Factoids: random thing of the day

Modern english defines a billion as one thousand million (1,000,000,000). Many other languages define a billion to be one million million (1,000,000,000,000).

However, either would do in my bank account.

CJJ;8916 wrote: Modern english defines a billion as one thousand million (1,000,000,000). Many other languages define a billion to be one million million (1,000,000,000,000).

However, either would do in my bank account.

Until the Americans confused things, a billion was always a million million in Britain too.

New York was originally called New Amsterdam.

George Washington and all the signatories of the Declaration of Independence were British.

The largest pencil in the world is held in Keswick's famous Pencil museum.

The East window of Carlisle Cathedral is the 3rd biggest in the world.

The present Carlisle Cathedral is only half the size of the original. The rest was knocked down to reinforce the city walls during the Civil war.

The building of the present Carlisle Castle was begun by order of King David the first of Scotland, but completed by order of William the second(Rufus) of England.

Parliament was once held in Carlisle.

Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner in Carlisle Castle.

An Invading force of Scots was repelled by two men and a herd of cows at the Battle of Solway Moss just to the west of Carlisle. It was very foggy and the Scots suddenly heard voices and animals moving towards them and assumed it was a force of Cavalry. So they ran away!

In 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie slept in a grand house in Carlisle, as his army swept south. In 1746, William, Duke of Cumberland chasing the Scots back north, slept in the same bed. The site is now Marks and Spencers.

During the Roman occupation Carlisle was the largest fortified town in Britain.

Carlisle is the only city in England with an old British name. From the Roman Luguvallium to the ancient British Caer Ligualid, shortened to Caer Luel, then Caerlisle, then Carlisle.

David Aiketgate;8938 wrote: Until the Americans confused things, a billion was always a million million in Britain too.

New York was originally called New Amsterdam.

George Washington and all the signatories of the Declaration of Independence were British.

The largest pencil in the world is held in Keswick's famous Pencil museum.

The East window of Carlisle Cathedral is the 3rd biggest in the world.

The present Carlisle Cathedral is only half the size of the original. The rest was knocked down to reinforce the city walls during the Civil war.

The building of the present Carlisle Castle was begun by order of King David the first of Scotland, but completed by order of William the second(Rufus) of England.

Parliament was once held in Carlisle.

Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner in Carlisle Castle.

An Invading force of Scots was repelled by two men and a herd of cows at the Battle of Solway Moss just to the west of Carlisle. It was very foggy and the Scots suddenly heard voices and animals moving towards them and assumed it was a force of Cavalry. So they ran away!

In 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie slept in a grand house in Carlisle, as his army swept south. In 1746, William, Duke of Cumberland chasing the Scots back north, slept in the same bed. The site is now Marks and Spencers.

During the Roman occupation Carlisle was the largest fortified town in Britain.

Carlisle is the only city in England with an old British name. From the Roman Luguvallium to the ancient British Caer Ligualid, shortened to Caer Luel, then Caerlisle, then Carlisle.

your from cornwall then? :hehe:


the first ever railway ran between Stockton and Darlington

the standard uk railways gauge is 4ft 81/2" and is know as the Stephenson gauge

the Stephenson gauge is used on the majority of the worlds railways, notable exceptions include the iberian peninsular and Russia

the russian gauge is 4ft 11 5⁄6" and the tracks are side by side not offset so the passengers hear a constant *thunk* *thunk* instead of a *clickety-click*

this constant sound is thought to be a major contributor to the amount of cabin fever incidents that occur on russian long hall rail journeys

during the cold war when a russian train reached the west german border the carriages were lifted off one set of wheels onto another by giant cranes... this included carriages carrying battle tanks!




you have to love the communist approach to problems "shall we drive our tanks off one train onto another?"

"nyet let's lift them up 2 or 3 at a time with a giant crane and plonk them on a new train"

In Lehigh, Nebraska it's against the law to sell donut holes.


