiding place. Later, a Persian king fled with it to the Sikh court, and Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, took the stone and wore it as a decoration.

It was later placed in the Lahore treasury. After the Sikh wars, it was taken by the East India Company as part of the indemnity levied in 1849, and was subsequently presented to Queen Victoria at a sparkling levee marking the company's 250th anniversary.

The jewel was displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 where it was thought to display insufficient fire. It was decided to recut it from its original Indian form, and a member of the Amsterdam firm of Costar was called to London to cut the stone. A steam-driven cutting wheel was set up, and Prince Albert se the stone on the wheel, while the Duke of Wellington started it.

The cutting took 38 days, but did not add much to the stone's brilliance. It was rather believed that the historical value of the diamond was diminished by the cutting.

Queen Victoria continued to wear it as an ornament, then left it to Queen Alexandra, who wore it at Edward VII´s coronation. In 1911, the jewel was used in a crown made for Queen Mary, and in 1937, in another made to be worn by Queen Elizabeth at the coronation of her husband, King George VI in 1937. The Queen Mother's crown with the Koh-i-noor is in the Tower of London.

The world's largest cut diamond is an unnamed Fancy Black, containing small red diamond crystals. It weighs 555.55 carats and was polished into 55 facets over several years and completed in June 2004. The repetitive use of the number five is culturally significant in the Islamic world, and was inspired by Ran Gorenstein (Belgium), who also commissioned this creation.

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He loved the sea. He became a sailor when he was fifteen years old.

After many years and many travels, Columbus became an excellent sea captain. [He had many maps that showed that the earth was round. The maps showed that it was possible to sail west to get to the East.]

Columbus's maps showed that Japan was across the Atlantic Ocean, 2,700 miles away. Columbus did not know that his maps were wrong. Japan is really 12,200 miles to the west! And North and South America are in the way.

The city of Palos gave Columbus three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Queen Isabella gave Columbus money and ninety sailors.

Aug. 3 1492 Columbus and 90 men set sail to find an easier route to Asia for spice merchants. The expedition was sponsored by Queen Isabella of Spain, provided that Columbus would conquer some of the islands and mainland for Spain.

The three little ships sailed from Palos on August 3. First they stopped at the Canary Islands for more food and water. They left the Canaries on September 6.

The weather was good and the trip was easy. Columbus promised the sailors that they would all become rich. At first the sailors were excited. But day after day passed and they did not see land. The sailors became afraid.

After four weeks the sailors wanted to go back. They thought they would die if they didn't turn around.

At last, they saw some birds. They followed the birds. On the thirty-fifth day, two hours after midnight, a sailor on the Pinta shouted "Land!" He could see land by the light of the moon.

Oct. 12 the ships landed on the island of Guanahani (in the Caribbean Islands) which Columbus immediately christened San Salvador and claimed it for Spain. When they landed on what is now Cuba they thought it was Japan. After 3 subsequent voyages Columbus died rich and famous but not knowing that he had discovered lands that few people had imagined were there. (The continent was not even named after Columbus but an Italian explorer named Amerigo Vespucci).

The people who lived on the island were the Arawak. They called their island Guahanal

The Arawaks came to see the large ships and the sailors. They were amazed at the sailors' strange clothes. They were amazed at the beards on the sailors' faces.

The Arawaks thought the ships and the men had sailed down from the sky. They brought the sailors presents, food, and parrots.

Columbus and his men gave presents to the Arawaks, too. He tried to ask them if this island was part of Japan. "They could only use sign language. Columbus thought that he was in the Indies. He called the people Indians.

Columbus named the island San Salvador. He claimed San Salvador for the King and Queen of Spain. He did not ask the Arawaks if they would like to belong to Spain.

Columbus sailed to other islands. He left forty sailors on the island of Hispaniola. He returned home to Spain with just two ships. He took home many things to show Queen Isabella. He brought parrots, pearls, gold, and six "Indians."

When the two little ships returned, the people in Spain were very, very excited. As the ships came into the port of Palos, cannons thundered, church bells clanged, and people cheered.

Many sailors wanted to go with Columbus on his next trip. They thought they would find gold and become rich. The next year Columbus sailed again. This time he had seventeen ships and fifteen hundred men.

