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Beachy Head

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Beachy Head

There is no beach at Beachy Head.

  • Beachy Head is a stunning white sedimentary sea cliff surrounded by water, made primarily of chalk, located in Eastbourne of East Sussex, in England, Europe.
  • Beachy Head reaches heights of 162 metres (531 feet), and is therefore the tallest chalk sea cliff in the United Kingdom.
  • A prominent formation of Beachy Head, named the Devils’ Chimney, broke off the cliff in 2001 due to water in the cracks expanding because of freezing.
  • ‘Beachy Head’ is said to have had two other names, ‘Beauchef’ in the late 1200s and ‘Beaucheif’ in the early 1300s, and all the names are derived from the French words ‘beau chef’, meaning ‘beautiful head’.
  • Beachy Head is the home to two lighthouses, one named ‘Belle Trout’ located on the cliff, built in the 1830s, and the second was later built in the sea in the early 1900s, as mist easily obscured the original light.
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Beachy Head
Image courtesy of Herry Lawford/Flickr
  • Beachy Head is popularly visited by tourists, particularly due to the nearby attractions of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, and Birling Gap, a National Trust owned small settlement situated on the coast.
  • Beachy Head is the home to much wildlife, including gulls and many other species of birds, snakes, rabbits, badgers and foxes.
  • Approximately 20 people commit a fatal suicidal act on Beachy Head every year, even though chaplains and others patrol the area on a regular basis.
  • Beachy Head has been featured in several films and television shows, including a Harry Potter film and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and it has also featured in literature and music.
  • Before the first Beachy Head lighthouse was built, numerous ships were wrecked in the waters below, and smuggling of goods to avoid taxes is also said to have occurred there.
Bibliography:
Beachy Head, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beachy_Head
Flora and Fauna, n.d, Beachy Head, http://www.beachyhead.org.uk/education/flora_and_fauna/
History, n.d, Beachy Head, http://www.beachyhead.org.uk/education/history/

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Gerbil

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Gerbil

Gerbil… not just a pet.

  • Gerbils are a subfamily of approximately 110 species of mammals, or small rodents, native to Asian, Indian and African deserts and hot areas.
  • A gerbil was historically called a ‘desert rat’, while its scientific name is Gerbillinae, and it belongs to the family Muridae, a family of rodents.
  • Gerbils generally range from 7 to 20 centimetres (2.7 to 7.9 inches) in length, plus the tail that can be just as long, depending on the species, and weigh from 57 to 114 grams (2-4 ounces).
  • Mongolia gerbils were first made available as pets in the mid 1900s, and are now quite popular, although the pet can be illegal in some areas due to threats to agriculture and ecosystems.
  • Some species of gerbil live alone, while others reside in groups, and they use their sense of smell to determine whether fellow rodents belong to their family group or not.
Gerbil, Pet, Animal, Dirt, Brown, Animal, Rodent, Mammal, Ten Random Facts, FlickrA Gerbil
Image courtesy of Shankar S./Flickr
  • Gerbils generally live for three to five years and females have litters of approximately eight, that are born with no fur or sight.
  • The diet of gerbils generally consists of seeds, nuts and fruit, although insects, small birds and eggs, and other plant material are sometimes consumed, depending on the species.
  • Gerbils live in burrows and are prominent diggers, digging underground networks and tunnels with strong claws.
  • Gerbils have fur typically coloured brown, grey, black, white or tan, and those in the pet industry most commonly differ in colour due to select breeding.
  • A gerbil has the ability to shed their tail if it is trapped, and they are preyed on by snakes, birds, feral cats and other small mammals.
Bibliography:
Gerbil, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/gerbil/
Gerbil, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerbil

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Breakfast Cereal

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Breakfast Cereal

Remember to eat some breakfast cereal for a healthy start to your day!

  • Breakfast cereal, also known as ‘cereal’, is a processed grain-based food, usually eaten during the morning, often as the first dish of the day.
  • Breakfast cereal can be eaten both cold or hot, with milk, fruit, yoghurt and sometimes sweeteners added, and it is generally considered as a healthy breakfast option, however, some ready-to-eat cereals are high in sugar.
  • Read-to-eat breakfast cereal has been the subject of a constant increase in popularity, and over 500 cereals or variations have been manufactured throughout the world.
  • Porridge, a type of breakfast cereal, has been eaten since ancient times, and is made of ground, chopped or rolled oats, rice, corn, barley, semolina, wheat or other grains.
  • It is likely that the 1863 Granula breakfast cereal produced by a nutritionist from the United States, James Jackson, was the first to be invented, although the item required a period of soaking before consumption, making it impractical.

