Tag Archives: Facts

Marilyn Monroe

By | |
Leave a comment
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.

Marilyn Monroe, Pose, White, Actress, Flaps, Dress, Ten Random Facts, Female, Stunning,

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

Amazon:     

Mount Ararat

By | |
1 Comment
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

Amazon:     

Quoll

By | |
Leave a comment
Quoll

Can you spot the cute and spotty quoll?

  • Quolls are six living species of a genus of marsupials, and four are native to Australia, while the remaining two are native to New Guinea, in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Quolls have the scientific name Dasyurus and are from the family Dasyuridae, the family of New Guinean and Australian marsupials.
  • Quolls typically grow to be 25 to 75 centimetres (10 to 29.5 inches) in length and grow to be 0.3 to 7 kilograms (0.7 to 15 pounds) in weight.
  • ‘Quolls’ were named by Australia’s notable European discoverer, Captain James Cook, derived from the native Aboriginal name, but the term only became popular in the 1960s, and were previously known as ‘native cats’ and ‘tiger cats’.
  • The diet of quolls typically consists of birds, insects, reptiles, and small mammals, as well as nuts, fruit and other vegetation, and the larger species also eat larger mammals including echidnas and possums.
Quoll, Tiger, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Mammal, Marsupial, Australia, Habitat, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Quoll
Image courtesy of Joshua Cunningham/Flickr
  • Up to thirty quolls can be born to a single mother at one time, although the very young ‘pups’ will die until only six remain, due to the number of teats available.
  • Five species of quoll are near threatened, while the sixth is endangered, and numbers are diminishing due to habitat loss; consumption of poisonous bait for pests; and the existence of introduced species of animals in there native habitat, including poisonous cane toads that are eaten, and foxes and feral cats that either hunt or compete against the marsupial.
  • Quolls are most active at night time; typically have a life span ranging three to six years; and are preyed on by crocodiles and snakes.
  • Quolls have a fur coat coloured black, brown, grey or tan, which is patterned with lightly coloured spots, and they have a long tail and a pointy snout.
  • Although they typically live on their own, quolls in a single area usually toilet in the same spot as their fellow species.
Bibliography:
Quoll, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/quoll/
Quoll, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quoll
Department of the Environment and Heritage, Quolls of Australia, n.d, Australian Government, http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/8ad3915e-57ee-4eb8-afd0-4f6bed036896/files/quolls.pdf

Amazon:      

Cream of Tartar

By | |
Leave a comment
Cream of Tartar

Do not take an overdose of potassium with richly filled cream of tartar.

  • Cream of tartar is a white compound of powdered potassium acid salt that is derived from tartaric acid.
  • Crystallised cream of tartar forms inside barrels of fermenting grape juice and sometimes in bottles of wine, that have been cooled at 10°C (50°F) or lower.
  • Cream of tartar is often used for culinary purposes as a stabiliser, to boost the volume of egg whites and their resilience to heat; to keep the fluffiness of whipped cream; to stop crystallisation of sugar based liquids; and to stabilise colour enzymes of vegetables so that they keep their colour.
  • Cream of tartar is often used to make baking powder as well as in salt replacements that require limited or no sodium.
  • Cream of tartar is a combination of potassium, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen in the chemical makeup of KC4H5O6.

Cream of Tartar, Powder, White, Acid, Potassium, Ten Random Facts, Culinary, Australia

  • ‘Cream of tartar’ is officially known as ‘potassium bitartrate’, and is also called  ‘potassium hydrogen tartrate’, ‘potassium acid tartrate’ and ‘monopotassium tartrate’.
  • A mixture of dissolved cream of tartar in either an acid solution or water can be used for cleaning; the former for metals including aluminium, brass and copper and the latter for most other objects.
  • Cream of tartar was originally made in wine barrels, until a modern method was produced by CW Scheele, a chemist from Sweden in 1769, and characteristics of the substance were documented in 1832 by Jean-Baptiste Biot, a French physicist.
  • Cream of tartar is very high in potassium, so consuming large quantities of the powder can lead to potassium-related illnesses such as hyperkalemia, and women that are pregnant and elderly people should be careful about ingesting it.
  • ‘Tartar’ of ‘cream of tartar’ has been used since the 1300s, and is originally from the Greek word ‘tartaron’, and later the Medieval Latin word ‘tartarum’.
Bibliography:
Cream of Tartar: What is it anyway?, 2012, Huffpost Taste, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/cream-of-tar-tar_n_2322569.html
Potassium Bitartrate, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_bitartrate
What is the History of Cream of Tartar?, 2013, Innovate Us, http://www.innovateus.net/food/what-history-cream-tartar

Amazon:     

Shaving Cream

By | |
Leave a comment
Shaving Cream

Have you ever thought about the invention of shaving cream?