A slander case in Thailand was once settled by a witness who said nothing at all. According to the memoirs of Justice Gerald Sparrow, a 20th century British barrister who served as a judge in Bangkok, the case involved two rival Chinese merchants. Pu Lin and Swee Ho. Pu Lin had stated sneeringly at a party that Swee Ho's new wife, Li Bua, was merely a decoration to show how rich her husband was. Swee Ho, he said, could no longer "please the ladies." Swee Ho sued for slander, claiming Li Bua was his wife in every sense - and he won his case, along with substantial damages, without a word of evidence being taken. Swee Ho's lawyer simply put the blushing bride in the witness box. She had decorative, gold-painted fingernails, to be sure, but she was also quite obviously pregnant.

one for the ladies;

In Saudi Arabia, a woman reportedly may divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee. :dunno:

Only 43 percent of all U.S. adults can correctly distinguish between "one billion" and "one million."

7 Native American tribes, 13 African tribes, and 2 Asian tribes had myths predicting that the end of the world would be between 2005 and 2015.

The word 'gullible' does not appear in any dictionary.

One in 17 Americans think Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Santa Claus.

Fred Flintstone's middle name is Fauntleroy.

As of 2005, the 'Grassy Knoll" in Dallas has lost approximately 6.4 inches in height since the time of the Kennedy Assassination due to souvenir-seekers pocketing handfuls of soil.

Twenty-three percent of the residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, do not know that "baton rouge" means "red stick" in French.

Privately-owned nuclear weapons are legal in 47 states Of The USA, though they must be registered with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the State Department.

A 1908 Ford Model T had higher fuel efficiency than a 2007 Toyota Prius, though it only had a top speed of 45 MPH.

Pencil sharpeners kill more people every year than sharks.

Red outerwear is banned from coastal Antarctic research stations -- it inflames and enrages the penguin population.

:bye:

David Aiketgate;9062 wrote: The word 'gullible' does not appear in any dictionary.

'guillible' adj. easily persuaded or deceived; credulous.

ironically exactly what i am for getting my dictionary out :blush:

Adam-MGTF;9066 wrote: 'guillible' adj. easily persuaded or deceived; credulous.

ironically exactly what i am for getting my dictionary out :blush:

Oh Adam, You didn't fall for it, did you?:whistle::shake::hehe:

David Aiketgate;9077 wrote: Oh Adam, You didn't fall for it, did you?:whistle::shake::hehe:

"Curiosity, the pitfall of intellect" ..... thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it... my intellect seems to have failed me though cause I can't remember who that quotes from lol

Adam-MGTF;9133 wrote: "Curiosity, the pitfall of intellect" ..... thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it... my intellect seems to have failed me though cause I can't remember who that quotes from lol

Wasn't it you, just then?:dunno:

Gos;9058 wrote: In Saudi Arabia, a woman reportedly may divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee. :dunno:

sounds reasonable to me!!


Barnoldswick is the longest British place name without a repeated letter.:yesnod:

the average lifespan of an umberella in the UK is 2.5 years :confused:

Black box flight recorders are not black, but were invented by a Mr Black
:yesnod:
Thomas Midgley was the name of the guy who has caused the most environmental damage in the history of the world...not content with adding lead to petrol he then proceeded to invent CFCs. Sadly (?) after falling ill to lead poisoning, he accidentally hanged himself on a contraption he'd invented to aid him sitting up in bed. :shake:

Birks;9152 wrote:
Black box flight recorders are not black, but were invented by a Mr Black
:yesnod:

Thomas Midgley was the name of the guy who has caused the most environmental damage in the history of the world...not content with adding lead to petrol he then proceeded to invent CFCs. Sadly (?) after falling ill to lead poisoning, he accidentally hanged himself on a contraption he'd invented to aid him sitting up in bed. :shake:

the black box thing is a great pice of trivia! and as for Mr Midgley i hope his first question upon getting through the pearly gates was "what the heck did i do to deserve that poor excuse for a life" lol

the first ever railway ran between Stockton and Darlington.

Whoops, should read the first PUBLIC railway ran between SHILDON and Stockton. Adam I thought you were a local lad ?

Another blooper that is often quoted on this subject, Locomotion number one. not the rocket, was Stephenson's first loco.