Facts About All: January 2010

12 interesting facts about Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle has been dubbed "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell."
Although highly predicted to win, Susan actually finished in 2nd place on the third series of Britain's Got Talent behind the dance group Diversity.
Susan's first album became "Amazon.com's" best-selling album in pre-sales shortly after it became available, beating out artist Whitney Houston.
Susan Boyle is the youngest out of her four brothers and six sisters.
Susan has been singing since age five. She found solace through singing when her fellow peers would make fun of her because of her learning disability.
Growing up Susan Boyle took voice lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil.
Susan Boyle suffered from oxygen deprivation at birth, which later on resulted in her having a learning disability.

Megan Fox was voted #1 sexiest woman by FHM readers for 2008.
Names Shia LaBeouf as one of her favorite people ever.
Is friends with Jennifer Blanc, Kellan Rhude, Amanda Seyfried, and Michael Biehn.
In November 2008 Megan Fox joined Scarlett Johansson, Jared Leto and Christina Ricci, among others, in featuring in a line of celebrity trading cards, with sale proceeds going to charities selected by the stars.
Was ranked #1 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25'(2008).
Megan Fox used to date actor David Gallagher.
Megan's ribcage tattoo is a sentence that reads: "there once was a little girl who never knew love until a boy broke her HEART".

Early rackets were often pieces of parchment stretched upon a frame, and the sound generated in play gave the game its first nicknames of “wiff-waff” and “Ping-pong”.
The game originated as a sport in England during the Victorian era, where it was played amongst the upper-class as an after dinner entertainment activity, commonly known then as “wiff-waff”.
The ball used in table tennis has a diameter of 40 mm (formerly 38 mm), is made of celluloid, and is hollow.
The game is played on a 9 ft × 5 ft × 30 inches high table.
Since 1988, table tennis has been an Olympic sport.
The winner is the first to score 11 points or more while being ahead by 2 points or more.
A man in Hawaii has invented a three-player table for table tennis, calling it Tri-Pong.
More than 30 table tennis companies exist around the world, making a full line of accessories from rackets to warm-up suits.

12 facts Colorado National Monument

The area, where Colorado National Monument is established was initially explored by John Otto in early 20th century.
The Colorado National Monument was established on May 24, 1911.
The monument records an annual average of less than 12 inches of rain.
The Monument comprises of as many as 14 hiking trails with varying lengths and difficulties to favor different kind of tastes.
The monument spreads over an area of 20,500 acres (32 square miles).
Its main attraction is Monument Canyon, which runs across the width of the park and includes rock formations such as Independence Monument, the Kissing Couple, and Coke Ovens.

The Bald Eagle is the national bird and the symbol of USA.
Bald eagles are reputed to be fierce and powerful birds of prey, just like all raptors such as the hawks, falcons, vultures and owls. Physically, they are identified from their characteristic white head and white tail against the backdrop of their deep chocolate-colored body.
It is bird of prey found mainly in North America and its habitat range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico.
Bald eagles, just like other eagles, have great eye sight that helps them to see till a distance of one to one and a half miles. They can dive at 100 miles per hour. Their eyesight and the ability to dive help them to catch their prey. They are also known to sometimes terribly scare the other small birds.

Tokyo is the seat of the Japanese government, home of the Emperor of Japan and is the capital of the country.
Tokyo, capital of Japan, is one of the world’s biggest and most overcrowded cities. Men known as ‘pushers’ are employed to pack people onto the city’s trains.
You can buy batteries, beer, wine, condoms, cigarettes, comic books, hot dogs, light bulbs, and used women’s underwear from vending machines.
The name ‘Tokyo’ literally translates to ‘Eastern Capital’.
Earlier, Tokyo was a small fishing village named ‘Edo’, meaning estuary. Later, when it became the imperial capital of Japan, in 1868, its name was changed to Tokyo.
McDonalds employees will run outside to give you your drive-thru order.
Japan has about 1,500 earthquakes each year.
You may already know that you don’t wear shoes in the house, you wear slippers, but did you also know that there are special slippers designed to be worn when visiting the toilet? There are also special ‘corridor’ slippers.
The Japanese visit shrines and give eachother money for New Year’s.
Tokyo has so many people, that in the summer a giant heat bubble forms over the city that increases the average temperature by 10 degrees.
In Japan, flower arranging is an art.
The new generation of Japanese people are not as short as Westerners think.

18 interesting facts about Eric Bana

Eric Bana raised $380,000 for Community Aid Abroad in a Comic Relief special on The Eric Bana Show Live.
Eric Bana, along with his co-driver, Tony Ramunno, crashed his 1974 Ford XB Coupe into a bank while competing in the Targa Tasmania rally on April 19, 2007.
Before Eric Bana was cast as Bruce Banner in The Hulk, Eric was also considered to play the lead in Daredevil and Ghost Rider.
Eric Bana has less than eight cars. He won't reveal the exact number because he doesn't want his wife to know.
Eric Bana was caught by a cop at a gas station taking a shower under a water pipe in only underwear when he was 21.
Eric Bana trained at Fort Bragg in preparation for the 2001 film Black Hawk Down.

Lisa Marie Presley was born on February 1st, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee to Elvis and Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. She is the only child that the couple shared.
Lisa teamed up with David Bowie and other celebrities at the 'Fashion Rocks' benefit concert to aid the Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005.
In March 2008 it was revealed that Lisa Marie Presley was suing Britain's Daily Mail newspaper after it printed comments that she was 'piling on the pounds'. Lisa Maries claims that due to the reports, she was forced to reveal she was pregnant.
Lisa Marie Presley and her mother attended the opening of Scientology's controversial: 'Psychiatry: An Industry Of Death' museum. The museum pitches the conspiracy t heory connecting Adolph Hitler to the psychiatric profession.
Lisa served as the Grand Marshall of the NASCAR Busch Series Sams Town250, in October 2005.

William Henry Gates was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington.
The US national debt is about 5.62 trillion, if Bill Gates were to pay the debt by himself; he will finish it in less then 10 years.
His SAT score was 1590. The top score for the test is 1600.
He can donate US$15 to everyone on Earth but still be left with US $5 Million for his pocket money.
By the age of 17, Gates had sold his first computer program, a time-tabling system for his high school, for $4,200.
Michael Jordan is the highest paid athlete in US. If he doesn’t drink and eat, and keeps up his annual income i.e. US$30 Million, he’ll have to wait for 277 years to become as rich as Bill Gates is now.

A flamingo’s eye is larger than its brain.
Flamingos are pinkish in color due to the intake of carotene present in the food that they eat.
The legs of an adult flamingo are longer than its body.
They eat with their head upside down, thus helping them to suck water and food in with the front of their bill.
They are omnivorous and can filter as many as 20 beakfuls of algae-rich water in a second.
A vibrantly colored flamingo is considered to be well-fed and healthy while a white or pale flamingo is usually unhealthy or malnourished.
Young flamingos hatch with a grey plumage while the adults range from light pink to bright red.

Americans spend almost $1 billion on petrol every 24 hours
Gasoline helps power the American dream, giving us the freedom to travel where we want and when we want -- for work, for school or for recreation. A steady supply of clean-burning gasoline is central to our nation's economy.
In Venezuela, fuel costs $0.02. Thats right, 2 cents
Seventy percent of the nation's goods are transported in diesel-powered vehicles, helping to make it America's primary commercial fuel.
The highest fuel tax in the world is in the UK - a whooping 188%.
Many Americans rely on safe, efficient and clean burning natural gas to heat and cool their homes. Natural fuels many manufacturing and electricity generation plants, and is a key ingredient in products that we use every day.
The highest fuel price is in the Netherlands. They have a 158% fuel tax making it $2.56 a litre.
8.5 million American households, mostly in the Northeastern states, rely on heating oil to keep warm in winter.
In Iran, when fuel prices went up to 15 cents a litre, a lynch mob went across Tehran torching gas stations.
To help meet projected U.S. energy demand growth, the oil and gas companies invested $121.3 billion from 2000 through 2007 on emerging energy technologies in the North American Market.