He sailed to other islands, and to Honduras, the coast of Florida, Venezuela, and Panama.

Americans remember Columbus in many ways. Places are named for him, such as the District of Columbia; Columbus, Ohio; and Columbia, South Carolina. Columbia is a nickname for the United States in several songs. Columbia University is named for Columbus. Hundreds of schools are named for him. There is a famous statue of Columbus at Columbus Circle in New York.

1792 a ceremony organized by the Society of St. Tammany, or Colombian Order was held in New York City honoring Columbus and the 300th anniversary of the landing.

Genghis Khan was the official title of a Mongol warrior named Temujin, a 13th century ruler who founded an empire that included parts of China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. After a childhood of violence and enslavement, Temujin became a powerful tribal chieftan. By 1206 he had unified rival clans and taken the title Genghis Khan (or Chinggis Khan), meaning "universal ruler." Over the next three decades he led a constant military campaign that ravaged vast areas and subjugated millions of people, earning him a reputation in the history books as a brutal monster. His successful military tactics included quick cavalry attacks and novel methods of siege warfare, and he is famous for adapting his methods to meet new challenges. In recent years his image in the West as a warmonger has been tempered somewhat with the acknowledgment that under his rule there was a beneficial transfer of culture and technology as his armies moved through Asia, the Middle East and Europe. An able administrator, Genghis Khan established an empire that lasted more than 150 years after his death. Over time his empire was divided and weakened and most of his conquests were lost; his last ruling descendant, Amil Khan of Bukhara, was deposed by Soviet forces in 1920.

Born around July 20, 356 B.C

Son of King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus. Olympias was not the only wife of Philip and there was much conflict between Alexander's parents.

Tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle.

During his youth, Alexander tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. Later, when his beloved horse died, Alexander renamed a city in India for Bucephalus

In 340 B.C., while father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was made regent in Macedonia. During Alexander's regency, the Maedi of northen Macedonia revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and renamed their city Alexandroupolis.

In 336 B.C. his father Philip was assassinated, and Alexander the Great became ruler of Macedonia.

Had several rivals executed in order to secure the throne.

Alexander the Great had three wives: Roxane, Statiera, and Parysatis.

Children: Herakles, son of Alexander's mistress Barsine, and Alexander IV, son of Roxane. Both children were killed before they reached adulthood.

One of the legends about Alexander the Great is that when he was in Gordium, in Turkey, in 333 B.C., he undid the Gordian Knot which had been tied by the legendary King Midas. The prophecy about the Gordian knot was that the person who untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great is said to have undone the knot by slashing through it wilth a sword.

In 323 B.C. Alexander the Great returned to Babylonia where he became ill suddenly, and died at age 33. The cause of his death is unknown. It could have been disease or posion.

There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. With 55,000 square feet of space, it is one of the largest houses in the United States

The White House has a movie theater, swimming pool, bowling lane, jogging track, and a tennis court.

Presidential Firsts while in office... President James Polk (1845-49) was the first President to have his photograph taken... President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) was not only the first President to ride in an automobile, but also the first President to travel outside the country when he visited Panama... President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45) was the first President to ride in an airplane.

John Adams is said to have held the first fireworks display at the White House.

With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.

The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.

George Bush invited tennis champions to play with him on the White House tennis courts.

John F. Kennedy's young son, John Jr., used to hide under the president's desk. John Jr. called the desk "my house."

Franklin D. Roosevelt got permission to build a swimming pool and a movie theater in the White House.

Rutherford B. Hayes had the first telephone installed in the White House. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, gave Hayes personal instructions on how to use it.

No one realized that MOUNT EVEREST was the tallest until 1856.

The official height of Mount Everest is 8848 meters or 29,029 feet, which is based on a 1954 ground-based measurement. However, in 1999, a National Geographic Society satellite-based measurement indicated that Mount Everest was about 2 meters (6 feet) taller.


Mount Everest is not standing still. Due to massive geological forces, it is rising at the rate of almost 1 centimeter (1/3 inch) per year - and moving northeast at about 6 centimeters (2 inches) per year.

In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first humans to scale Mount Everest. Some say two climbers accomplished this feat in 1924, but the evidence is weak.

