There’s more in Connecticut than you may think. Here are the buildings you need to see on your next trip, from the Modernist Glass House to the now-renovated Breuer House II. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die, edited

list, encyclopedia, britannica, encyclopedia britannica, list, lists, science, animals, amphibians, frogs, frog, favorite, best, cutestThe cold climate that characterizes much of Alaska and northern Canada is no matter to the wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus). It can endure temperatures as low as

The world’s tropical forests house a spectacular array of frogs. In fact, although found almost everywhere on Earth, frogs are at their most diverse in tropical regions—places like the Amazon rainforest and the forests of Equatorial Africa. The following are seven amazing types of frogs found

You’ve probably heard that having a good credit score is important if you want access to favorable mortgage terms or hope to get a better rate on your next auto loan. But the benefits of a good credit score go beyond borrowing money to meet financial and life milestones. Your credit history can

Mankind’s relentless pursuit of physical beauty is nothing new (the use of cosmetics dates back to ancient Egypt and Rome) but the methods we use to achieve that “perfect look” have certainly evolved. Gone are the days of bathing with a bar of soap, dabbing on natural perfume, and applying subtle

Madrid officially became the capital of Spain during the reign of King Philip III, which ran from 1598 to 1621. This long history as Spain’s first city is reflected in these seven buildings, though with a bias toward buildings of the 21st century. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these

Do you ever wonder how long sprint kayaking will remain an Olympic sport? Do you find yourself asking, “Whatever happened to the Olympic tug-of-war event?” The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been making important decisions since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896—namely, which sports

Since 1790 there have been more than eight million patents issued in the U.S. Some of them have been given to great inventors. Thomas Edison received more than 1,000. Many have been given to ordinary people who thought of a better way of doing things. And a few have been given to people you

Most people have a primordial fear of spiders and snakes and, of course, of predators that are larger than they are. So it makes sense to regard crocodilians (that is, the group of living alligators, crocodiles, caimans, gharials, and so on) with suspicion. Though several of their ancestors were

Plants don’t enjoy losing their leaves to herbivores and have evolved a number of ingenious strategies to deter leaf predators. Unfortunately for humans, several of these chemical defenses can cause painful skin reactions. Read on to discover some plants that could burn, blister, or otherwise

The earliest known purpose-built weapons in human history date to the Bronze Age. Maces, which were little more than rocks mounted on sticks, had questionable value as hunting tools, but they were superbly suited for smashing the bones and skulls of other humans. Later in the Bronze Age, the sword

Some of these fruits were first grown in California, and some took thousands of years to get there. Learn their histories here. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these foods first appeared in 1001 Foods You Must Try Before You Die, edited by Frances Case (2008). Writers’ names appear in

People have swallowed elixirs, inhaled vapors, and applied ointments in the name of healing for millennia. But only a small number of substances can be said to have fundamentally revolutionized medicine. Seven of those drugs are listed here, along with some facts that may surprise you. list, drugs,

An idiom is a phrase that is common to a certain population. It is typically figurative and usually is not understandable based solely on the words within the phrase. A prior understanding of its usage is usually necessary. Idioms are crucial to the progression of language. They function in a

George Pal: Pal’s last film, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), based on Charles G. Finney’s novel, was a fantasy set in the 19th-century American West. Tony Randall starred in the title role of a magician whose exotic traveling circus is capable of teaching many lessons to those willing to…

Not all gifted children go on to achieve great things as adults. Here are seven who did. list, child prodigies, chess, mathematics, science, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John von Neumann, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Judit Polgár Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the child prodigy par excellence, playing songs on

On July 28, 2016, at the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton became the first female presidential candidate of a major U.S. political party. Although Clinton was unsuccessful in gaining the presidency that November, her nomination was regarded as another crack in the ultimate “glass

Amsterdam has its origins in a fishing village established more than 700 years ago; by the 15th century, it was Holland’s primary port, a center of business, and a place of great wealth. Its position as one of northern Europe’s preeminent cities has continued to today, and that status is reflected

In 1779 Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable, a trader, founded the settlement that would become Chicago. It was incorporated as a town in 1833 and then again as a city in 1837. A third of it burned down in 1871, but Chicago rebuilt itself ferociously and has been building, and tearing down, ever since. The

The Old Havana district of Cuba’s capital was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982, but there’s much else to see in Havana. Here are just seven of the city’s iconic buildings. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See Before You