10 interesting facts about novels

The first novel, called The story of Genji, was written in 1007 by Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu.
The word “novel” originally derived from the Latin novus, meaning “new.”
The first novel sold through a vending machine - at the Paris Metro - was Murder on the Orient Express.
The rise of the “novel” as the major alternative to the antiquated “romance” began with the publication of Cervantes Novelas Exemplares (1613).
Ernest Vincent Wright’s 1939 novel Gadsby has 50,110 words, none of which contains the letter “e.”
Barbara Cartland completed a novel every two weeks, publishing 723 novels.
Almost half of all the paperback books printed and distributed for the North American market are romance novels of various types.
Romance novels begin with a couple who is not currently in a romantic relationship and present an obstacle that works to keep the couple apart before they finally fall in love.
The most common misconception of the romance novel is that the stories are old fashioned and that the female characters are all virgins.
Romance novels come in hundreds of different themes, including Christian, vampires, cowboys, historical, contemporary, futuristic, medical, single parents and many more.

20 facts about Claudia Schiffer

Claudia Schiffer didn't get her ears pierced until 2006, when she had them done especially for the photoshoot for her Accessorize advertising campaign.
Since Claudia Schiffer got her ears pierced, her favorite earrings have been some small diamond studs her husband gave her as a gift, although she also likes wearing big gold hoops.
Claudia Schiffer has one sister and two brothers.
Claudia's early ambition was to follow in her father's footsteps and become a lawyer.
Claudia Schiffer has appeared on over 900 magazine covers, giving her the record for the supermodel with the most magazine covers.
Claudia had a cameo appearance in the film Love Actually.
Claudia Schiffer is a fan of Prada clothing.

Lindsay Lohan was born on July 2, 1986 in New York City. She has three siblings: Dakota, Michael and Ali.
Lindsay has fought off rumors of anorexia, and is currently wanting to make a documentary on eating disorders to help young girls realize that it isn't at all the glamorous disease Hollywood makes it look like.
Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina was a Rockette. Her father, Michael, worked on Wall Street and later started a successful pasta business, which he eventually sold.
Avid watchers of "Late Night with David Letterman probably saw her without knowing it. At the age of seven, she appeared as garbage in a skit entitled "things you find on the bottom of the subway".
Lindsay's career began at a very early age - she was modeling as young as three years old. She once modeled for Calvin Klein Kids and Abercrombie and Fitch Kids.
Lindsay Lohan was the youngest host of the MTV Movie Awards, and the first host to win an award.

In 1626, the Dutch purchased Manhattan Island from the Lenape Native Americans for 60 guilders (about $1000).
In the 1660s New York City's “skyline” was dominated by a two-story-high windmill.
The English conquered the city from the Dutch in 1664, and “New Amsterdam” became “New York.”
When the Dutch still controlled the region, Wall Street was the city limit and there was actually a wall there.
In 1698, New York City only had a population of 4,937 people.
New York City served as the capital of the United States in the 1780s before it was moved to Philadelphia and then Washington D.C.
George Washington, the first President of the United States, was inaugurated in New York in 1789 at the site of Federal Hall.

Even a drop of marbled cone snail’s venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 people.
It is also known as “cigarette snail”, which means that most of the time, a person stung by a cone snail has only time to smoke a cigarette before dying.
The venom is so dangerous that it can cause intense pain, tingling, numbness and swelling. It can affect a person’s hearing, vision and speech.
Diet: Marine worms, small fish, mollusks and other cone snails.
The snail traps its prey in a very unique way. It shoots out a toxic harpoon and reels in its prey - a passing fish, whenever it locates the same. The venom paralyzes its victim, which allows the snail to feast at its leisure.

Leonardo DiCaprio was chosen as one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive 2007.
Leo's childhood pet was a rottweiler named Rocky. He also has a bearded lizard named Blizzard.
Leonardo's parents are Irmelin (German American) and George DiCaprio (Italian American). They got divorced when Leo was two years old.
In March 2007, Leonardo DiCaprio was dating the 21-year-old Israeli model, Bar Refaeli.
In 1998, he donated a room full of computers and equipment to the new Los Feliz Library, built on the site of his childhood home.
Before DiCaprio signed on to star in James Cameron's Titanic, he admitted that he was hesitant at first since this wasn't the kind of film he had told himself he wanted to make.
His performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 at the age of 19.
DiCaprio received the Environmental Leadership Award from Global Green USA.
DiCaprio created a spoken word piece entitled Global Warning. It's about Global Warming and Climate Change.
In 2005, Leonardo purchased a 104-acre island off the coast of Belize.
Leonardo DiCaprio received a 2007 Oscar Nomination for Best Actor for his role in Blood Diamond.
Leonardo DiCaprio likes to play basketball, hockey, football, rollerblade, and go surfing.
Leonardo's past girlfriends include: Bijou Phillips, Bridget Hall, Alicia Silverstone, Liv Tyler and Kristen Zang.
Leonardo DiCaprio dated supermodel Gisele Bundchen, from 2002 through 2005.
Leonardo and Gisele were named 'The Most Beautiful Couple In The World' by People magazine in 2004.
DiCaprio is very good friends with actress Kate Winslet and actors Mark Wahlberg, Lucas Haas and Kevin Connolly.
Leonardo DiCaprio speaks fluent German.
Leornado's nicknames are Leo and Lenny D.
Leonardo DiCaprio was about 21 when they were filming Titanic.
Leonardo's first on-screen kiss was with Claire Danes.
As a child, Leonardo DiCaprio was friends with actors Tobey Maguire and late Christopher Pettiet.
Leonardo's father was a comic book dealer.
Leonardo DiCaprio almost died in a skydiving accident.
Leonardo DiCaprio was screen tested for the part of Robin in Batman Forever.
Leonardo is 5' 11" (1.80 m) tall and weighs 140 lbs (83 kg).

10 interesting facts about wasps

Just like many other species of insects, wasp is known to be a social animal. As many as 10,000 wasps are believed to inhabit one nest. The queen wasp, who is the only breeding female, builds the nest using a papery substance made of chewed wood and plants.
The wasp is known for its poisonous sting, which can be very painful. Wasp stings can also be fatal as some people are allergic to them. The stung area can swell and form a lump that takes a few days to soothe.
Almost every species of insects contains a wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it. This natural boicontrol of insect species through wasps makes them critically important in natural control of their population.
An interesting thing about wasps is that when these insects die, they release a smell (called a pheromone). This smell warns the other wasps of the lurking danger and is an indicator that help is needed.
Diet: Nectar, Insects, Caterpillars, Fruits.

Over 40 million Americans have "chronic halitosis", bad breath that never quite goes away.
Morning breath is caused by millions of bacteria in your mouth feeding off dead cells.
An estimated sixty-five percent of Americans are estimated to have bad breath.
More than a billion dollars a year is spent on over the counter halitosis products that often merely mask bad breath odors.
Ninety percent of all halitosis is of oral, not systemic, origin.
Phsiological Halitosis or Oral Malodor is generally caused by volatile sulfur compounds. It responds to treatment with Zytex, a combination of zinc chloride, thymol and eucalyptus oil. It neutralizes the sulfur compounds and kills the bacteria that causes them.

9 interesting facts about Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Herons are identified with their red-brown thighs and a paired red-brown and white stripe up the flanks. The neck of these herons is rusty-gray in color, with black and white streaks running down the front. They have a nearly white face and the head is paler.
Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird belonging to the Ardeidae family, which includes herons, egrets, and bitterns.
This Heron species can be seen searching for food anytime during the day, when there is enough light. They eat a wide variety of prey, other than fish, such as frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, insects, rodents, and small birds. The Great Blue Heron is capable of swallowing a fish many times wider than its narrow neck.
It is common to find these herons near the shores of open water and in the wetlands spread over most of North and Central America. They are also found in the West Indies and the Galapogos Islands.

Zoe Saldana was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, Beauty at Every Age secion, for age 28, in May 2007.
Zoe Saldana is 5' 7" (1.70 m) tall.
Her favorite directors are Mira Nair, Alfonso Cuaron, and Pedro Almodovar.
Zoe Saldana admires John C. Reilly, Charlize Theron, also Cate Blanchett.
Zoe Saldana appeared in the article Short Cuts of Vogue Magazine in June 2000 her photos were taken by Steven Meisel.
Zoe's first languages are English and Spanish.
In 2003 Zoe was nominated for the MTV Movie Awards: Best Kiss for the movie Drumline shared with Nick Cannon.

