The custom of putting candles on cakes dates back to the ancient Greeks, who honored the goddess Artemis by placing lit candles on round, moon-shaped cakes. They believed that the smoke from the candles carried their wishes and prayers up to the gods in the sky.

@googlefactss #history #ancientgreece

When downloading a PDF, if it ends with .exe, delete it. It's probably a virus. The .exe extension indicates it is an executable file designed to run on your computer, and you should not open it.

@googlefactss #technology #tips #funfact

Ernest Hemingway is often linked to the six-word story:

“For sale, baby shoes, never worn.”

But it likely existed before him. This tiny story shows deep emotions in just six words. It may have started as a bet among writers in a New York restaurant, though there’s no proof. The story inspired many and is a famous example of very short fiction.
📝👶

[Source]

@googlefactss
#Hemingway #FlashFiction #ShortStory #History #Literature

@googlefactss members, we challenge you.

Write a *flash story with a maximum of 50 words about a true but verifiable fact of your own chosing.
Only safe-for-work stories allowed.
The winners are the stories with the most positive individual likes after about 7 days.

Minimum one winning story will be posted in the channel for everyone to see.

Have fun and good luck!

*A flash story is a very short, complete narrative, usually under 100 words, [example]

[read more]

The winning story is [Here]

🏆📖✍ @googlefactss #challenge #flashstory #facts #safecontent #writing

🌠 On November 30, 1954, Ann Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, became the first documented person in modern history to be struck by a meteorite. The rock crashed through her roof 🏠, bounced off a radio 📻, and struck her hip, leaving a large bruise 💢. She became an overnight sensation, but the event took a heavy toll on her life 😔.

@googlefactss #History #Meteorite #AnnHodges #Alabama #UniqueEvents

About 1 in 1000 people are born with an extra finger or toe. This is known as polydactyly.

[Source 1] [Source 2]

@googlefactss
#polydactyly #genetics #science

Penicillin was discovered by accident in 1928 when Alexander Fleming noticed a mould (Penicillium) killing nearby bacteria. He initially referred to the active substance informally as "mould juice" before it was purified and named penicillin — an accidental breakthrough that launched modern antibiotics.

[Source]

@googlefactss
#funfact #medicine #history #accidental

🐾 Capybaras are the world's largest rodents — social, semi-aquatic animals that live in groups in South America. They're so calm that other animals often sit on them, and they can even sleep underwater! 🌊
[Learn more]
@googlefactss #Capybara #AnimalFacts #Nature #Rodents #Wildlife

🎵 Loud music in bars leads people to drink more alcohol in less time, according to a study. Patrons consumed faster and ordered more under high-volume conditions—possibly due to increased arousal or reduced conversation.
[Read more]
@googlefactss #Psychology #Alcohol #BarStudy #MusicEffects #DrinkingBehavior

Human red blood cells live for about 120 days before macrophages efficiently clear 5 million per second, but the recognition mechanism remains a mystery. New research aims to solve this. 🔬🩸⏳

[Read more]

@googlefactss
#RedBloodCells #CellBiology #MedicalScience #Macrophages #ScienceFacts

In Iran, showing a thumbs-up is rude and like giving the middle finger. Pointing with the index finger at someone is also impolite. Showing the soles of your feet or putting feet on the table is disrespectful.
Note: younger generations care less about this.
[Source]
@googlefactss
#Iran #Gestures #Respect #BodyLanguage #Culture 👍❌

Since 1380, Iceland was ruled by Denmark. On December 1, 1918, Iceland became its own country with the same king as Denmark. In 1940, Iceland started making its own big decisions. On June 17, 1944, Iceland became a republic and stopped having a king.
👑🇮🇸

[Source]

@googlefactss #Iceland #History #Independence #FunFacts

Cabbage leaves have natural anti-irritant and antibiotic properties. They may reduce breast swelling, pain, and inflammation during breastfeeding or weaning. Cold cabbage leaves can improve blood flow and help tissue drainage. People with sulfa allergies might react. Overuse can lower breast milk supply. 🥬❄️
[Learn more]
@googlefactss #CabbageLeaves #BreastCare #Breastfeeding #HealthFacts

🦠 Typhoid Mary, born Mary Mallon (1869–1938), was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever who unknowingly spread the disease while working as a cook in early 1900s New York. She was forcibly quarantined for decades on North Brother Island despite never being sick herself. Her case sparked major debates about public health vs. individual rights.
[Read more]
@googlefactss #TyphoidMary #PublicHealth #MedicalHistory #Epidemiology #TyphoidFever

Early Roman women were forbidden to drink wine, and a husband who found his wife drinking was at liberty to kill her. The prohibition stemmed from a deeply patriarchal society that viewed women as weak and susceptible to vice, believing that wine could lead them to "inappropriate behavior" or "debauchery".

@googlefactss #alcohol #wine #history #nowyouknow

🧜‍♂️ "The Old Gentleman of Raahe" is believed to be the world's oldest known diving suit. This rare 18th-century Finnish treasure is made of calfskin and features traditional boots with upturned toes. Possibly based on a 1727 Swedish Admiralty sketch.
[Source]
@googlefactss #DivingHistory #OldGentlemanOfRaahe #FinnishHistory #MaritimeHeritage #HistoricalArtifact

Beethoven’s Third Symphony was originally intended as a tribute to Napoleon and drafted with the title “Bonaparte” was retitled "Eroica" after Napoleon crowned himself on 2 December 1804, marking Beethoven’s disillusionment with the betrayal of revolutionary ideals. 🎼🇫🇷⚔️

[Read more]
[Learn more]
@googlefactss
#Beethoven #Eroica #MusicHistory

🌍 Over 2,200 years ago, the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes calculated Earth’s circumference using only a stick and his brain — and he was almost exactly right! 📏

By observing shadows in two cities, he calculated the Earth was about 40,000 km around. Ancient genius at its finest!
[Source]
@googlefactss #AncientGreece #ScienceHistory #Eratosthenes #EarthCircumference #AncientScience

❄️ Hot water does NOT freeze faster than cold water.

While a rare phenomenon called the Mpemba effect suggests it can happen under specific conditions, cold water almost always freezes first.

[Source]
This post is a correction for another one we posted in the past [here]

@googlefactss #Science #Physics #WaterFreezing #MpembaEffect #MythBusted

Klingon is the most widely spoken fictional language.

[Source] [learn]
@googlefactss
#klingon #StarTrek
#language #FunFact

The first vending machine was invented in the 1st century AD by Greek engineer Heron of Alexandria. It dispensed holy water when a coin was inserted—the weight tilted a lever, opening a valve to release water before the coin dropped. 💧⚖️

[Learn more]

@googlefactss
#History #Inventions #Engineering #AncientGreece