Explore 10 surprising facts about America’s 37th president.

A plane like a Boeing 747 uses approximately one gallon of fuel (about four liters) every second. Over the course of a 10-hour flight, it might burn 36,000 gallons (150,000 liters). According to Boeing's Web site, the 747 burns approximately five gallons…

phenomenon that most people have fewer friends than their friends have, on average

Parfilage was a fashionable pastime among women at the Versailles in the 1760s and 1770s. While most forms of ladies' handwork involved making something, parfilage was the opposite: women spent their time unraveling gold and silver braid, lace, or epaulets.…

Australian music group

concert hall and music venue in New York City, United States

Paper size standards govern the size of sheets of paper used as writing paper, stationery, cards, and for some printed documents.

award presented in recognition of the worst in film

You have probably heard the saying "it's the greatest thing since sliced bread." But did you know the FDA once banned such goods? Here's why.

species of mammal native to North America

FBI sting operation

The pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza, located on the Giza Plateau in the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. It is thought to have been built to serve as the tomb of the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Menkaure.

The Khejarli massacre was an event in September 1730 in which 363 Bishnois were killed while trying to peacefully protect a grove of Khejri trees. The soldiers were sent by the Maharaja of Marwar, Abhai Singh to cut the trees in the village of Khejarli to…

voice disorder caused by abuse or overuse of the vocal cords

medieval unit of time; equals 1/40 of a medieval hour, i.e. 1/480 of the time interval between sunrise and sunset

British adventurer

Ali Bouzari reveals how amylases and proteases revolutionised our meals

On this date 21 years ago, noted psychologist and inventor B.F. Skinner died; the American History Museum is home to one of his more unusual inventions

Italian-American dish

There’s no more clichéd name for a dog than Fido. In fact, it’s so overworked that people no longer name their dogs Fido. You’ll f