When ancient astronomers named the planet Jupiter for the Roman ruler of all the gods and heavens, they had no idea of the planet’s massive dimensions. But the name proved appropriate: Jupiter is larger than all the other planets combined. Here are seven notable dates in humankind’s history of

Until the last part of the 20th century, Mercury was one of the least-understood planets. Find out how these seven dates have helped learn more about the smallest planet in the solar system. list, Mercury, space, solar system, astronomy, space exploration, planetsA transit is when one astronomical

London bombings of 2005, coordinated suicide bomb attacks on the London transit system on the morning of July 7, 2005. At 8:50 am explosions tore through three trains on the London Underground, killing 39. An hour later 13 people were killed when a bomb detonated on the upper deck of a bus in

The Pilgrims, the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and Thanksgiving are familiar elements of the history of Plymouth colony, the first permanent settlement by Europeans in New England. However, the area that would become the state of Massachusetts was also the site of another colony that played a huge

Vatican City is an independent nation-state—the smallest in the world—with a staggering collection of artworks. Here are just seven paintings you shouldn’t miss. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these paintings first appeared in 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die, edited by Stephen

We have all heard of the great monarchs of history: Alexander the Great, Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, etc. But what about those who weren’t quite so great? Certain rulers had the bad luck of acquiring some outspoken enemies who used unflattering adjectives—and even, in one case, a

Your goldfish’s ancestors weren’t gold. Your hamburger’s ancestors are extinct. Rabbits were first domesticated so monks could eat their fetuses. Step inside for a whistlestop tour of some of the weirder facts about animal domestication. If you missed the first installment of this list series,

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the seat of the European Union. That makes it a hub of international governance and business, and the city shows its cosmopolitanism through its architecture. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these buildings first appeared in 1001 Buildings You Must See

The Nobel Prizes were first presented in 1901 and have since become some of the most-prestigious awards in the world. However, for all their pomp and circumstance, the prizes have not been untouched by scandals. Slights, questionable winners, and perceived conflicts of interest are among the

Swiss cultural life shows strands of German, Italian, and French influence, among others, but its uniqueness is particularly apparent in its art and artists and its museums and other art venues. Here are just seven paintings from that milieu. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these paintings

Female pirates? Murderers? Gangsters? Conspirators? Yes. Throughout history women have had their share in all of it. Here is a list of seven notorious female criminals of the 17th through early 20th century who wreaked havoc on land and sea. list, crime, criminals, women, history, pirates, thieves,

Strictly speaking, a serial killer is someone who murders at least two people in separate events that occur at different times. While “serial murder” is not formalized by any legal code, the crimes of serial killers have often been seized on by the media and the public consciousness—especially in

They may look harmless enough, but plants can harbor some of the most deadly poisons known. From the death of Socrates by poison hemlock to the accidental ingestion of deadly nightshade by children, poisonous plants have been responsible for human deaths throughout history. Get to know some of the

Travel by sea has always carried an element of risk. Accidents, human error, harsh weather, and actions during wartime are among the things that could send a ship to the bottom. While some nautical disasters such as the sinking of the Titanic have captured the popular imagination, others—some of

If you’re a thrill seeker, here are seven festivals and celebrations from around the world that will get your blood pumping. list, celebration, festivals, holidays Deck the halls, or deck each other? You may associate Christmas with Santa Claus or peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, but in some

To many people, lizards and turtles are bizarre-looking creatures. Many lizards are considered menacing because of their seemingly expressionless faces combined with their claws and teeth, whereas turtles are thought of as slow-moving, docile creatures. Most lizards, in reality, are harmless to

Although only a few of the 70-80 species of poisonous mushrooms are actually fatal when ingested, many of these deadly fungi bear an unfortunate resemblance to edible species and are thus especially dangerous. Read on to learn more about these terrifyingly lethal mushrooms. list, mushrooms, fungi,

Despite dreams of holding fame as long as they could hold a note, these music artists graced the American stage for one act, and one act only. They rode high on the charts, smiling from atop the gold-plated wings of their hit record, before falling from the pages of Billboard magazine and hitting

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the world’s great encyclopedic art museums. Its collection of more than 300,000 artworks covers the history of art across multiple cultures and eras. Among its strengths is its European and American art; this list highlights just a few notable works from that

The Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts are two of the great art institutions in Boston where you can see these paintings. The collections in these institutions are significantly more diverse in terms of creators and subject matter than is represented by this list. Earlier versions of the