Breakfast Cereal, Bowl, Fruit, Flakes, Dry, Uncle Tobys Antioxidant, Ten Random Facts, Food,

  •  Breakfast cereal was originally scooped from large barrels for each customer, and around the late 1800s it started to become prepackaged in boxes that helped to increase its popularity.
  • Breakfast cereal was popularised around the late 1800s by the American, John Kellogg, a physician and the cofounder of Kellogg’s, along with his brother William, as well as Charles Post, a salesman who became a cereal manufacturer after visiting Kellogg’s sanitarium.
  • Breakfast cereal is available in a wide variety of shapes and colours, but is typically flaky or grainy in texture, and is generally brown to orange in colour, depending on the ingredients.
  • Breakfast cereal often has a high content of fibre, as well as many added vitamins, although some cereals contain a substantial quantity of sugar.
  • Breakfast cereal can be targeted specifically towards adults or children, and is often more sophisticated and healthy for adults, but sweeter, bright and more colourful for children.

 

Bibliography:
Avey T, What’s for Breakfast? Discover the History of Cereal, 2012, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-of-cereal/
Breakfast Cereal, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_cereal
History of Cereals, 2014, Ceereals, http://www.ceereal.eu/asp2/why_breakfast/l1.asp?doc_id=420

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Lawn Mower

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Lawn Mower

Now you can mow your lawn with knowledge with these lawn mower facts!

  • Lawn mowers are mechanical or robotic devices used to cut grass, often lawns or grass fields, using blades.
  • Lawn mowers can be powered by hand, electricity or a fuel motor.
  • Lawn mower blades generally spin on a vertical or horizontal axis, and are named ‘rotary mowers’ and ‘reel mowers’ respectively.
  • Lawn mowers were first patented in 1830, by Englishman Edwin Budding, from England’s Gloucestershire in Europe, to replace the scythe, and Budding’s invention was inspired by the cloth cross-cutting machines that were used in the local mills.
  • Reel lawn mowers often have three to seven ribbon like blades that are connected together in a cylindrical formation, while those with rotary blades are typically limited to one relatively flat blade that attaches to the underneath of the machine.

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  • Steam powered lawn mowers were first patented in 1893 by James Sumner in England, although they could only be used after a few hours of heating to allow for pressure buildup.
  • Lawn mowers can propel items like stones, at high speed, that can cause damage, and while many other mowing related injuries can be prevented from wearing correct footwear, in 2004, at least 80,000 people in the United States were injured by mowers or mowing activity.
  • Many lawn mowers emit high quantities of pollution, comparable to domestic cars, and often produce loud noises that can be irritating and damage hearing.
  • Lawn mowers often consist of a motor, blades and a box called a ‘catcher’ that collects grass cuttings, although hand powered reel bladed machines typically have blades and a handle, and sometimes a catcher, although a motor is absent.
  • Ride-on mowers, that allow for a person to sit on the machine, are useful for mowing large areas, while robotic lawn mowers are becoming increasingly popular and only require minimal human interaction.
Bibliography:
Lawn Mower, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_mower
Mower History, 2014, The Old Lawn Mower Club, http://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/mowinfo/mowhist.htm

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Marilyn Monroe

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Marilyn Monroe

“We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.” – Marilyn Monroe

  • Marilyn Monroe was a famous actress, singer and model from America who was born with name Norma Jeane Mortenson.
  • Marilyn Monroe was born in California’s Los Angeles, in the United States, on 1 June, 1926, to Gladys Baker, although it is uncertain who her father was.
  • As a child, Marilyn Monroe had no permanent home, as her mother had mental health issues, so she lived in various foster homes and an orphanage, although at age 16 she was encouraged to marry James Dougherty, a neighbour friend, in 1942, to avoid being in another care situation.
  • Marilyn Monroe started her modelling career in 1945, for The Blue Book Modeling Agency, and was quickly signed up with 20th Century Fox, so that in 1946, Monroe performed in her first films, and her first significant role was in 1947 in Dangerous Years.
  • During her life, Marilyn Monroe was also known as ‘Norma Jean Baker’, ‘Norma Jean DiMaggio’, ‘Norma Jean Dougherty’ and ‘Marilyn Monroe Miller’ and while she was naturally a brunette, she began dying her hair blonde for work purposes.