Lady Gaga is well-recognized for her outré sense of style as a recording artist, in fashion, in performance and in her music videos.
Lady Gaga designs and makes many of her stage outfits.
Lady Gaga is the first artist to gain over one billion viral views on YouTube.
Her song, Poker Face, quickly became a top three hit in Sweden and a #1 hit in New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Poker Face is her second #1 single, following Just Dance.
Birth name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.
She was born in New York City on March 28, 1986.
Parents: Cinthia and Joseph Germanotta.
Her album, The Fame, has gone Platinum in Australia.
Lady Gaga is ranked #100 in 100 Hottest Blondes of AIM.
Lady Gaga admits to almost getting arrested at a concert because she was under dressed. She wore really tiny shorts.
Lady Gaga's current fashion icons include Donatella Versace, Sharon Stone, Casino and Grace Jones.
Lady Gaga joined the Pussycat Dolls in May, 2009 for an Australian tour.
Her astrological sign: Aries.
She learned to play the piano at the age of 4 and by the age of 13, she had written her first piano ballad.
Lady Gaga was teased for her quirky, eccentric style by her Convent of the Sacred Heart School classmates.
Height: 5' 1"(1.55 m)
Lady Gaga is credited for writing all the songs on her album, The Fame.
She got the name, Lady Gaga, from Queen's song Radio Gaga.
Lady Gaga came out as a bisexual in 2008.
She was raised a Roman Catholic.
Lady Gaga considers Donatella Versace her muse.
She has a vocal range of a contralto.

LADY GAGA - SOME QUOTES

"Prejudice is a disease. So is fashion. But I will not wear prejudice."

"In my show I announce, ‘People say Lady Gaga is a lie, and they are right. I am a lie. And every day I kill to make it true’."

"I’d rather people love me or hate me than have no opinion of me. Indifference is scary."

"I've gone bankrupt about four times now. Every dollar I earn goes on the show."

"Creativity for me is religious."

"It's always wrong to hate, but it's never wrong to love."

10 interesting facts about rain

Rain drops can fall at speeds of about 22 miles an hour.
The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the hot sun.
Bergen in Norway is one of the more famous European rain-cities with its yearly precipitation of 2250 mm (88 in) on average.
Louisiana is the wettest state in the U.S, which receved an annual rainfall of 56 inches.
Precipitation with low pH levels, or acid rain, is also a frequent risk produced by lightning.
Mt. Waialeale in Kauai, Hawaii, has up to 350 rainy days every year.
Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world.
The statue of Liberty is “melting” (and turning green) due to acid rain as it is made out of copper. The acid dissolves the copper and discolors it.
The biggest raindrops on Earth were recorded over Brazil and the Marshall Islands in 2004 — some of them were as large as 10 mm.
Rain is also known or suspected on other worlds. On Venus, sulfuric acid virga evaporates 25 km from the surface.

12 interesting facts about coyotes

Coyotes are found in most of North America, except the cold Arctic tundra. Coyotes can adapt to most climates quite well.
Coyotes are a member of the dog family. Their scientific name is “Canis latrans“, it means “barking dog.
They have 42 teeth in a strong jaw, which are perfect for holding and biting prey
Coyotes typically grow up to 75–87 centimeters (30–34 inches)in length and on average, weigh from 7–21 kilograms (15–46 pounds) .
The coyote can run at almost 40 mph and can get over a 8′ fence.
These adaptable animals will eat almost anything. They hunt rabbits, rodents, fish, frogs, and even deer.

The beetle body is comprised of three sections all of which are coated in the hard outer shell, namely, the head, the thorax and the abdomen.
40% of the recognized insects are classified as beetles.
Beetles are the largest order of insects in the world with more than 350,000 species.
Goliath beetle from Africa is the heaviest insect in the world weighing up to 100 grams.
Scientists estimate the real number of beetle species to be between 4 million and 8 million.
The largest of the beetle family is the scarab beetle family with more than 20,000 species. It can support 850 times its own weight.
The lightest beetle is the feather-winged beetle weighing 0.4 milligrams.

Lobster can have many different colors, including blue-green, blue, red, yellow, red-orange and white.
The heaviest crustacean ever found was a lobster weighing 42 lb (19 kg), caught in 1934.
Lobsters usually move around and hunt for food at night.Researchers have discovered that lobsters catch mainly fresh food which includes fish, crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins, and sometimes even other lobsters,
A lobster has 19 body parts and each of them is covered by a section of its tough shell.
A young, immature lobster (first 5-7 years) will molt about 25 times a year.
Lobster blood is a clear fluid. When the animal is boiled, the blood turns to an opaque whitish gel. It has no discernible flavor and is perfectly safe to eat.

There are 10 basic clouds classified according to their height and appearance.
The biggest clouds are cumulonimbus, climbing up to 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) high and holding up to half a million tons of water.
The essentials of the modern nomenclature system for clouds were proposed by Luke Howard, a British manufacturing chemist and an amateur meteorologist with broad interests in science.
Clouds are formed of water that has evaporated from rivers, lakes, oceans …..
The planet Saturn has some clouds composed of droplets of liquid methane.
Clouds develop vertically or horizontally.

Harry’s middle name is James, Hermione’s is Jane and Ron’s is unfortunately, Bilius.
Hermione’s cat Crookshanks is no ordinary cat as he is half-kneazle. Kneazles are intelligent cat-like creatures who can sniff out suspicious characters and if a kneazle takes a liking to a witch or wizard, they make for excellent pets.
Harry Potter, JK Rowling and the actor Daniel Radcliffe all share the same birthday – July 31st
Hagrid is said to be twice the height of a human but in the films he is mentioned to be 8 feet 6 inches.
Dementors don’t breed. They grow where there’s decay, like fungus.
Members of the Order of the Phoenix are the only wizards who know how to communicate using their patronuses. A wizard’s patronus is the individual’s unique spirit guardian and is effective in use against the dark arts.

Astronauts grow taller (height) in space.
The first woman in space was a Russian called Valentina Tereshkova.
You have to be at least 58.5 inches tall to be an astronaut
Astronaut Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon with his left foot
The Apollo astronauts were not given life insurance before their flights
Armstrong’s quote “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” was said 6 1/2 hours after landing. Armstrong claimed he said “a man” which was inaudible due to static
Neil Armstrong almost died during a training exercise while controlling the landing module

A single lightning bolt is about 50,000°F or 5 times hotter than the surface of the Sun
Lightning bolts travel at speeds of up to 60,000 miles per second.
The maximum distance you can hear thunder is as short as two miles and seldom exceeds twelve miles.
About 71.4286% of all people struck by lightning still survive.
Talking on the telephone is the leading cause of lightning injuries inside the home.
The energy contained in a single lightning stroke can power a 100 Watt light bulb for 90 days.
Lightning has hit the Empire State Building as often as twelve times in twenty minutes and as frequently as five hundred times a year.

12 interesting facts about Komodo Dragon

Komodo dragons are the largest breed of lizards existing in the world today.
Its exceptional size is attributed to its low metabolic rate and also to the fact that there are no other carnivorous species in its habitat to fill its role and place on the islands.
The very existence of this breed of animal was unknown to mankind until about 100 years ago.
The average being 6 feet, Komodo are known to grow to an amazing 10 feet.
They have got a very strong sense of smell and use flickering movements of their tongue to catch the scent of their prey.
Diurnal in nature, these animals typically likes to hunt during the day-time.
They have a very unique way of killing its prey as they swallow their entire catch. Komodo are also known to swallow a whole pig.

There are at least 2 solar eclipses per year somewhere on Earth. The most times a solar eclipse can occur during a year is five.
It is safe to observe the total phase of a solar eclipse directly with the unaided eye, binoculars or a telescope, only when the Sun's photosphere is completely covered by the Moon. During this period the Sun is too dim to be seen through filters. The Sun's faint corona will be visible, and the chromosphere, solar prominences, and possibly even a solar flare may be seen. However, viewing the Sun after totality can be dangerous.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is fully or partially covered.
A total solar eclipse can only happen if the Moon covers more than 90% of the Sun.
The longest duration of a solar eclipse is about 7.5 minutes. The maximum time a lunar eclipse can last is about 3.5 hours.
Lunar eclipses are visible over an entire hemisphere. Solar eclipses, on the other hand, are visible only in a narrow patch of land about 167 miles wide.