These seven figures in LGBTQIA+ history broke barriers around the world. Their contributions to their respective fields have dismantled systems of oppression, advocated for LGBTQIA+ human rights, and allowed LGBTQIA+ people to express themselves more freely. list, Britannica, Encyclopaedia

Over the years, aircraft have vanished without a trace, leaving unanswered questions even after thorough investigations. Here are seven of the most puzzling plane disappearances in history. list, encyclopedia, britannica, list, lists, planes, disappearances, mysterious, mystery, history, bermuda

Earlier versions of these questions and answers first appeared in the second edition of The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu (2010). list, reptiles, lizards, snakes, crocodiles, alligators The lizard is a reptile, a cold-blooded animal that is unable to internally control

Mammals can do amazing things! This list will answer your questions about flying ones, venomous ones, really fast ones, and smelly ones. Earlier versions of these questions and answers first appeared in the second edition of The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu (2010).

Jessica Meir made history on October 18, 2019, when she and fellow astronaut Christina Koch made the first all-woman space walk. For more than seven hours they worked outside the International Space Station (ISS) to replace a power unit. Meir and Koch went on to make two more space walks together,

Since 1925 American grade-school students (and a few from outside the U.S.) have participated in a national spelling bee held annually in Washington, D.C. Students proceed through a series of rounds by spelling words correctly, and the winner of the bee is the contestant who pulls off one final

You’ve made your hotel reservations. You have your airline tickets. You’ve identified your mass-transit options. But…what do you really know about that place you’re going to? Do you know its capital? Its history? How about its area? Facts are the best things to pack for your trip, so use these

Just thinking about scalpels, forceps, and shears is enough to make some people squeamish. But while the modern versions of those instruments are nothing to sneeze at, consider the surgical knives, gorgets, and trepans of centuries past. Those vintage tools were crude at best by modern standards,

The Olympic Games are a time when many nations come together to celebrate athleticism and mental strength. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) aims to promote sport competition and education free of any discrimination, “in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” The Olympics are a

Stadiums have their roots in ancient Greece, where they were a place for footraces. Modern stadiums are home to a much wider variety of sports and purposes. Here are seven significant ones. Earlier versions of the descriptions of these sports structures first appeared in 1001 Amazing Places You

When the pomp and circumstance after all those years of hard study dies down, many college graduates find themselves with another mountain to climb: Paying off student loans. The average student loan balance in 2021, the latest numbers available, stood at nearly $39,500, according to the Federal

The ancient Egyptians are famous for their mummification process and their preservation of the dead. Scientists have studied mummies to learn more about the mummification process and also the condition of the bodies. Today you can visit certain museums to view mummies for pleasure. It may or may

Over the centuries, artists have devised strategies to breathe life and realism into their works of art. What appear to be seamless representations of the real world on canvas were likely the result of endless months—or even years—of trial and error. These tricks of the trade, born of artistic and

The news of a loved one’s death hits every person differently. The aftermath of that news, then, takes unique forms the world over as cultures celebrate the life and honor the death of individuals in ways often singular to their culture. Let’s look at seven distinct burial rituals. list, burial

Sports might bring out the best in some people, but not in everyone. The desire to win has often resulted in athletes bending the rules. In fact, cheating in sports has a long and infamous history. The following list is just a small sample of some athletes who seem to have adopted the maxim “if you

Vestiges are remnants of evolutionary history—“footprints” or “tracks,” as translated from the Latin vestigial. All species possess vestigial features, which range in type from anatomical to physiological to behavioral. More than 100 vestigial anomalies occur in humans. The following list explores

Hosting the Olympic Games is great for a city, right? Or at least good? Anyway, it’s not a bad thing—or is it? The truth is that the track record for Olympic host cities is pretty uneven. Many cities have found that welcoming the world’s athletes and their fans for two weeks produces far fewer

The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 20 or 21 in the Southern. Since ancient times, people all over the world have recognized this important astronomical occurrence and celebrated the subsequent “return” of the Sun in a

When courage is in short supply, we look outside ourselves to find it. Sometimes a good book or film will rouse it, or a quiet place, or the example of another person. Hushpuppy, the six-year-old heroine of the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild, is one such inspiration. When her father, to help her

It’s almost time for that long-awaited family vacation, and you’re starting to make plans. With so many destination choices, how do you decide where to go? For many families, that choice is often one of America’s national parks. The U.S. government maintains hundreds of national parks, monuments,