More than 2,200 people have reached the summit, but over 200 climbers died.A blind person, a one-legged person, a 15 year old, and a 70 year old have successfully made it to the top. And other adventurers have skied, snowboarded and hang glided down the mountain.

Climbing Mount Everest is not cheap. Commercial expeditions can cost climbers $60,000 to $75,00 each.

Don't call the mountain "Mount Everest" in Tibet or Nepal. That's British coinage. Tibetans refer to it as Chomolungma and Nepalese call it Sagarmatha.

Marathon in Berlin is 26 miles long and it was apparently too long for thirty three runners who decided to take a shortcut by riding the subway. They obviously forgot the computer chips they were wearing, which automatically record their time every three miles. They were of course disqualified and their times were removed from the scoreboard.

The human brains consists of more than 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) through which the brain's commands are sent in the form of electric pulses. These pulses travel at more than 400 km/h (250 mph), creating enough electricity to power a lightbulb. The brain consumes more energy than any other organ, burning up a whopping one-fifth of the food we take in.

It is estimated that the mental capacity of a 100-year old human with perfect memory could be represented by computer with 10 to the power of 15 bits (one petabit). At the current rate of computer chip development, that figure can be reached in about 35 years. However, that represents just memory capacity, not the extremely complex processes of thought creation and emotions.

One-quarter of the brains in used to control the eye. We actually see with our brains, with the eyes basically being cameras.

1)Cockroaches can live for 9 days after their head has been cut off.

2)The world's largest amphibian is the giant salamander. It can grow up to 5 ft. in length.

3)The first coast-to-coast telephone line was established in 1914.

4)A car traveling 100 mph would take more than 29 million years to reach the nearest star.

5)In Cleveland, Ohio it is illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.

More than 100 billion crayons have been produced so far. The first crayons consisted of a mixture of charcoal and oil. In the early 1900s, cousins Edwin Binney and Harold Smith developed a nontoxic wax crayon. Binney's wife, Alice, attached the French word for chalk, craie, with "ola," from oily, to form the Crayola name. Their first box of Crayola crayons were sold for a nickel in 1903.

The first Crayola crayons came in a box of eight colours: black, blue, brown, green, orange, purple, red and yellow. By 1957, 40 new colours were introduced. Today there are more than 120 crayon colours, including Atomic Tangerine, Blizzard Blue, Mango Tango, Outrageous Orange, Laser Lemon, Screamin' Green and Shocking Pink. Over 5 billion crayons are produced each year.

There's a fake trailer of Titanic 2 going round on the internet, called 'Titanic 2: Jack's Back' or 'Titanic 2: The Surface'. It's an excellent made mashup with different clips from different movies. The story goes that Leonardo DiCaprio comes back from his watery grave with the help of modern science. It's hilarious, do a search on Google and watch the Titanic 2 trailer.

The largest movie theatre in the world, Radio City Music Hall in New York, opened in 1932 - it seats almost 6,000 people.

The longest movie in the world according to Guiness World Records is The Cure for Insomnia, directed by John Henry Timmis IV. Released in 1987, the running time is 5220 minutes (87 hours).

The first film animation was "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces" made in 1906 by American J. Stuart Blacton.

In 1919, 18-year-old Walt Disney teamed up with Ub Iwerks, to produce a series of cartoons entitled "Alice in Cartoonland."

The Walt Disney company was founded in 1923, and in 1927 Walt came up with the idea for an animated mouse called Mortimer Mouse. His wife Lillian convinced him to change it to Mickey Mouse.

In 1937 Disney won a special Oscar for the first full-length animation: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, created Tom and Jerry in 1939.

The first Best Picture Oscar for an animation was awarded in 1991 for Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Mel Blanc, who played the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots.

Jack Mercer was the voice of Popeye the Sailor for 45 years.

The video recording machine was invented by the Ampex corporation of California in 1956. The first video recorder, the Ampex VR1000, stood 1,1 m (3 ft 3 in) high and weighed as much as a small car: 665 kg (1,466 lb).

The home video recorder was introduced in 1972 by Philips of the Netherlands.

Japanese company JVC introduced the VHS system in 1976.

About 80% of VCRs are made by Japanese companies.

The first pop video was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, released in 1975.

On average, a movie makes about 5 times more from its video sales than ticket takings.