Within the core of the Sun, the temperature (15,000,000 K) and pressure (340 billion times Earth's air pressure at sea level) of it is so intense that nuclear reactions actually take place.
The Sun revolves around our galaxy (the Milky Way) every 225 – 250 million years (a galactic year).
Containing more than 99.8% of the total mass of the Solar System, the Sun is by far the largest object in the Solar System.
The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at a distance of approximately 26,000 light-years from the center of the galaxy.
109 Earths would be required to even fit across the Sun's disk, and the Sun's interior could hold over 1.3 million Earths.
The Sun is not a solid body, as many people think. It has different regions, which rotate at different speeds. The equator region completes a rotation in about 27 days, but the polar regions take about 30 days.
The Sun's energy output, produced by these nuclear fusion reactions, is approximately 3.86e33 ergs/second or 386 billion billion megawatts.
The Sun is just another of billions of stars out there. Despite its huge size, it’s tiny: there are many other stars out there that are hundreds of times as large as the Sun.
The process that takes this energy to the surface of the sun following complex stages is called convection.
As the Sun grows older, it gets brighter and hotter. Over the next few billion years, the Sun will heat up so much that all the heat will burn away life on Earth. But that’s only going to happen after a few billion years.
This energy, released as heat as well as light, takes a million years to reach the surface.
The Sun is very wide. It has a diameter of about 1.4 million kilometers. To put that in perspective: the Earth has a diameter of about 13 thousand kilometers. It would take more than a 100 Earths to span the entire width of the Sun!
The Sun also emits low density streams of particles, also known as the solar wind. These winds blow through the solar system at 450 km/sec and consist mostly of electrons and protons.
The Sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth. Light from the Sun takes just over 8 minutes to arrive at Earth. It’s interesting to note, therefore, that if the Sun suddenly stopped shining altogether, it would take us about 8 minutes to realize that.
The Sun consists of the core, photosphere, chromosphere and corona, each with differing temperatures and components.
Existing for about 4 and a half billion years, it has burnt up about half of the hydrogen in its core. This leaves the Sun's life expectancy to 5 billion more years, at which time, the Sun's elements will "swell" up, swallow Earth, and eventually die off into a small white dwarf.
The Sun has structure. It is not simply a huge ball of fire. The surface of the sun is called the photosphere, and is dense with gases. Under the photosphere lies the convective zone, where heat moves to the surface (thus the name : convective), and cooler material falls back down. This layer makes up roughly 70% of the Sun’s radius. Now that’s big. Then comes the radiative zone, where heat is radiated up towards the surface. Then comes the core, where temperatures can easily be around 15,000,000 °C. This is where hydrogen and helium molecules are fused together, to create the light we see.
The Sun makes up about 99.8% of the weight of our entire solar system. Its mass is about 2 x 1027 tonnes, and is more than 300,000 times heavier than the Earth.

9 interesting facts about Asteroids

Asteroids can contain water, iron, silicates, and some heavy metals - like gold, lead, and uranium.
The largest asteroid is Ceres, is about the size of Texas.
Even if there are 1000 times more asteroids than we know of today, then on average each asteroid would have over one million km2 to itself.
The vast majority of asteroids are grouped in the asteroid belt.
Due to a relatively unknown NASA directive, 23% of all asteroids are named ‘Steve’.
The best estimate is that there are 1,500-2,000 asteroids one and one-half mile in diameter or larger.
The distinction between asteroids and comets is fuzzy—comets tend to have more chemical compounds that vaporize when heated, such as water, and more elliptical (egg-shaped) orbits than asteroids do.
Most asteroids are covered in dust. This dust is called regolith.
A group of asteroids orbit the sun called Near-Earth Asteroids because they are somewhat close to the Earth and occasionally may cross Earth’s orbit.

20 interesting facts about plants

Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
84% of a raw apple and 96% of a raw cucumber is water.
A notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.
Peanuts are beans.
Rice paper isn’t made from rice but from a small tree which grows in Taiwan.
Arrowroot, an antidote for poisoned arrows, is used as a thickener in cooking (so if you ever get shot with a poison arrow, do not go to a doctor, look in your kitchen cabinet.
A pineapple is a berry.

One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles.
The tallest living tree stands at 112 meters (367 feet, 6 in.), or five stories higher than the Statue of Liberty. It is a Mendocino Tree, a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) found at Montgomery State Reserve near Ukiah, California, USA.
Bamboo, although often tree like, is actually not a species of tree.
Found in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in California, the oldest tree recognized is a Redwood known as Eternal God. The tree is believed to be 12,000 years old, although it is argued as being only 7,000 years old, which still makes it the oldest.
Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
According to the last forest inventory, there are almost 247 billion trees over 1 inch in diameter in the U.S.
General Sherman is the name of a Giant Sequoia with a height of 275 feet (83.8 metres). In 1879, it was named after American Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman, by naturalist James Wolverton, who had served as a lieutenant in the 9th Indiana Cavalry under Sherman.

18 interesting facts about Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten Dunst was replaced as the Miu Miu model by Vanessa Paradis, partner of Johnny Depp. Rumors exist that Kirsten's stint in Utah's Cirque Lodge rehabilitation clinic was the reason for their decision.
As of 2008, Kirsten Dunst resides in Los Angeles and remains single.
In the year 2007, Kirsten Dunst won the Female Star of the Year Award at the ShoWest.
A pair of jeans that Kirtsten sold to charity were auctioned up to $1,000.
Kirsten is a natural blonde and has blue eyes.
Kirsten Dunst was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in Interview With the Vampire.
Kirsten Dunst had to dye her hair red for the Spider-Man movies. She wore a red wig in Spider-Man 2.

The earth’s average surface temperature has increased by about 0.7° C during the last century.
In the prior inter-glacial period about 125,000 years ago, there was no summer ice at the North Pole and the sea level was 15 feet (5m) higher than today.
The average global temperature, according to the International climate scientists banded together in the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will rise by three to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the and of this century.
The average sea level globally rose between 0.1 and 0.2 metres during the 20th century.
By 2020 between 75 and 250 million people in Africa will be facing increased water shortages.
Eleven of the last 12 years rank among the 12 warmest years on record.
Over the last 50 years, human activities - particularly the burning of fossil fuels - have released sufficient quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to affect the global climate.

18 interesting facts about Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian was nominated for a 2009 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress in the film, Disaster Movie.
Kim Kardashian used to be Paris Hilton's best friend.
Kim appeared in A Cursive Memory's music video, "Everything" in 2008.
Kim's favorite movies include Clueless and The Notebook.
Kim Kardashian believes in Christianity.
Kim does not drink alcoholic drinks.
Kim Kardashian admits that the hardest celebrity closet to organize was Paris Hilton because she had so many clothes that she had to convert a bedroom into a closet.
In 2008, Kim made #3 on the E! list of the best beach bodies.