  • Shaving cream is a foamy mixture placed on the body, typically the face, during the process of removing, or shaving, hairs.
  • ‘Shaving cream’ is also known as ‘shaving foam’.
  • Shaving cream is typically used with a razor to create an easier and smoother cutting process and to help protect the skin from the razor blade.
  • Before shaving cream, a type of soap made from animal fat and wood ash was used in a similar way, and was invented thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia, now modern day Middle East, by Sumerians.
  • Shaving cream was originally manufactured as a solid prism, like soap blocks, and an early foaming soap for shaving purposes was produced in 1840, while in the 1900s the products became more foamy and were generally applied by brush.

Shaving Cream, Bottle, Purple, Green, Cillette, Rapid Shave, Foam, White, Cans, Pressure, Ten Random Facts, Men, Hygiene

  • Modern day shaving cream is most often bought in cylindrical cans, that are pressurised, and have a spray function and nozzle.
  • Shaving cream that expands against a change of pressure was invented in 1949 by the American healthcare company Carter-Wallace, and quickly became very popular, although gases emitted from the pressurised cans were later considered environmentally unfriendly, so the propellants were eventually changed.
  • Shaving cream is generally made of water, oils, soap and other agents used primarily for hygiene.
  • Shaving cream is usually white in colour and has a texture of cream or foam, and it can also be a gel-like substance.
  • Shaving cream products need to be tested before being being released to customers, for the size of the foam once emitted, rate of absorption, water purity, and pH levels, and the standards are set by agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Bibliography:
Shaving Cream, 2014, How Products are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Shaving-Cream.html
Shaving Cream, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaving_cream
History of Shaving Cream, Part 1 (of 1), 2012, Perfect Shave, http://perfectshave.com/history-of-shaving-cream-part-1-of-1/

Amazon:      

Shifen Waterfall

By | |
Leave a comment
Shifen Waterfall

Shifen Waterfall is the Asian version of Niagara Falls.

  • Shifen Waterfall is a waterfall located in Taiwan’s New Taipei City, in Asia, in the Pingxi district, and is part of the Keelung River.
  • ‘Shifen Waterfall’ is also known as ‘Taiwan’s Niagara Falls’, ‘Little Niagara’ and ‘Rainbow Pond’, while ‘Shífēn’ means ‘very’ or ‘fully’.
  • Shifen Waterfall is the widest waterfall found in Taiwan, and it spans a distance of approximately 40 metres (131 feet).
  • The water of Shifen Waterfall runs down rocks that are spread in a horseshoe shape, that are found in a picturesque setting.
  • Shifen Waterfall reaches heights of 15 to 20 metres (49 to 66 feet).

Shifen Waterfall, Taipei, Taiwan, Park, Water, Rock, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Shifen Waterfall
Image courtesy of Jeniffer/Flickr
  • Shifen Waterfall is said to be a small version of Niagara Falls, and it has a cascade water flow, where the rocks slope back away from the direction of the water flow.
  • Mist gathers at the base of Shifen Waterfall and when light refracts through the water droplets, rainbows form.
  • Shifen Waterfall can be reached from a 15 to 20 minute trail, although a much longer track is available, and it can take as long as three or four hours to complete.
  • Shifen Waterfall is located in a privately owned area and is surrounded by lush nature, as well as bridges, camping spots and rest areas.
  • To see Shifen Waterfall an entrance fee is payable and the price varies, depending on the person’s age and other factors.
Bibliography:
Shifen Waterfall, 2014, Travel King, http://travel.network.com.tw/tourguide/point/showpage/940.html
Shifen Waterfall, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shifen_waterfall
Shifen Waterfall, n.d, Taiwan’s Waterfalls, http://taiwanswaterfalls.com/waterfall-guide/new-taipei-waterfalls/shifen-waterfall/
Welcome to the Home of Water – Shifen, 2012, Riding Taiwan’s Scenic Railways, http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=70954&CtNode=3037&mp=10003

Amazon:      

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...