About one quarter of movie videos sold are animations.

In the 1926 film version of Don Juan actor Lionel Barrymore set the record for the most kisses ever in a single film. Barrymore embraced Mary Astor and Estelle Taylor 127 times.

The longest kiss in a movie is in Andy Warhol's Kiss. Rufus Collins and Naomi Levine kissed for the entire 50 minutes of the movie.

The first porn movie was the 1908 Fench film al'Ecu d'or oula bonne auberge.

The first movie to use sound was "The Jazz Singer," released in 1927: the first words, spoken by Al Jolson, were: "Wait a minute, you ain't heard nothing yet."

The 1967 Russian movie War and Peace had 120,000 extras. The South Korean movie Monster Wang-magwi from the same year featured 157,000 extras. The 1945 German movie Kolberg had 187,000 and the movie with the most extras, the 1982 British movie Gandhi, featured 300,000 extras.

The Titanic was designed to hold 32 lifeboats, though only 20 were on board; White Star management was concerned that too many boats would sully the aesthetic beauty of the ship.

Survivors were rescued by the Carpathia, which was 58 miles southeast of Titanic when it received the distress call.

Titanic boasted electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court, a Turkish Bath, and a gymnasium with a mechanical horse and mechanical camel.

The wreckage of Titanic was located in 1985, 12,500 feet down, about 350 miles (531 km) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada

A first class (parlor suite) ticket on Titanic cost $4,350, which translates into $90,000 in 2006 USD.

Lillian Gertrud Asplund, the last American survivor of the Titanic tragedy, died in Massachusetts on May 6, 2006, at age 99. Her mother and a brother also survived, but her father and three other brothers perished.

Two other survivors live in England.

Eleanor Shuman, who was the inspiration for Kate Winslet's Rose, died on March 7, 1998, at age 87.

Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of television in 1926 in Soho, London. Ten years later there were only 100 TV sets in the world.

Today there are more than 1,5 billion TV sets in use.

China has the most TV sets (300 million).

US citizens watch the most TV. By age 65, an American would have watched the equivalent of 9 years uninterrupted screening, viewing more than 20,000 TV commercials per year.

In the US there are more TV sets than telephones.

The first TV interview was made with Irish actress Peggy O'Neil in April 1930.

The first daily broadcast was started by the BBC in November 1936.

The first TV commercial was a 20-second ad for a Bulova clock, broadcasted by WNBT, New York during a game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies in July 1941.Bulova paid $9 for that first TV spot. Bulova also was the first watch in space.

The first regular TV soap was DuMont TV's A Woman to Remember, which began its run in February 1947.

The first televised sporting event was a Japanese elementary school baseball game, broadcast in September 1931.

The world's first TV news helicopter was introduced by KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles on 4 July 1958.

In the film, 'Titanic', when Jack walks through the french doors for dinner with Rose and her family, a camera man's reflection can be seen on the glass.

During one scene in 'The Sound of Music', an orange box can be clearly seen stamped with the words 'Produce of Israel'. The film was set in 1938, ten years before Israel was founded.

Some of the chariot racers in 'Ben Hur' were seen to be wearing wristwatches.

In the 1985 movie, 'Falling in Love', a reflection of the camera can be seen in a mirror.

Esteemed actor Richard Harris was seen wearing an elastoplast on his neck when playing King Arthur in the film 'Camelot'

Edward G Robinson's character in 'The Last Gangster' gets sent to Alcatraz in 1927. This was probably not as bad a sentence as you might imagine since the prison wasn't opened there until 1934.

In one scene from this movie a young boy who is nothing to do with the film is scene moving across the set. Later, when this was discovered, no-one knew who he was and rumours started to spread about a possible haunting.

Television ariels can clearly be seen on the roofs of Victorian London in the comedy, 'The Wrong Box'.

A red London bus can be seen in the background of one of the battle scenes from the Arthurian legend film, 'Excalibur'.

Nicolas Cage started life as Nicholas Coppola, but changed it to disassociate himself with famous film director Uncle Francis Ford Coppola. The name 'Cage' came from the comic book character 'Luke Cage'.

Red Buttons was originally known as Aaron Chwatt. The idea for his new name came from his hair colour and the 48 buttons on his bellboy's uniform.

