Who Knew? Some Fun Facts

The Staffordshire Hoard, England.

One of England's most extraordinary archaeological finds, was discovered in 2009 by Terry Herbert, a member of the Bloxwich Research and Metal Detecting Club. At the time, while exploring recently ploughed farmland near Hammerwich, Staffordshire, he unearthed a treasure trove of historical significance.

This incredible hoard comprises approximately 4,600 gold and silver items, including smaller metal fragments, all originating from 7th century Anglo-Saxon England. Among the remarkable features of the hoard are 28 pieces of metalwork adorned with garnets, believed at first to have been sourced from as far away as Sri Lanka or Afghanistan, but now thought to have come from Northern India and the area now known as the Czech Republic

sh 089.JPG

Any treasure found in England, and perhaps the whole of the UK, is considered the property of The Crown, and therefore can’t be sold by the person who found it. Andrew Haigh, the coroner for South Staffordshire, declared the hoard to be "treasure", and therefore property of the Crown.

The purpose of this law is so that any treasure can be kept in the UK, looked after and preserved correctly, and then put on display for the general public.

So what about poor old Terry Herbert who found the treasure, I hear you ask? The treasure was officially sold to two museums, who rotate the treasure between them. Terry Herbert and the farmer of the field between them received £3.285 million. Not bad for a hard day’s work in a farmer’s field.

 

Last edited:
RadishRose said:
No, I have not ever heard of this lake! What an amazing name. The sounds of "aug" are familiar to me; very common in native American place names here.
(Lake Waramaug, Naugatuck, etc)

My grandson's girlfriend is from MA. I will ask her. Thank you!

iu
Click to expand...
I forgot to mention that Ethel Merman, Ray Bolger, and Jimmy Durante recorded a song about it.

 
Steel Spring Tire, Created as a Substitute Tire Because of a Shortage Of Rubber in Germany

If the history of the tire took on significant meaning with the invention and popularization of tires from 1895 thanks to the Michelin L’Éclaire (the first vehicle to have them), which is based on the process of vulcanizing rubber of Charles GOODYEAR in 1839 and the invention of the inner tube by Dunlop in 1887. These two elements: rubber and air, have since played an essential role in the production of tires as we know them.

However there is in the history of the tire, a part of which we know little and which could well be part of the future of the tire.

Thus in the early 1900s, following the shortage of rubber and the difficulty of filling tires with air during the First World War, the Germans designed in 1916 a steel spring tire, on a Protos, which was also to be more reliable than rubber tires and which was to equip military vehicles as a priority.





 
1687087864850.jpegNeil Armstrong insists he actually stated, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." "That's the only way the statement makes any sense," he told biographer James Hansen. And for the record, no real astronaut ever uttered "Houston, we have a problem" — Tom Hanks only said that in the movie Apollo
 
The only radio station in Canada that does not have a call sign that starts with the letter "C" is VOCM, located in St John's, Newfoundland. Why ? It was started when Newfoundland was a British Crown Colony, in the 1930's. The call sign means " The Voice of the Common Man ". The original VOCM studio was in a church annex. Today the signal from VOCM is heard 300 miles out to sea in the Atlantic and over much of the island of Newfoundland, through local rebroadcast towers. Newfoundland and Labrador voted to join Canada by vote in 1949, so they are the "
Newest Canadian Province ". JimB.
 
File this under "Ew".

In 2012, a Pair of Unwashed Underpants Belonging to Elvis Presley Sold for $8,000 at an Auction

Collectors and fans have a strong interest in acquiring memorabilia associated with his life and career. The sale of his dirty underwear for $8,000 at an auction in 2012 is a reflection of the scarcity of such items, their historical value, and the enduring demand among enthusiasts. While it may seem unusual, the market for celebrity memorabilia encompasses a wide range of items, and the sale highlights the fascination people have with iconic figures like Elvis Presley.

The pants, which were worn by Presley underneath one of his jumpsuits during a performance in 1977, hadn’t been washed since Elvis took them off, and featured a suspicious yellow stain on the front of the crotch. :oops:

Elvis did not want any lines visible while he was on stage wearing his vast array of dazzling jumpsuits and this pair of underpants was obtained from the estate of Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father.


 
jimintoronto said:
The only radio station in Canada that does not have a call sign that starts with the letter "C" is VOCM, located in St John's, Newfoundland. Why ? It was started when Newfoundland was a British Crown Colony, in the 1930's. The call sign means " The Voice of the Common Man ". The original VOCM studio was in a church annex. Today the signal from VOCM is heard 300 miles out to sea in the Atlantic and over much of the island of Newfoundland, through local rebroadcast towers. Newfoundland and Labrador voted to join Canada by vote in 1949, so they are the "
Newest Canadian Province ". JimB.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. That’s really interesting.
 
Here’s Alfred Langevin (1885–1974), French-Canadian, aka the “Eye Smoker,” the man who could smoke a pipe through his eye.

Mr. Langevin was featured not only in the Believe-It-Or-Not cartoons of Ripley, but also appeared in Ripley’s renowned Odditorium from 1933 to 1940 and was even featured on the 1933 Odditorium postcard.

Not only could Mr. Langevin use his eye socket to smoke, he could also blow up balloons and play a recorder. It should be noted that Mr. Langevin indeed had two very real and functioning eyes. The medical reason for his unusual ability remains unknown but is likely due to an anomaly in the development of his tear gland.






 
Bella said:
Here’s Alfred Langevin (1885–1974), French-Canadian, aka the “Eye Smoker,” the man who could smoke a pipe through his eye.

Mr. Langevin was featured not only in the Believe-It-Or-Not cartoons of Ripley, but also appeared in Ripley’s renowned Odditorium from 1933 to 1940 and was even featured on the 1933 Odditorium postcard.

Not only could Mr. Langevin use his eye socket to smoke, he could also blow up balloons and play a recorder. It should be noted that Mr. Langevin indeed had two very real and functioning eyes. The medical reason for his unusual ability remains unknown but is likely due to an anomaly in the development of his tear gland.






Click to expand...
This guy was creepy.
 
New-Project-10-1024x683.png

NYC is famous for many things But did you know it’s also home to the most famous street in the world? And, it also happens to be the longest street in NYC!

May we present to you…drumroll, please…Broadway!

Now we all know Broadway begins at the southern tip of Manhattan and makes its way through the entirety of the city we call home, but did you know it reaches all the way to Albany?!

Stretching 150 long miles, only roughly 15 miles of those call Manhattan their home.

For the history of Broadway:
https://secretnyc.co/broadway-longest-street-in-nyc/
 

Electric 'Flying Car' Gets Key Permit From FAA​

(not really a "car")

Joby Aviation aims to launch flying taxi service in 2025

Joby Aviation, a key player in the eVTOL— electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle—market, has received Federal Aviation Administration to begin flight testing its new production prototype, TechCrunch reports. The special airworthiness certificate keeps the company on course to deliver the aircraft to the US Air Force next year, which Joby says would be the first eVTOL ever delivered to a customer. The company plans to launch an electric air taxi service in 2025.


MORE- https://www.newser.com/story/337160/faa-permit-is-a-really-big-deal-for-flying-car-firm.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top