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BOOKS
Every published book is assigned a unique 10-digit ISBN (International Standard Book Number). The final digit... MORE

BRASSIERE
The word 'brassiere' comes from an old French word originally meaning an upper-arm protector, then... MORE

CENTENARIANS
In 2009, Japan announced that in order to cut costs, it was reducing the size... MORE

CHICKEN SEXING
The art of chicken sexing was developed by the Japanese in 1924 and introduced to... MORE

CHOPSTICKS
Thirty per cent of the world's population generally eat with chopsticks. Japanese and Chinese chopsticks,... MORE

COMPUTATION
Notches on animal bones show that people have been making computations since around 30,000BC. A... MORE

COSMETICS
Isabel of Bavaria, a fourth-century French queen, liked to paint her face with a concoction... MORE

ETIQUETTE
Raising one's hat is a symbol of subjugation. The gesture dates back to the practice of... MORE

FART
In 2002, Mitreben Laboratories, based in Osaka, Japan, developed the hohi kenshutsuki, which they claimed... MORE

FORTY SEVEN
There are 47 regional prefectures in Japan. Also in Japan, the 47 Ronin were masterless... MORE

FOX
Foxes have long featured in medical applications. The ancient Romans believed that a headache could... MORE

HITLER
In the Navajo language, the nickname for Hitler was Daghailchiih, meaning 'he smells his moustache'.... MORE

HOT DOGS
On 11 June 1939, at a party organised by President Franklin D Roosevelt, King George... MORE

LAVATORIES
'Toilet' is currently the most popular word for the little boys' (or girls') room, being... MORE

LEADERSHIP
Honcho is a Japanese word meaning 'leader', so the phrase 'head honcho' is tautological.... MORE

MICKEY MOUSE
Mickey, Minnie and Donald Duck are the only Disney characters with official birthdays. Mickey and... MORE

MOBILE PHONE
The first call on a hand-held mobile phone was made on 3 April 1973 by... MORE

NAVEL
In 1944 a sub-committee of the House Military Affairs Committee of US Congress opposed the... MORE

NORTH POLE
The Geographic North Pole is a fixed point determined by the earth's spin; the Magnetic... MORE

PAPER
Paper was invented by a Chinese eunuch named Ts'ai Lun. He was an official at... MORE

PIGEON
The British royal family has kept racing pigeons since 1886 when King Leopold of Belgium... MORE

PINEAPPLE
In Japan, bathing in coffee grounds mixed with pineapple pulp is supposed to remove wrinkles.... MORE

POETRY
According to the Japanese, the optimum length of human speech in a single breath is... MORE

ROBOT
The word 'robot' was introduced by the Czech playwright Karel Capek in 1920 in his... MORE

SMOKING
In January 2001, the University of Tokyo offered a new service to people who had... MORE

TEA
According to legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung in 2737BC. ... MORE

TOURISM
Tourism began on 5 July 1841, when Thomas Cook organised his first trip for fellow... MORE

TUNA
A Japanese seafood distributor paid £120,000 for a 445lb blue-fin tuna at an auction in... MORE

WELLINGTON BOOTS
The first wellington boots were made by Hoby of St James's Street for the Duke... MORE

WHISKERS
In May 2010, the Japanese town of Isesaki imposed a ban on whiskers, beards and... MORE

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BALLS
A study found the number of people with the surname Balls fell from 2,904 in... MORE

POETRY
According to the Japanese, the optimum length of human speech in a single breath is... MORE

ELIZABETH I
The Dictionary of National Biography entry on Queen Elizabeth I says: 'she swore, she spat... MORE

GOSSIP
Researchers in Michigan in 1995 reported that American children aged nine to 12 gossip on... MORE

TOWER BRIDGE
Tower Bridge, across the River Thames in London, was completed in 1894 at a cost... MORE

SERBIA
According to a survey in 2010, the average Serbian citizen spends 363 minutes a day... MORE

PARKING
In 2006, Darwin city council in Australia reported that five of its parking wardens' helmets... MORE

DRESS
A woman was reported to have fatally shot her cousin during an argument in 2010... MORE

CARTOON
The first public performance of an animated cartoon on October 28, 1892, in Paris. The cartoon... MORE

CZECH REPUBLIC
In November 2010, the Transport Minister of the Czech Republic was banned from driving for... MORE

SANTA ANNA
President Santa Anna of Mexico led the siege of the Alamo in 1836. His leg... MORE

BEE
Until the late 17th/early 18th century, queen bees were thought to be kings. Bees cannot see... MORE

CLEOPATRA
Daughter of Ptolemy XII, the famous Egyptian queen was in fact Cleopatra VII. ... MORE

LIFE EXPECTANCY
In 1900 the average western life span was just 47 years. In... MORE

FINCH
Researchers in Australia reported in 2011 that female finches with unattractive partners have stress hormone... MORE