Tulip bulbs can be used in place of onions for cooking.
Wild tulips come from the Caucaus montains and throughout Turkey. The ones in Holland are because of the economics of gardening.
The Daisy flowers open at dawn and are visited by many small insects.
The rose is the best-known symbol of beauty and love. Red roses mean I love you. A dozen of them make the ultimate statement on Valentine's Day. A single rose signifies simplicity.
The spice saffron comes from a certain type of crocus.
Women prefer pastel colored roses, men on the other hand prefer red.
The bluebonnet became the Texas state flower in 1901. In 1971, the state legislature, named all lupine species as the official state flower.
Lilies produce large quantities of pollen. To remove pollen from clothes lightly brush off the pollen with a toothbrush; this will prevent staining.
In 1986 Congress voted to make the rose America's national flower.
The creamy-white bloom of the magnolia tree was designated the state flower of Louisiana in 1900 because of the abundance of trees throughout the state.
Pink and White Lady Slipper (cypripedium reginae) is the State flower of Minnesota. Illegal to pick in the state, the pink and white lady slipper is one of Minnesota's rarest wildflowers. They can take up to 16 years to produce their first flower, and sometimes live for 50 years.
Americans bought more than 1.2 BILLION fresh cut roses in the year 1996. That's 4.67 roses for every man, woman, and child nationwide.
California is the source for nearly 60% of all USA-grown fresh cut flowers.
The first recorded plant collectors were the soldiers in the army of Thothmes III, Pharaoh of Egypt, 3500 years ago. In the Temple of Karnak these soldiers are shown bringing back 300 plants as booty from Syria.
The number of Begonia hybrids is estimated between 1000 and 2000. Within this enormous family there are plants which are tiny enough to grow in an egg shell and others which can cover a greenhouse wall.
The cactus family is divided into more than 100 genera. For simplicity North American cacti are placed into five groups: the prickly pears, the saguaro cactus group, the hedgehog cacti, the barrel cacti, and the pin-cushion and fishhook cacti.
In 1890 Luther Burbank crossed oxeye field daisy and Japanese daisy to produce perhaps the quintessential chrysanthemum - The Shasta Daisy.
The rose of Great Britain was the symbol of the Royal Family. As time passed, it became the national flower.
Germany's national flower, centaurea is related with the emperor of old Germany. It has been called the "Emperor's flower".
Egypt is known as the starting place of the ancient civilizations. "A water lily" has been Egypt's national flower for about 4000 years. It can be seen anywhere on the river Nile, especially the "blue water lily".
The Titan Arum is not only the world's largest flower it is also the world's smelliest. This native of the central Sumatran rainforests is known affectionately as the Corpse Flower for its heady perfume of rotting flesh. It is 3 metres high.
There are more than 15,000 different types of rose species and cultivated varieties worldwide.
A bouquet of a dozen Wolffia blooms would comfortably fit on the head of a pin. This very minute flowering plant is native to Australia and Malaysia. The plant body is 0.6-0.9 mm long and only 0.2-0.5 mm wide. Not only is it one of the smallest flowering plants on earth, but it also produces one of the smallest fruits.
In 2002 scientists in north-east China discovered a fossilised flower that blossomed about 125 million years ago. Called "the mother of all flowers", Archaefructus sinensis resembles the modern water lily.
The daisy (Bellis Perennis) has a long history of being used as a medicinal herb, but is now much ignored. It is also used in homeopathy, where it is known as the ‘gardener’s friend’ as it is so good at treating bruises and sore backs.

10 facts about the inland taipan

The Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is regarded as one of the most venomous snakes in the world having the most potent venom of any terrestrial land snake.
Very shy and cautious, the Inland Taipan is known to avoid any kind of trouble and strikes only when it feels threatened.
The neurotoxins present in the venom of the animal are 50 times more reactive than that of cobra and can kill an adult human being in just about 45 minutes.
The taipan has a round-snouted head and this portion is usually darker than the rest of the body.
It is estimated that the snake can kill up to 250,000 mice with a single bite.
Usually the Inland Taipan lays eggs in deep dark crevices or abandoned animal burrows.

Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer and not an architect, was the designer of the castle.
The towers and spires of Neuschwanstein Castle are reminiscent of the castles of medieval times.
Public photography is not permitted inside the periphery of Neuschwanstein Castle. However, it is still the most photographed building in Germany.
The foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle was laid down on 5th September 1869.
It is estimated that around 1.3 million people visit the caste annually, with the number of summer visitors being as high as 6,000 per day.
The castle is under the ownership of the state of Bavaria, which has spent more than €14.5 million on its maintenance, renovation and visitor services, since 1990.
Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park.

Kiefer Sutherland used to be engaged to Julia Roberts. The wedding was called off three days before the decided date when Julia ran off to Europe with Jason Patric, Kiefer's co-star from The Lost Boys. In April 2007, Kiefer publicly stated that he forgives Roberts saying they were both "young and silly." He also added that he has yet to forgive Patric saying "We were friends. I never got a call."
When Kiefer Sutherland appeared on Inside the Actors Studio in 2005, he was the first guest to be a child of a former guest. His father, Donald Sutherland, appeared on the show in 1998.
Kiefer Sutherland is in the 1990 movie Flatliners. Julia Roberts is also in the movie. This was how they first got to know each other.
In 2006, Michelle, Kiefer's stepdaughter from his marriage to Camilia Kath, gave birth to a son, making Kiefer a grandfather at the age of 40.
In 2006 Kiefer Sutherland was named the fourth most powerful Canadian living in America by "Canadian Business Magazine".
In 2007 Kiefer was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his role in 24.
Kiefer Sutherland was fired as band manager for Rocco Deluca & The Burden. His experience as a band manager was documented in the movie, I Trust You To Kill Me.

In 2007 Giovanni Ribisi was nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in My Name Is Earl.
Giovanni was nominated for a SAG award in 1999 for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture for the film Saving Private Ryan.
The live action part of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), in which Giovanni Ribisi played sidekick to Jude Law's lead, was filmed totally in a blue room; all of the CGI and other effects were put in later.
For his lead role in Heaven (2002), Giovanni Ribisi had to learn to speak Italian with a perfect accent, in just twelve days.
Giovanni Ribisi is of Italian, Irish, and German descent.
Giovanni Ribisi is a Scientologist.
Giovanni Ribisi enjoys playing the guitar.

Normally, the potency of the venom of a scorpion depends on its pincer. The scorpions with strong, large pincers have no requirement for powerful toxins; while those with small, weak ones need to have strong poison to suppress their prey.
Death Stalker Scorpion is a very poisonous species and its sting is regarded as highly dangerous.
The females Death Stalkers are larger in size, than the males. This helps them accomplish their reproductive tasks.
A very easy way to identify and distinguish the Death stalker is from its thin cauda or tail and its thin claws or pedipalps.
The poison secreted by the animal contains a strong mixture of some neurotoxins that can cause intense and unbearable pain. This further leads to fever, coma, convulsions, paralysis and even death.
A compound, peptide chlorotoxin present in the venom of the Deathstalker Scorpion is said to have potential for treating brain growths in human beings.

Box jellyfish is known as the “Suckerpunch” of the sea, since it is almost transparent and its sting can rarely be detected, until the venom is injected.
Box jellyfish develops powerful venom to instantly stun or kill their prey, like fish and shrimp.
A person stung by a box jellyfish will feel shock, drowning and heart failure, even before he reaches the coast.
Its venom is considered to be the most deadly in the world, as it contains toxins that attack the heart, nervous system and skin cells.
The creature has been known to kill even more people than the Great White Sharks, around the world.
An ounce of a box jellyfish’s venom can kill as many as 60 adult humans and can cause human death in less than 3 minutes.
They have more than 5,568 recorded deaths since 1954 (worldwide).

Before becoming an actor, Michael Vartan was a pool-hall hustler and once made $2,000 doing that in one night.
Michael Vartan was nominated for a French Caesar Award for Best Up-and-Coming Actor.
Michael is half Bulgarian.
Michael Vartan speaks English and French fluently.
Michael Vartan finishes production of Rogue on February 10th, 2006.
Michael Vartan played the fiancé to Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in-Law. Lopez is the ex-fiancé of Ben Affleck who is now married to Michael’s ex-girlfriend Jennifer Garner.
Michael likes to take a stuffed animal dog around with him because "someone special" gave it to him.

When Anne Hathaway was younger she used to suffer from anxiety and depression, but didn't have to use medication.
Anne Hathaway was engaged to Raffaello Follieri, a Real Estate developer. The couple dated for four years unitl June of 2008. Days later Follieri was arrested in New City for cheating investors out of millions.
The role of Andie Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada was originally offered to actress Rachel McAdams, but she declined. The part went to Anne instead.
Anne Hathaway was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in May 2007.
Anne Hathaway starred in the 2008 movie remake of the 60's sitcom, Get Smart, as 'Agent 99'.
Her favorite novel is Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.