Bette Davis started out as Ruth Davis but changed to Bette after Balzac's cousin Bette

The Phantom of the Opera star was once called Michael Dumble-Smith. The unsurprising desire for a name change was concluded after he saw a passing Crawford's buscuit lorry.

The former Roy Scherer became Rock Hudson after his agent searched the globe for an alternative, coming up with an amalgamation of the Hudson River and the Rock of Gibraltar.

Orginally Susan Weaver, Sigourney picked out her unusual new name from a character in the novel, The Great Gatsby.

Oprah is actually a typo. Her parents wanted to use the biblical name Orpah, but the midwife couldn't spell so it became Oprah.

Friends star Luke Perry was originally Coy Luther Perry but changed to Luke after the character in his favourite movie, Cool Hand Luke.

Originally Doris Von Kappellof, Doris followed the wise advice of band leader Barney Rapp and changed her name. She used to sing the song 'Day after Day' for him.

Born Frank Cooper, his agent persuaded him to change to Gary after the agent's home town - Gary, Indiana.

When Paul Anka first played Vegas he was too young to be allowed in the casino.

Bugsy Siegel named his casino the Flamingo after the long legs of his showgirl girlfriend.

In Nevada it is mandatory that video slot machines pay a minimum of 75 percent on average.

Vegas Vic, the enormous neon cowboy that towers over Fremont Street, is the world's largest mechanical neon sign.

Howard Hughes stayed at the Desert Inn for so long that he was asked to leave. He bought the hotel.

Camels were used as pack animals in Nevada as late as 1870.

Over 39.2 million people visit Las Vegas each year.

Seventeen of the 20 biggest hotels in the U.S. are in Las Vegas.

Year first casino was licensed 1931

Current number of licensed gambling places in Las Vegas 1701

Approximate number of Las Vegas city residents 500,000

Approximate number of Clark County residents 1,500,000

Number of slot machines in the city 197,144

Annual visitors to Las Vegas, in millions 36.7

Percentage of visitors from Southern California 25

Percentage of visitors who say they come to Vegas mainly to gamble 5

Percent of visitors who end up gambling during their stay 87

Hours per day average visitor spends gambling 3.9

Annual state gaming revenue, in billions of dollars 9

Won three gold medals in Olympic games; awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956

Arguably the greatest player the game of hockey has ever produced, Dhyan Chand's genius transcended national boundaries and created myths abound of his phenomenal abilities.

Once a lowly sepoy in the British Indian Army, Dhyan Chand's wizardry with the hockey stick caught the attention of his seniors and soon earned him a place in the Indian national team. Representing India in three Olympics, Dhyan Chand mesmerized the world audience with his audacious jugglery and leadership qualities.

At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, when India thrashed the U. S. by 24 goals to one, Dhyan Chand and his brother Roop Singh wreaked havoc in the opposition defence, each scoring eight goals. Four years later, at the Berlin Games, Dhyan Chand was again in the thick of action when India drubbed the hosts by a huge margin in the final.

Such was Dhyan Chand's virtuosity that people actually refused to believe what they have seen with their naked eyes. They broke his stick in Holland to check if there was a magnet inside and in Japan they decided it was glue.

In Vienna Sports Club, there stands a statue of Dhyan Chand with four hands and four sticks.

Dhyan Chand was conferred the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 1956. The 'National Sports Day' in India is observed on his birthday.

Adolf Hitler was very much impressed by his performance. Hitler purportedly offered to make Dhyan Chand a Field Marshal in the German army. But Chand refused to join. In the pre-Olympic matches, Chand scored 59 of India`s 175 goals and 11 of 38 in the Olympics. He continued to play till the age 42, even after World War II. In 22 matches against East Africa, he hit a total of 61 goals. In the year 1948 , Dhyan Chand took retirment from the sport. Dhyan Chand earned a diploma in coaching from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, in Punjab after the first innings of his life. But person like Dhyan Chand to whom the traits were innate, however he found it difficult to coach those things.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes

The donkey is a herbivorous animal and the smallest member of the horse family.

Ass is the correct term for the animal known as the donkey, burro, or jackstock. The young of a donkey is called a foal. A young male is a colt and a young female a filly. The correct name for a female donkey is jennet and the correct name for a male donkey is jack.

