Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Night) is held on 5 November in the UK to remember the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, when a group including Guy Fawkes planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I.
The plot was discovered and prevented, and people celebrated with bonfires and fireworks. Today the evening is marked by community bonfires, firework displays, and sometimes effigies of “Guy” burned on the fire. Many children learn the traditional rhyme: “Remember, remember the 5th of November / Gunpowder, treason and plot.”


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#UnitedKingdom #GuyFawkes #History

One of the main differences between frogs and toads is that frogs need to stay by water to survive, whereas toads can survive without constant access to moisture.

@googlefactss #amphibians

Today we at @googlefactss present to you:
Alytes muletensis — the Majorcan midwife toad. First only known from fossils in 1977 and presumed extinct, live individuals were found in Mallorca three years later.
This tiny endemic lives only in Tramuntana mountain streams, where males carry and keep the eggs moist on their backs until they hatch. 🐸🌿

[Source]

@googlefactss
#conservation #biodiversity #LazarusSpecies

Genetic studies show that Batwa and Baka short statures evolved independently (convergent evolution: similar traits via different genetic changes). Often called “pygmy,” a colonial‑era slur that’s racist and dehumanizing—use Batwa, Baka, or “forest peoples” instead. Avg heights ~1.40–1.50 m. Batwa (Uganda 🇺🇬, Rwanda 🇷🇼, Burundi 🇧🇮, E DRC 🇨🇩) • Baka (Cameroon 🇨🇲, Gabon 🇬🇦, Republic of Congo 🇨🇬, CAR 🇨🇫) 🌳🧬 [Read more]

@googlefactss #Genetics #Anthropology #HumanEvolution #IndigenousPeoples #Ethics

Happy Saxophone Day!
🎷🎵🎶

The saxophone was invented by Belgian Adolphe Sax in the early 1840s — his birthday, Nov 6, is celebrated as National Saxophone Day.

Feel free to post saxophone music in the comments.

[read more here]


@googlefactss #funfact #saxfact #history #Belgium

Boanthropy is a rare psychological disorder characterized by the delusion that one is a cow, leading to behaviors such as walking on all fours and chewing grass. It is thought to be associated with mental health issues, dreams, or hypnosis, and is mentioned in the biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar.

@googlefactss #nowyouknow #conditioms #psychology

We have the honor of presenting you the Cuban solenodon (Atopogale cubana) it is a small, nocturnal mammal endemic to Cuba. Secretive and evolutionarily unique, it delivers venom through grooves in its lower incisors during a bite. Populations are fragmented and declining; the species is endangered due to habitat loss and invasive predators.
Increased surveys and habitat protection are needed.

[Learn more here]

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#CubanSolenodon #Endangered #Conservation #Cuba #LazarusSpecies

The name "Sudan" comes from the Arabic "bilad-al-sudan" meaning "land of the black people".

@googlefactss #nowyouknow #africa #sudangenocide

Kleptomania: an impulse to steal despite no need.
Online, it can appear as taking others’ content. Therapy and lifestyle changes can help treat this psychiatric disorder. 🧠💬

[Read more about it here]

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#mentalhealth #kleptomania

On 7 November 1800, Paris required women to get police permission to wear pants — keeping them from wearing pants without authorization. 

[Read more here]

@googlefactss #pants #womensrights #law #France

Sindhu, Hindu, Indos, India — the modern name “India” ultimately traces back to the Sanskrit Sindhu, the great river named in the Rig‑Veda. As the name moved between languages it shifted: Iranian and some Indic neighbors changed initial s‑ to h‑ (Sindhu → Hindu), Arab and Persian speakers used related forms, and Greek writers rendered the people and land as Indos/India. Medieval European forms (Inde/Indie) circulated in manuscripts and maps, and by the 17th century the modern English name India returned via Latin, Spanish or Portuguese influence.
🌊📜🗺️

[Learn more]
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#etymology #history #linguistics #India #wordorigin

Forgotten word: flosculation (n.) — archaic (1651). An embellishment or ornament in speech. Example: The speaker's lecture was rendered laughable by ridiculous flosculations.

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#wordoftheday #archaic

Despite standing ~5 m tall, giraffes rarely die from lightning — only five documented fatal strikes (1996–2010), ≈0.003 deaths per 1,000 giraffes/year — still over 30× the US human lightning fatality rate. 🌩️🦒⚡️
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[Shocking fact here]

#wildlife #nature #giraffe #lightning

We present you the Coelacanths (Latimeria spp.) They were once thought extinct, only known from fossils — until living specimens were found. Two living species are known:
L. chalumnae: western Indian Ocean waters.
L. menadoensis: Indonesian waters.
Both species are considered threatened. Individuals may live 50–70 years.

[Read more here]

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#Coelacanth #LazarusSpecies #MarineLife #Conservation #Biodiversity #CriticallyEndangered

Ullamaliztli (ōllamaliztli / tlachtli) — Is a Mesoamerican ballgame dated to c.1650 BC in Mexico. Teams struck a heavy rubber ball (often with the hip) toward goals; courts symbolized the cosmos, matches could be ritual with blood offerings or sacrifice, elites used them for status and travel. Spanish conquest ended its religious role.

Ulama, the modern variety was shown at the 1968 Olympics, nearly extinct and played only in a few Sinaloa towns and at revival events.

For more information you can read the following sources:
[Source1] [Source2] [Source3].

@googlefactss
#history #Mesoamerica #Ballgame🏺⚽

November 8, 1895 today in history: Roentgen Discovered X-Rays☠.

[Read more here]

@googlefactss #xray #science #history

In what is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, people who have low skill or knowledge in a certain area tend to overestimate their abilities, while those who are more highly skilled tend to underestimate their abilities. This happens because the metacognitive skills required to accurately assess one's own performance are also the skills necessary to perform well in the first place.

@googlefactss #psychology