Kevin Federline is 6' tall.
Kevin's favorite Starbucks drink is a Caramel Frappuccino.
Kevin Federline was married to pop singer Britney Spears. The two started dating while Kevin's ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson was pregnant with his second child. Kevin & Britney later divorced after having two children together.
Cris Judd, ex-husband of Jennifer Lopez, has been supporting Kevin Federline as he faces his break-up with wife, Britney.
According to Star magazine, Kevin's getting caught with a stripper was the final straw that broke up his marriage to Britney.
Since his break-up with Britney Spears, Kevin Federline has been dubbed "Fed-Ex."
A day after Britney filed divorce papers, Kevin counter-filed papers, asking for spousal support and sole custody of the couple’s two children.

Keira's role as the decoy queen in Star Wars was kept a secret from the public when they were promoting the movie.
In May 2007, Keira Knightley revealed she was hurt by allegations that her thin frame was promoting anorexia and she was considering quitting acting as a result.
In May 2008, Keira Knightley moved to France where her actor boyfriend, Rupert Friend, lives. She revealed she was missing him and wanted to be closer to him.
For her role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Keira Knightley said that in order for her to appear in it, she wanted to do a sword fight scene.
Keira does Lux haircare products in Japanese TV commercials.
Keira Knightley received an Academy Award nomination for "Best Actress" in 2005.
Keira Knightley dated former cast member of "Princess Of Thieves" Del Synoot. Keira also dated Irish model Jamie Dornan.

Although his fame is due to the prophecies, Nostradamus was a doctor and pharmacist quite appreciated at the time. He had published poems since the year 1555 under the original name of “Les Propheties” (The Prophecies).
Nostradamus real name was Michel de Nostredame ( French origin).
Nostradamus was born on December 14 1503 in the area of Saint-Rémy-de Provence (located in southern France) and died on July 2 1566.
Nostradamus treated plague victims with pills he made from rose petals. He instructed patients to keep the pills under their tongues at all times and also claimed the rose remedy helped fight bad breath and tooth decay.
The Thessaloniki archives , the city where the great prophet spent his last days, still keeps the records of stories about the existence of shining objects in the sky above the city Saint-Remy de Provence.
The Legend says that in several nights before the birth of Nostradamus celestial activity was extremely important.
At 23 years became a licensed doctor has received her doctorate later almost effortlessly.

There are approximately two hundred different aloe vera plants.
The leaf of an Aloe Vera plant is an excellent “first aid” kit, to disinfect minor cut or gall injuries, or insect stings or bites
George Ebers in 1862 first discovered its antiquity in an ancient Egyptian Papyrus, dated 3500 BC.Aloe vera has been used for centuries in China and India.
Aloe Vera is also called as the “Lily of the Desert”, since it grows naturally in the desert.
The gel of older (therefore, larger) Aloe Vera plants is more effective than that of “baby” plants.
The cosmetics industry also uses Aloe Vera for skin care and hair care products.
The aloe gel extracted from the plant contains more than 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins.

22 interesting facts about Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves was nominated for the Saturn Award in 2000 for Best Actor for his role in The Matrix.
Keanu Reeves turned down the role of Racer X in Speed Racer.
Keanu Reeves was honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on January 31, 2005.
In March 2007, Keanu grazed a photographer with his car. The photographer was standing in front of Keanu's car, as he pulled out from a parking space. Police are investigating the incident.
In February 2007, it was revealed that Keanu Reeves is afraid of the dark.
Keanu dropped out of high school when he was 17, to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor.
In May of 1993, Keanu Reeves was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with drunk driving.
Due to his hockey background, Keanu's nickname is The Wall.
Keanu Reeves was a presenter at the 1992 and 1993 MTV Movie Awards.
At age sixteen Keanu appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial.
Keanu's music taste is punk rock. He loves bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash.
Keanu Reeves is left handed but plays his guitar right handed.
Though Keanu Reeves has many interests one of his passions are motorcycles.
Keanu is an extremely good chess player.
When Keanu Reeves played ice hockey for his high school he was voted MVP.
Keanu has a sister named Kim Reeves who is a horse breeder and was born in 1966. She has been battling leukemia for many years. He also has a half sister by the name of Karina Miller. She was born in 1976.
Keanu Reeves nationality is Canadian.
Keanu is 6 foot 1 inches tall.
Keanu Reeves attended High School for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Keanu plays bass guitar in a band named Dogstar. They have released 3 CD's to date. They include Quattro Fromaggi, Our Little Visionary and Happy Ending.
In the past Keanu Reeves has been romantically linked to Lynn Collins, Diane Keaton, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jennifer Syme. Since June of 2006 he has been dating Claire Forlani.
Back in the late 80's Keanu Reeves was a huge comic book fan. He collected X-Men comics. Wolverine was his favorite. He also enjoyed Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

20 interesting facts about Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was voted People Magazine's 'Sexiest Man Alive' in 1990.
In December 2008 Tom Cruise chose to promote his film Valkyrie, over attending the premiere of his son Connor's screen debut in Seven Pounds.
During a promotional tour for his film Valkyrie, Tom Cruise upset many Brazilians in a press conference by speaking Spanish instead of the national language, Portuguese.
Tom Cruise has been nominated for 3 Oscars. In 1990, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Born on the Fourth of July. In 1997, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Jerry Maguire. In 2000, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Magnolia.
According to Forbes, for each dollar Tom got paid, his movies averaged $11 of gross income, December 2007. He was listed at #8 in Forbes magazine's 'Celebrity 100 of 2007' list.
Tom Cruise has three sisters: Marian, Lee Anne and Cass.
Tom does most things with his left hand except for writing, which he usually does with his right hand.

When Katie Holmes appeared on Late Show with David Letterman on January 14, 2008, she made headlines by saying that her 1-year-old daughter Suri went to bed regularly at 11:00 pm.
Tom and Katie's daughter, Suri, has weekly hair appointments, with her parents having some odd demands when she visits a stylist.
Katie Holmes was born two months premature at just four pounds.
As a wedding gift Katie Holmes gave Tom Cruise a Vacheron Constantin watch engraved "I Love You." She bought it in Los Angeles just a week before the wedding. For her wedding night, Katie spent $1,200 on a lace La Perla ensemble with Swarovski crystals sewn onto the straps.
Katie's character on Dawson's Creek, "Joey Potter", was the only character who has appeared on every single episode on the show.
Katie's favorite directors are Woody Allen, Ron Howard, and Oliver Stone.
Katie Holmes is ranked #23 in the "100 Hottest Brunettes of AIM."

Jude Law has 2 dogs named Porgy and Bess, which he gave as gifts to ex-girlfriend Sienna Miller. But in 2006, they were returned to him because she had no time to care for them.
Jude Law was arrested for attacking a photographer outside his London home in September 2007. He was released on bail. In October 2007, he was cleared of the charges.
Jude’s affair with children’s ex-nanny Daisy Wright was named Hollywood’s sneakiest affair by US magazine in 2007.
Jude Law is a big fan of English actor Sir Laurence Olivier.
Jude's parents now run a fringe theatre company in France.
Jude Law has one sibling, an older sister Natasha, who is a well-regarded illustrator and artist.
Jude Law has been nominated for an Academy Award twice: in 2000 for Best Supporting Actor in The Talented Mr. Ripley and in early 2003 for Best Actor In A Leading Role for Cold Mountain.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing prints 16,650,000 dollar bills every day.
97% of all paper money contains traces of cocaine.
A dollar bill weighs approximately 1 gram and measures 2.61 inches wide, 6.14 inches long and .0043 inches thick.
The average life of a dollar bill is just 18 months.
The number 172 can be seen on the back of the U.S. $5 dollar bill in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, is said to use $2 notes from sheets of bills purchased from the U.S. Treasury – he apparently has them bound into book form with the bills as tear-off "pages".
$5 bills last in circulation for around 15 months.

Johnny Depp, along with Jude Law and Colin Farrell, replaced the late actor Heath Ledger in his last unfinished film The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus.
Johnny Depp won his first Golden Globe for portraying the revenge seeking, throat cutting barber in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He did all his own singing in the film.
Johnny Depp is godfather to Helena Bonham-Carter and Tim Burton's son, Billy Ray.
Johnny Depp is the only actor to ever be nominated for an Oscar in the Leading Actor category in a Disney Film for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Johnny Depp took in $20,000,000 for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are the first time Johnny Depp has ever portrayed the same character in more than one film. Johnny modelled his character, Captain Jack Sparrow, after Keith Richards and Pepe le Peu.
Several magazines have praised Johnny Depp for being one of the friendliest, most respectful actors in the business when it comes to signing autographs.