A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. A hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey.

There are three categories of donkeys. Miniatures are 36 inches and under. Standards are between 36 and 54 inches. Mammoths are over 54 inches. All measured to the shoulder.

Donkeys originated in the African Desert and are a descendant of the African Wild Ass. The African Wild Ass is one of the most endangered animals in the world.

Wild donkeys, called burros, live in desert plains, where they can survive on little food and water for long periods.

The weight of donkeys ranges up to 570 pounds. They have gray to reddish brown hair, long ears and small feet, with sharp hooves.

Donkeys are very affectionate animals and enjoy the companionship of people. Donkeys need companions or they will become very depressed.

Donkeys can live for 25 to 35 years of age. However, donkeys in third world countries seldom live over 10 years.

Jennies are pregnant for one full year and usually give birth one foal. Twins are very rare.

Donkeys are used as guard animals for goats and sheep against the threat of coyote attack. They are also used to protect cows while calving. The coyote is the only natural threat to donkeys. Donkeys therefore do not like any canines.

Donkeys can easily carry 30% of their body weight in live load and 20% in dead weight.

The donkey's favorite pastime is rolling.

Miniature donkeys (36 inches and under) are native to the Mediterranean Islands of Sicily and Sardinia. They have been extensively bred in the United States and are almost extinct in the land of their origin. The breed is called the Miniature Mediterranean Donkey.

The rare French Poitou donkey is characterized by a huge head and ears and very thick, shaggy curled black coat. The Poitou can stand 56 to 60 inches high.

George Washington owned the first donkeys born in the United States.

Spanish explorers during the 1600 brought many standard donkeys to the Americas as pack animals.

Donkey’s milk was once valued as a medicine and was given to premature babies and sick children and to people suffering from tuberculosis. Donkey’s milk contains more sugar and protein than cow’s milk and less fat.

The United States and Canada are the world's largest producers of paper and paper products . The next largest are Finland, Japan, and Sweden, who produce significant amounts of wood pulp and newsprint.

The U.S. consumption of paper and paperboard in 1999 was approximately 354 kilograms (about 800 pounds) per person.

In 1997 the total world paper and paperboard production was 299,044 metric tons. It would take about 200,000 Volkswagen Beetle cars to equal this weight.

In the last 20 years, the combined usage of today's top ten paper users has increased from 92 million tons to 208 million, which is a growth of 126%. So the use of computers is not slowing the amount paper we use.

The paper industry is the 4th largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among United States manufacturing industries, and contributes 9% of the manufacturing sector's carbon emissions.

If the United States cut office paper use by just 10% it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases -- the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road.

The coconut most likely originated somewhere around New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean, but long ago became distributed throughout the Pacific from Southeast Asia to Africa. It may have reached the Pacific coast of Central or South America before Columbus reached America, but was introduced to the Caribbean from Africa by Europeans

Falling coconuts kill 150 people every year - 10 times the number of people killed by sharks.

Coconut oil was the world's leading vegetable oil until soybean oil took over in the 1960s.

There are more than 20 billion coconuts produced each year.

Coconut juice or coconut water is the liquid inside a coconut. Coconut milk is produced by steeping grated coconut in hot water then straining; coconut cream is coconut milk cooked down until it thickens, or grated coconut steeped in hot milk instead of water.

One cup of unsweetened shredded coconut has about 25 grams fat and 280 calories.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma

A small, uninhabited town in Texas has been sold on the internet auction site, eBay, to a buyer in Italy for a little over $3m. The town, called Albert, is about 100km (62 miles) outside San Antonio and features a schoolhouse, a dancehall and a bar.

Albert, a 13-acre town about 50 miles north of San Antonio with a resident population of four, is in the Texas Hill Country. The town's current owner, Bobby Cave, said he was checking the identity of the buyer, to confirm the deal. He added he had several other serious bids should the sale fall through.

Mr Cave, 47, an estate agent, said he sold the land after three-and-a-half years as he was ready to move on to his next project. "I bought it with the intention of creating a little family camping venue where people could come out and drink and enjoy local live music," he told PA news agency.

