Cocos Island, in the Pacific Ocean, was once a pirate hideout. Historians have suggested that the island may still contain as much as 2 billion dollars worth of buried pirate treasure. source: Mental Floss History of the World
Fact of the Day
The principal food source of the Aztecs was a certain species of dog. Source: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Between 1985 and 2010, the price of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup dropped 24%. During that same time, the price of fresh fruits and vegetables rose 39%. ___________ Source: Scientific American, May 2012 (page 12)
During the sixteenth century, cocoa was a drink reserved for Spanish royalty. In 1579, some English pirates searching for gold aboard a Spanish ship mistook the cocoa beans for sheep droppings, and burned the valuable cargo.
Many people know Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 – 1618) as the courtly gentleman who spread his cloak over a puddle so Queen Elizabeth would not dirty her shoes. It’s uncertain whether or not this actually happened, but even if the story is true, his cloak was most likely made of leather and easily cleaned.
In Shakespeare’s day, every man, woman, and child averaged a gallon of alcoholic beverages per day.
Thomas Crapper did not invent the modern toilet. But he was a very good plumber who improved upon the technology with several refinements to the design.
Eighteenth century powder rooms did not contain toilets. They were places where a person could have his wig oiled and powdered. A servant would puff flour over his master’s head with a bellows.
Colonial Americans rarely drank water at mealtimes. Common beverages were whiskey, rum, beer, hard cider, and brandy.
The Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, was constructed during WWII. It was built with segregated bathrooms due to Virginia’s racial segregation laws.