HowStuffWorks Encyclopedia Fact of the Day RSS

Did You Know: Napoleon I

Fri, 12 October 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Napoleon I (1769-1821), also known as Napoleon Bonaparte, crowned himself emperor of the French. He was the greatest military genius of his time and perhaps the greatest general in history.

Did You Know: Loquat

Thurs, 11 October 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Loquat, LOH kwaht, is an orange or yellow fruit that has the shape and size of an egg. It is a type of fleshy fruit called a pome and contains many seeds inside a papery core.

Did You Know: Cyrus the Great

Wed, 10 October 2007 06:00:00 GMT

us, SY ruhs, the Great ( ? -530 B.C.), founded the Persian Empire about 550 B.C. He extended this empire to include most of southwestern Asia.

Did You Know: Camping

Thurs, 4 October 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Camping is a popular form of outdoor recreation. Various types of camping provide opportunities throughout the year for people to share low-cost outdoor experiences in a natural environment. Camping trips range from spending the night in a tent in one's backyard to passing several weeks in the wilderness.

Did You Know: Carpal tunnel syndrome

Wed, 3 October 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common disorder that causes pain and interferes with the use of the hand. It is caused by pressure on the median nerve as the nerve passes through a canal formed by the bones and ligaments in the wrist.

Did You Know: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)

Tues, 2 October 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) combine highly miniaturized electrical and mechanical components (parts) on a special type of computer chip. MEMS range from such simple machines as levers to complicated safety locks that prevent nuclear weapons from exploding accidentally.

Did You Know: Dialect

Fri, 28 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Dialect is a variation of a language used by a particular group of speakers. All spoken languages change through time. Variations in speech may arise from geographic factors, such as the Atlantic Ocean, which separates the United Kingdom and the United States.

Did You Know: Miami Dolphins

Thurs, 27 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Miami Dolphins are a professional football team that plays in the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins compete in the East Division of the American Football Conference (AFC). The team plays its home games in Dolphin Stadium at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Did You Know: Whig Party

Tues, 25 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Whig Party was a name applied to political parties in England, Scotland, and America. Whig is a short form of the word whiggamore, a Scotch word once used to describe people from western Scotland who opposed King Charles I of England in 1648.

Did You Know: Steamboat

Mon, 24 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Steamboat is a term used for steam-driven vessels that sail on rivers. It also refers to the smaller vessels on lakes or in coastal waters of the sea. Steamship is used for large vessels such as those on the open sea.

Did You Know: Flame thrower

Tues, 18 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Flame thrower is a weapon of war that shoots a stream of burning fuel much as a fire hose squirts water.

Did You Know: Mona Lisa

Mon, 17 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Mona Lisa is probably the most famous portrait in art history. The Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci began the picture in 1503 and completed it three or four years later.

Did You Know: Teamsters Union

Fri, 14 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Teamsters Union is one of the largest labor unions in the United States. Its official name is International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen, and Helpers of America.

Did You Know: Dinosaur National Monument

Thurs, 13 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Dinosaur National Monument, located in Utah and Colorado, is a scenic region with spectacular canyons cut by the Green and Yampa rivers.

Did You Know: Achilles

Tues, 11 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Achilles, uh KIHL eez, in Greek mythology, was the best Greek warrior in the Trojan War. In the 10th year of that war, the Greeks defeated the city of Troy.

Did You Know: New York World's Fair

Mon, 10 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

New York World's Fair has been held twice in New York City. The first fair opened in 1939. Its theme was "Building the World of Tomorrow," and its symbols were the Trylon (a triangular obelisk 700 feet, or 210 meters, high) and the Perisphere (a ball-like structure 200 feet, or 61 meters, wide).

Did You Know: Dry farming

Fri, 7 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Dry farming is a process of growing crops in semiarid regions without irrigation.

Did You Know: Vacuum tube

Thurs, 6 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Vacuum tube is a device once widely used in such electronic equipment as radios, television sets, and computers. Vacuum tubes control the electric currents, called electronic signals, that are necessary to the operation of such equipment. The tubes help to create these signals, strengthen them, combine them, or separate them from one another.

Did You Know: Blue moon

Wed, 5 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Blue moon is a folklore term that has many definitions. As early as 1528, this term was used to represent an absurd belief.

Did You Know: Border collie

Wed, 5 September 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Border collie is a breed of dog commonly used to herd sheep. It received its name because it originated near the border between England and Scotland in the 1700's.

Did You Know: Fort Peck Dam

Fri, 31 August 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Fort Peck Dam, on the Missouri River in northeastern Montana, is one of the largest earth-fill dams in the world.

Did You Know: Mediterranean fruit fly

Fri, 31 August 2007 06:00:00 GMT

Mediterranean fruit fly is an insect that destroys fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It attacks more than 200 kinds of plants, especially tropical species.

The HowStuffWorks Encyclopedia

Fri, 31 August 2007 06:00:00 GMT

The HowStuffWorks Encyclopedia has informative quick reference entries on a wide variety of topics related to geography, history, science, humanities, technology and more.