Jessica's first single from her first album of the country genre was "Come On Over" and was first played on the radio in June 2008.
Jessica Simpson starred in a Pizza Hut commercial but according to AOL she is allergic to cheese and tomatoes. She is also allergic to corn, wheat, hot peppers, chocolate, and coffee.
In 1989, Jessica Simpson auditioned for a role on the Mickey Mouse Club but never got it. The roles were later given to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
Jessica Simpson is 5' 3½" (1.61 m) tall.
Jessica Simpson is mentioned in Bowling For Soup's song "High School Never Ends".
As of 2006, Jessica finished a video for her new song "Public Affair." Jessica let some of her hollywood friends be in the video such as Eva Longoria, Ryan Seacrest, and many more.
Jessica Simpson and Eva Longoria share the same hairstylist – Ken Paves.

In November 2008 Jessica Alba joined Scarlett Johansson, Jared Leto and Hayden Panettiere, among others, in featuring in a line of celebrity trading cards, with sale proceeds going to charities selected by the stars.
Jessica Alba and her husband, Cash Warren, welcomed their daughter, Honor Marie Warren, on June 7, 2008 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.
Jessica Alba is good friends with Eva Longoria Parker, Eva Mendes, and Kate Hudson.
In May 2007, Jessica Alba and her Fantastic Four co-stars, Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis, presented awards at the 2007 TV Week Logie Awards in Australia.
Jessica Alba has worked in TV commercials for L'Oreal hair color, The Los Angeles Mentoring Partnership, J.C. Penney and Nintendo.
Jessica had asthma when she was a child.
Jessica Alba owns two pup dogs named, Nancy and Sid.
Jessica loves Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Jessica Alba is 5 feet 6.5 inches (1.69 metres) tall.
In April 2007, it was revealed that Jessica had signed on to be the new face of cosmetic company, Revlon. The deal is worth $5 million.
Jessica Alba has tattoos of a daisy with a ladybug on it on the back of her neck, a bow on her lower back and the Sanskrit symbol for lotus flower, a padma, on her wrist.
Jessica Alba was so terrified about stripping off for revealing scenes in new comic book adaptation of Sin City that she got drunk and visited strip clubs to prepare.
As a child, Jessica suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Jessica Alba has said that she became a born again Christian when she was a teenager in rebellion against her parents.
In 2006, Jessica Alba was nominated for the worst actress award for her performance in Into The Blue and Fantastic Four.
Her father is Mexican and her mother is of French and Danish descent.
Jessica Alba was considered for a role in Mission Impossible 3.
Jessica was a presenter at the 2006 Academy Awards, along with Eric Bana.
Jessica Alba refuses to do nude scenes in movies. She says, "... a whore can do that."
Jessica Alba is developing her own videogame called X-Game Sports, which is being launched on mobile phones in Korea.
Jessica's nicknames are Sky Angel and Albz.
Graduated high school at age 16.

18 interesting facts about Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer's first stage performance was when she danced and sang "The Greatest Love of All". She was six years old then.
Among her hobbies are roller skating and horseback riding.
Jennifer Love Hewitt had difficulty mastering an English accent for her role in The Truth About Love. She was the only American among the film's cast and crew.
Jennifer Love Hewitt co-wrote the song I'm Gonna Love You for the animated video The Hunchback of Notre Dame II with Chris Canute.
Jennifer Love Hewitt is a former member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Members of the cabinet help out using their talents and resources in furthering the cause of the organization.
Jennifer Love Hewitt is 5' 2½" (159 cm) tall.
In October 2006, Jennifer Love Hewitt revealed she can’t ride a bicycle. Despite having lessons from her mother and boyfriend, Jennifer just can’t seem to get her balance.

At the 2007 American Music Awards, Jennifer Lopez was chosen as the Favorite Latin Music Artist.
Even though Jennifer Lopez was raised by Puerto Rican immigrants, she struggles to speak in Spanish.
As of 2007, Jennifer Lopez was the richest Hispanic in Hollywood according to Forbes Magazine.
In the year 2001, Jennifer Lopez was voted #1 in FHM's '100 Sexiest Women' list. Jennifer has the honor of being the only woman to have been voted the sexiest woman in the world twice in FHM.
Jennifer Lopez became the first Latina actress to be paid $1 million for a movie role. She was paid this amount for the movie Selena in 1997.
In November 2006, Jennifer Lopez attended the Accessories Council’s ACE Awards, where she was honoured for her J.Lo clothing and accessories line.

Jennifer Garner and husband Ben Affleck have welcomed their second daughter, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck, born January 6, 2009 in Los Angeles. Garner and Affleck, are also parents to daughter Violet.
Jennifer Garner is right-handed.
In 2007, both Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck appeared in a video called "Project Phin: Clean My Ride, Flex My Fuel", designed to lobby Congress on the the provision of automotive biofuels and increases in fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks.
In addition to her daily workouts, Jennifer Garner is a strict believer in a nutrition plan that recommends eating every three hours. The meals, which Jennifer usually makes herself, include small servings of proteins and high-quality carbs.
As a child, Jennifer Garner wanted to be an author.
Jennifer Garner earned a theater degree from Ohio's Denison University.
Jennifer Garner is known for being pretty shy at parties if she doesn't know many people there.

Jennifer Aniston was the class clown in high school.
Jennifer Aniston doesn't like Greek, Indian, or Chinese food.
On June 19, 2007 Jennifer Aniston was one of 115 people to be admitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
When Jennifer Aniston received her first paycheck from Friends, the first thing she bought was a car.
In December 2006, after Jennifer broke up with Vince Vaughn, she began sleepwalking once again. Jen was last known to do this when things began going wrong with her marriage to Brad Pitt.
Jennifer Aniston sued Celebrity Skin magazine for publishing photos taken of her while sunbathing topless in her own backyard on August 7, 2000.
Jennifer's parents separated when she was 9 years old. She was raised in Greece (by her father) and New York City (by her mother).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that in 2000, 631 motorcyclists were saved by wearing their helmet.
The German inventor Gottlieb Daimler is generally credited with building the first practical motorcycle in 1885.
Up to eight motorbikes can fit in the same parking space occupied by one car.
Motorcycles and scooters are, on average, about twice as fuel efficient as cars.
The first rider to ever go over 300mph was Don Vesco in 1975, on a 1496cc Yamaha-engined streamliner.
Kawasaki also makes spaceships.
The fastest motorcycle s the Dodge Tomahawk, a prototype with an unusual design, featuring the 500 hp (373 kW) 8.3 L V10 engine from the Dodge Viper.
MV Agusta is currently producing the F4 1078 RR 312. 312kph being the recorded top speed at the Salt Flats in Utah in 2007.The RR312 reached a recorded top speed of 195, but since speeds are averaged, it’s recorded top speed is 194mph, or metric, 312kph.
When Valentino Rossi was five, his dad Graziano built him a go-cart to discourage him from getting into bikes
Harley-Davidson built push-bikes between 1917 and 1923. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor.

22 interesting facts about Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff appears with her pet Chihuahua Lola in the video game, "The Sims 2: Pets."
Hilary Duff is the daughter of the film producer, Susan Duff.
Hilary's nickname is Hil.
Hilary Duff is left-handed.
In 2004, Hilary launched her clothing and accessory line named "Stuff by Hilary Duff".
Hilary has a chihuahua named Lola and a black pomerian named Chiquita.
Hilary Duff is the sixth cousin of Lance Armstrong.

In November 2007, the Victoria's Secret Angels, including Heidi Klum, received a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Heidi Klum likes the music of James Brown, Dido, U2, Nikki Costa and Moby.
In 2008 and 2009 Heidi Klum was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality - Competition Program.
Heidi Klum takes pictures of herself in the nude to judge the result of her workouts.
Heidi Klum is a 2008 member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Members of the cabinet help out using their talents and resources in furthering the cause of the organization.
In 2008, Heidi Klum paid $2,000 for a year's worth of cupcakes as a gift to Victoria Beckham. She gave Tyra Banks a $5,000 pair of earrings when Banks quit modeling.
Heidi Klum is afraid of heights. She also has a fear of flying.