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Marilyn Monroe
Image courtesy of MTA Photos/Flickr
  • Marilyn Monroe first acted in a more major role in 1948 Ladies of Chorus, for Columbia, and although she performed well, the film was not as successful as hoped and it received negative reviews.
  • Marilyn Monroe is well known for acting in Don’t Bother to Knock (1952), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Niagara (1953), The Seven-Year Itch (1955), Some Like it Hot (1959) and The Misfits (1961), all primarily comedy or romance films.
  • Marilyn Monroe died at 36 years of age, on 5 August 1962, from barbiturate poisoning, said to be a self-induced drug overdose, although much speculation has been made regarding the circumstances.
  • Marilyn Monroe was awarded, in 1960, the Golden Globe Award for her notable acting in Some Like it Hot (1959), and she also received two Golden Globe Awards for female ‘World Film Favourite’ in 1953 and 1962.
  • Marilyn Monroe was married to James Dougherty from 1942 to 1946, Joe DiMaggio whom she married and divorced in 1954, and Arthur Miller from 1956 to 1961, and although she was married three times, she did not have any children.
Bibliography:
A Brief Marilyn History, n.d, Marilyn Monroe, http://marilynmonroe.com/history/
Marilyn Monroe, 2014, Biography, http://www.biography.com/people/marilyn-monroe-9412123
Marilyn Monroe, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe

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Mount Ararat

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Mount Ararat

Mount Ararat, the tallest peak in Turkey.

  • Mount Ararat is a stratovolcanic mountain and the most elevated peak in Turkey, West Asia, and is part of the Armenian Highlands.
  • Mount Ararat consists of two peaks, the ‘Greater’ and the ‘Lesser’, reaching 5,137 metres (16,854 feet) and 3,896 metres (12,782 feet) in height respectively.
  • ‘Mount Ararat’ is also known as ‘Ağri Daği’, ‘Çiyayê Agirî’ and ‘Kuh-e-Nuh’, meaning ‘Mountain of Ağri’, ‘Fiery Mountain’ and ‘Noah’s Mountain’ respectively, and it is also called ‘Masis’,
  • The main peak of Mount Ararat is always covered in ice and snow that begins at an elevation of 4,800 metres (15,750 feet), and is likely to increase the peak’s height.
  • Mount Ararat is said to have last erupted in 1840 after an earthquake, although the history of its eruptions is uncertain, and specimens found in the area have been dated back to the Bronze Age.Mount Ararat, Mountain, Volcano, Stratovolcano, Snow, Mist, Turkey, Landform, Ten Random Facts
Mount Ararat
Image courtesy of Arthur Chapman/Flickr
  • The first climb to the summit of Mount Ararat during the modern age was in 1829 by naturalist Dr Friedrich Parrot, a German, also known as Johann Jacob von Parrot, who was accompanied by Khachatur Abovian, an Armenian.
  • Mount Ararat is often described as the final resting place of Noah’s Ark that is depicted in the Bible, and there have been many expeditions to the area for the purpose of finding evidence.
  • Climbing Mount Ararat can only be achieved once a permit has been obtained from the government, and a qualified guide has been secured.
  • Mount Ararat is Armenia’s national symbol and in Armenian mythology, it is the home of the mythical gods and a sacred place.
  • The lower parts of Mount Ararat are the home to juniper trees and fields of grass, often used for sheep breeding; and a monastery and village were constructed on the mountain although these were destroyed in the 1840 avalanche, however, some buildings were rebuilt.
Bibliography:
Mount Ararat, 2014, All About Turkey, http://www.allaboutturkey.com/ararat.htm
Mount Ararat, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ararat
Mount Ararat, n.d, Encyclopaedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32131/Mount-Ararat

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