He said the town's population consisted of himself and groundsman at weekends. The winning buyer will take over an icehouse created from the frame of the old general store, a pavilion, an 85-year-old dance hall, a tractor shed and a three-bedroom house, together with peach and pecan orchards.

Hanif Mohammed (Pakistan) batted for 16 hours and 10 minutes - nearly 3 full days - against the West Indies, scoring 337*.

Sourav Ganguly is the only cricketer to have won four successive Man of the Match awards in One-day Internationals.

The first Test match began on 15 March 1877 and had a timeless format with four balls per over. It ended on 19 March 1877 with Australia winning by 45 runs.

The first Twenty20 international was between Australia and New Zealand in 2005.

The Test match between England and South Africa at Durban in 1939 was finally abandoned as a draw on the tenth day because England players had to catch their ship home.

The First Test between Young Sri Lanka and Young England at Columbo in 1987 was held up when a large iguana crept across the wicket.

Pakistan Railways beat Dera Ismail Khan by an innings and 851 runs in 1964. In reply to the railways 910 for 6 declared, Dera Ismail Khan were bowled out 32 and 27.

Sussex batsman H.J. Heygate was given out in a match with Somerset in 1919 because he didnOt reach the crease within two minutes of the fall of the previous wicket. Poor Heygate was crippled with rheumatism

No one has completed an innings at the score of 228!

South Africans were the first to introduce TV run outs!

Graham Yallop, in 1978 was the first man to wear a helmet!

Wasim Akram is the first (an only?) man to perform a hat-trick in both one days and tests!

England and Australia played the first ever one day international at Melbourne in 1971!

Sachin Tendulkar was the first victim of the third umpire. In the Test match!

Hollywood actor Russell Crowe is Martin Crowe's cousin!

Persians first began using colored eggs to celebrate spring in 3,000 B.C. 13th century Macedonians were the first Christians on record to use colored eggs in Easter celebrations. Crusaders returning from the Middle East spread the custom of coloring eggs, and Europeans began to use them to celebrate Easter and other warm weather holidays.

An American cow called Fawn was not afraid of flying. In May 1963, she was swept up by a tornado and carried half a mile, only to land safely in another farmer's field. Five years later, another tornado carried her over a bus. She survived this too, and lived to the ripe old age of 25.

A female seahorse lets her husband store her babies inside his stomach!

Sea horses pull themselves around with their chins leading them.

Male zebras are called stallions. Zebras usually travel in herds.

No two zebras have stripes that are exactly alike.

Zebras enemies include hyenas, wild dogs, and lions.

A horse will respond to your emotions/feelings mainly because they are very sensitive animals. Example: if you are angry / frustrated the horse will be frustrated also. But if you are happy and smiling the horse should be good in your lesson or ride.

There are approximately 75,000,000 horses in the world.

It's not only zebra's fur that is striped, their skin is also striped

All racehorses in the U.S. celebrate their birthday on January 1st.

A full grown horse's intestines are approximately 89 feet long.

If a horse rests it head on your shoulder it means the horse trusts you.

When you hold your hand out to a horse and the horse comes over and blows out warm air onto the palm of your hand it normally means that the horse wants to be friends with you.

The stonefish, which lives off the coast of Australia, is the most poisonous fish in the world.

Octopuses have 3 hearts.

A goldfish can live up to 40 years.

A starfish doesn't have a brain.

Ok. That might be a slight exaggeration. I'm sure there are some dinosaur skeletons that are larger. But you have to admit... this is pretty darn big. Measuring over 55 feet long, this skeleton (made out of polystyrene and resin) was created by Algerian-born French artist Adel Abdessemed. It was last displayed at the St. Johannes Evangelist church in Berlin, Germany. Who knows where it will end up next?

1. If you are struck by lightning, your skin will be heated to 28,000 degrees Centigrade, hotter than the surface of the Sun.

2. If you trace your family tree back 25 generations, you will have 33,554,432 direct ancestors – assuming no incest was involved.

3. The average distance between the stars in the sky is 20 million miles.

4. It would take a modern spaceship 70,000 years to get to the nearest star to earth.

5. An asteroid wiped out every single dinosaur in the world, but not a single species of toad or salamander was affected. No one knows why, nor why the crocodiles and tortoises survived.