Hayden Panettiere supported Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
According to Forbes Magazine, Hayden Panettiere earned $2 million in the year 2007.
Hayden Panettiere got her middle name from her mother, Leslie.
Hayden Panettiere considers her younger brother, Jansen, to be "the greatest present our dad and mom ever gave me."
Hayden Panettiere claims that her favorite color is "bright, exotic, greenish blue."
Hayden claims herself to be a bikini girl. She loves wearing a bathing suit.
Hayden Panettiere says she is an avid milk drinker. She was one of the milky-lipped models for the "Got Milk?" ad campaigns.

Nearly 36 percent mobile phone users can now watch the video beamed straight in their phones and the trend is still rising.
In year 1926, J.L. Baird first displayed television which had only 30 lines and gave coarse image. Currently the digital signal of the television sends pictures with 1080 lines.
In 1936, Kálmán Tihanyi described the principle of plasma television, the first flat panel system.
A 103-inch plasma TV from Panasonic is the largest plasma TV currently available in the market, costing approximately around $70,000.
The first TV commercial showed a Bulova watch ticking onscreen for exactly 60 seconds.
By the time the American child reaches 14, on an average they have seen around 11,000 murders on television.
Costing €100,000 (around $140,000), the Yalos Diamond is the most expensive TV in the world.
The television advertisement first broadcasted on 1st July, 1941 in New York. The advertisement was for Bulova Watch for 20 seconds. It was aired before a game of baseball played between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers. The cost of air buy during that time was only $9.
By 1927, Russian inventor Léon Theremin developed a mirror drum-based television system which used interlacing to achieve an image resolution of 100 lines.
In 2008, the cost of 30 seconds advertisement was $2.7 million in the Super Bowl broadcast. It is the world’s most costly airtime.
The Late Late Show of Ireland which started in 1962 and The Tonight Show which started in 1954 are the longest running talk show in the world.
NASA has announced that they have lost all of their original tapes of Apollo 11’s TV transmission in August, 2006.
Queen Elizabeth II has launched her own YouTube channel after fifty years when she first address for the Christmas to the public of UK.
Sony began selling VCRs in 1970 that was capable of recording the television shows. However, Sony was sued by the film studios for copyright piracy. Later on, the Supreme Court backed Sony.

13 interesting facts about Earthquakes

In the past 3 million years, the San Andreas Fault has moved at about the rate your fingernails grow - 2 inches per year!
The largest earthquake recorded in the world was a 9.5 magnitude quake in Chile on May 22, 1960.
Most earthquake waves carry a frequency of less than 20 Hertz. Humans can only hear sounds in the frequency range of 20-10,000 Hertz. Therefore, most of the rumbling heard during an earthquake is actually buildings and other structures shaking, not the waves themselves.
Moonquakes and icequakes do exist! Moonquakes are simply earthquakes on the Moon. Tidal stresses and the varying distance between the Earth and the Moon seem to be related to the occurrence of moonquakes. Antarctica experiences frequent, but small icequakes. These shakings take place directly in the ice sheets instead of in the ground underneath.
The largest earthquake recorded in the US was a 9.2 magnitude quake that shook Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 28, 1964.
A tsunami is a result from an underwater earthquake that displace a great amount of water.
Tectonic plates created the world's greatest land mountain range, the Himalaya-Karakoram located in Asia. It houses 96 of the world's 109 peaks over 24,000 feet.
Around 500,000 earthquakes are detected in the world each year. Only 100,000 can even be felt and only 100 of those quakes cause damage.
The intensity of an earthquake measures the shaking caused by the quake in relation to location. The magnitude, or measured value of earthquake size, does not vary with location.
There is no such thing as "earthquake weather".
Alaska is one of the most active earthquake spots in the world.
From 2000-2009, the USGS recorded 6 earthquakes with a magnitude between 7.0-7.9 in the United States.
About 90% of the world's earthquakes occur in the "Ring of Fire". This is an earthquake-prone zone surrounding the Pacific Ocean.

11 interesting facts about music

To win a gold disc, an album needs to sell 100,000 copies in Britain, and 500,000 in the United States.
John Lennon wrote “Good morning, good morning” after hearing a Corn Flakes commercial.
The CD was developed by Philips and Sony in 1980. The first CD that was pressed in the U.S. was Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”.
Dark Side of The Moon (a Pink Floyd album) stayed on the top 200 Billboard charts for 741 weeks! That is 14 years.
He has sold 75 million albums to date and is one of the best-selling music artists in the world.

Spiny dogfish are found in depths of 3000 feet (900 m) below the surface.
Spiny dogfish is the world’s most abundant shark and is the predominant shark species in Alaska.
Spiny dogfish, also known as rock shark, rock cod, rock salmon, spurdog, mud shark and piked dogfish, is one of the best-known dogfish.
This shark forms the food of many people in Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Chile.
They are found worldwide in temperate and sub-arctic waters, and in the temperate and sub-arctic latitudes of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. They are found off Chile and from central Baja California to Alaska to Japan.

The wild and feral doves are estimated to have a population of 17 to 28 million in Europe itself.
There are over 289 species of pigeons and doves worldwide.
Rock doves come in different shades and plumage patterns, including blue-bar, blue checker, dark checker, spread and red phenotypes.
They navigate by sensing the earth’s magnetic fields and by using sound and smell. They also use cues based on the position of the sun.
Rock doves can find their way home even when released from a distant location blindfolded.
They eat food left by people intentionally or unintentionally, like seeds, cake, peanuts, corn, cherries, peanuts, breadcrumbs, oats, currants and littered food.
These doves are commonly seen gathered in flocks in various urban parks, where people feed them.
Usually the male doves select the nest place and then coo to attract a mate. The site can be a nook, cranny, or ledge on either cliffs or manmade structures.
Rock doves reuse their nests many times and do not carry away the feces of their nestlings, the way many other birds do. In time, the lightweight nest grows into a sturdy, pot-like mound that can contain unhatched eggs and mummies of dead nestlings.
Both the parents take turns in incubating the eggs, which can last from 17 to 19 days.

15 interesting facts about Adolf Hitler

Hitler was the founder and leader of Nazi Party, Reich Chancellor and guiding spirit of the Third Reich (from 1933 to 1945), Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Adolf Hitler, one of the most notorious figures in history, ruled Germany for 13 years.
One of the most infamous persons in the world history, Adolf Hitler ruled Germany for 13 years, from 1933 to 1945.
His half brother Alois Hitler owned a bar in Germany that was frequented by prominent Nazi officials. However, Alois never shared his opinion on Adolf, as he was scared that the latter would withdraw his liquor license.
He was born on 20th April 1889, in Brannau, a town in Austria. He was the fourth child of Klara Hitler and Alois Schickelgruber.
He was voted as ‘Man of the Year’ by Times Magazine in 1938.
Hitler married his long-time mistress Eva Braun during the final days of World War II. The two committed suicide less than two days later.
In less than three years of his reign, he occupied most of Europe and large parts of Africa, East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

With a population of around 230 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country.
Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. Three of the ten largest islands in the world are found here. The biggest island in Indonesia is Sumatra.
There are 316 ethnic groups which speak 670 dialects in Indonesia.
Indonesia is home to Komodo dragon (varanus komodoensis), the largest lizard in the world.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently in Indonesia. With over 400 active volcanoes, there are over 3 earthquakes per day.
Indonesia has many high mountains, the highest of which are over 4000 meters.
The population in Indonesia is expected to be at 315 million by 2035.
Indonesia falls in the tropical zone, and has an average humidity of between 70% and 90%.

8 interesting facts about North Korea

The official name of North Korea is Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
In 1945, after World War II, Korea was split into two countries - North Korea and South Korea.
Kim Il-Sung has been dead for 16 years but is still the head of state, having been elected eternal leader.
About 80 percent of the area in the country is covered by high mountains.
You have to wear a Kim Jung-Il badge if you’re a North Korean civilian living in North Korea.
North Korea has the fifth largest military force in the world. 1.21 million people .
With religion effectively banned by the government, North Korea has no public holidays of a religious nature.
About 0.85% of the population are held in prison or detention camps.

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