Did You Know… : Friday James

• The phrase «raining cats and dogs» originated in 17th Century England. During heavy downpours of rain, many of these poor animals unfortunately drowned and their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets. The situation gave the appearance that it had literally rained «cats and dogs» and led to the current expression. • Swans are the only birds with penises. • The only river that flows both north and south of the equator is River Congo. It crosses the equator twice. • The only part of the human body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from air. • Why would the sky be blue? When sunlight travels through the atmosphere, it collides with gas molecules. • These molecules scatter the light. The shorter the wavelength of light, the more it is scattered by the atmosphere. Because it has a shorter wavelength than the other colors, blue light is scattered more, ten times more than red light, for instance, that is why the sky is blue. • The penguin is the only bird that can swim, but not fly. It is also the only bird that walks upright. • Adolf Hitler’s mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor. • The name of all the continents ends with the same letter that they start with. • The Eiffel Tower has 1792 steps. • Shakespeare invented the words “assassination” and “bump”. • A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes. • The cockroach has a high resistance to radiation and is the creature most likely to survive a nuclear war. • Camel’s milk does not curdle. • Lizards communicate by doing push-ups. • The bullfrog is the only animal that never sleeps. • Frogs cannot swallow with their eyes open. • The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters only. • In South America, it would be rude not to ask a man about his wife and children. In most Arab countries, it would be rude to do so. • A Russian man who wore a beard during the time of Peter the Great had to pay a special tax. Quote of the DayHope lies in dreams in one’s imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality. Ends