6. If you dug a well to the centre of the Earth, and dropped a brick in it, it would take 45 minutes to get to the bottom – 4,000 miles down.

7. Your body sheds 10 billion flakes of skin every day.

8. The Earth weighs 6,500 million million million tons.

9. Honey is the only food consumed by humans that doesn’t go off.

10. A donkey can sink into quicksand but a mule can’t.

Almost half the newspapers in the world are published in the United States and Canada!

Skepticisms is the longest word that alternates hands when typing!

One ragweed plant can release as many as one billion grains of pollen!

Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people!

There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building!

The sun is 330,330 times larger than the earth!

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds!

Cat urine glows under a black-light!

Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone!

The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year!

Google, the Internet search company founded in September 1998. by Larry Page & Sergey Brin, got it's name from the word Googol, which represents number 1 followed with hundred zeros after it.

Yahoo the complex internet organism has complicated name. Word "Yahoo" is shortcut for "Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle". It was coined by PhD candidates at Stanford University: David Filo and Jerry Yang.

MySpace was founded by former Friendster members Chris Dewolfe and Tom Anderson in 2003. They saw opportunity to beat Friendster with more options and less restrictions for social network users. MySpace was purchased in 2005 for $580 million by Rupert Murdoch creator of a media empire that includes 20th Century Fox and the Fox television stations. MySpace has more than 40 billion page views a month. Google paid $900 million to be MySpace's search provider. MySpace runs on Microsoft .NET Framework, operating under Windows 2003 server and applications written in C# for ASP.NET.

Facebook was originally named TheFaceBook and it was developed by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg. The first use of the FaceBook was on the Harvard campus and it was limited only to Harvard students. Soon the FaceBook spread like wild fire around the other major U.S. Universities. Mark Zuckerberg dropped the Harvard and pursued his facebook dream to become one of the 4th most-trafficked websites in the world with more than 90 million active users. The FaceBook website is built on PHP-MySQL technology and it is probably the most popular PHP website ever built. Interesting fact is that the facebook.com domain was purchased for $200,000 and FaceBook has more than 24 million photos uploaded daily.

zero was invented in India by Indian mathematicians dating as early as 5th century. They widely used it in calculations, astronomy and astrology. Zero was spread by Arabians to the Europe and there on it was spread all over. Before this, all Europeans used roman numerical which were difficult to calculate on as they were in the form of Symbols, lengthy and had limits.

The Official Olympic Flag

Created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1914, the Olympic flag contains five interconnected rings on a white background. The five rings symbolize the five significant continents and are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained from these international competitions. The rings, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world. The Olympic flag was first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games.

The 38-year-old probably has the strangest talent ever seen, but he sure drew a big crowd while he was pulling the car in Dehui, Jinli.The onlookers were astonished by the man's performance. Zhang says he started learning the stunt when he was only 8 years old. Another amazing thing this Chinese can do is pick up a 25 kg bicycle with his mouth while, of course, standing on eggs.We can't figure out what his talents are good for, but they sure are amazing.

1. What is the hottest place on Earth?

Count one wrong if you guessed Death Valley in California. True enough on many days. But El Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922 -- the hottest ever measured. In Death Valley, it got up to 134 Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913.

2. WHAT IS coldest place around here?

Far and away, the coldest temperature ever measured on Earth was -129 Fahrenheit (-89 Celsius) at Vostok, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983.

Just do it - don't cheat!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try this ..
This will blow your mind...!
Just do it - don't cheat!!!!!!! !!!!!

Try this its actually quite good. But don't cheat! Count the number of F's in the following text in 15 seconds:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS

Managed it?

Scroll down only after you have counted them! OK?






How many?


Three?



(You r definitely male!!!)


Wrong, there are six - no joke!


Read again!



FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS

The reasoning is further down... The MALE brain cannot process the word "OF". Incredible or what?

Anyone who counts all six F's on the first go has a brain of a Female You can test this by asking a Guy/Girl near you to work it out.

Gregory Dunham (USA) has constructed a rideable motorcycle that is 3.429 m (11 ft 3 in) tall to the top of handlebars, 6.187 m (20 ft 4 in) long and weighs 2.948 tonnes (6,500 lb). It is powered by a 8.2 litre (502 cu in) V8 engine and has tyres that are 1.88 m (74 in) tall.