Riot Grrrl Movement: Activism and the angry young women of rock: …artists, including Jett, Hanna, and 7 Year Bitch, also became involved in fundraisers to support a women’s self-defense organization based in Seattle after the 1993 rape and murder of Mia Zapata, lead singer of the Gits. They also developed tribute projects to Zapata, including 7 Year Bitch’s album ¡Viva Zapata!…

scanning tunneling microscope: Applications: …complex pattern known as the Takayanagi 7 × 7 structure. The position, the chemical reactivity, and the electronic configuration of each atomic site on the 7 × 7 surface has been measured with the STM. The reconstruction of the silicon surface designated (100) is more simple. The surface atoms form…

Adolf Windaus: Windaus discovered 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is the chemical precursor of vitamin D, and he showed that it is a steroid. He discovered that it is converted into the vitamin when one of its chemical bonds is broken by the action of sunlight. This explained why exposure to sunlight…

7-Eleven is a retailer that traces its origin to 1927 and operates more than 60,000 convenience stores, mostly in North America and Asia. A typical 7-Eleven retail store is small, carries a limited stock of food, drinks, and other high-turnover products, and stays open for long hours. 7-Eleven is

isoprenoid: Sesquiterpenes: …sesquiterpenes, the cadalene and the eudalene types, and the carbon skeleton of a sesquiterpene may frequently be determined by heating it with sulfur or selenium to effect dehydrogenation to the corresponding naphthalenic hydrocarbons: cadalene, 4-isopropyl-1,6-dimethylnaphthalene; or eudalene, 7-isopropyl-1-methylnaphthalene. In those cases in which sulfur dehydrogenation fails to yield information about…

London bombings of 2005, coordinated suicide bomb attacks on the London transit system on the morning of July 7, 2005. At 8:50 am explosions tore through three trains on the London Underground, killing 39. An hour later 13 people were killed when a bomb detonated on the upper deck of a bus in

star: Visual binaries: …example, for the binary system 70 Ophiuchi, P is 87.8 years, and the distance is 5.0 parsecs; thus, a is 22.8 astronomical units, and m1 + m2 = 1.56 solar masses. From a measurement of the motions of the two members relative to the background stars, the orbit of each…

On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Two-thirds of the city’s area was destroyed, and by the end of the year about 140,000 had died. Three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 70,000. Japan announced its surrender

José Maria de Eça de Queirós: …reform and known as the Generation of ’70. Eça de Queirós denounced contemporary Portuguese literature as unoriginal and hypocritical.

Pat Robertson: …mainstay was his talk show, The 700 Club—originally hosted by the rising televangelist Jim Bakker, who left CBN in 1972. Robertson subsequently founded CBN University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it opened to students in 1978. The school’s name was changed to Regent University in 1990.

Billy Crystal: …made his Broadway debut with 700 Sundays, an autobiographical solo show focusing heavily on his relationship with his father; it won a Tony Award for special theatrical event. He adapted the monologue into a memoir, also titled 700 Sundays, in 2005. The stage production was revived in 2013 for a…

Boeing 707, the first successful commercial passenger jetliner. The mid- to long-range narrow-body four-engine aircraft with a swept-wing design was developed and manufactured by the Boeing Company. It made its first flight on December 20, 1957, and entered commercial service on October 26, 1958.

On May 8, 1945, the European phase of World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of all Nazi German forces to the Allies. The event became known as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day. spotlight, anniversary, v-e day, wwii, world war ii,

Michael Haneke: …einer Chronologie des Zufalls (1994; 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance), a fractured mosaic of mundane moments that culminate in an incident of random violence. Although some critics deemed his films mere exercises in nihilism, Haneke considered them attempts to attune viewers to the ways in which the structures…

Michael Haneke: …einer Chronologie des Zufalls (1994; 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance), a fractured mosaic of mundane moments that culminate in an incident of random violence. Although some critics deemed his films mere exercises in nihilism, Haneke considered them attempts to attune viewers to the ways in which the structures…

methaqualone, sedative-hypnotic drug that was historically used in the treatment of insomnia and anxiety and that became widely known as a recreational drug with a dangerously high potential for addiction. Today, in most countries worldwide, methaqualone has no accepted medical use and is illegal

Boeing Company: History of Boeing Company: …707 was followed by the 727 trijet and 737 twinjet, which entered service in 1964 and 1968, respectively. The 737 was developed into a modern family of planes, and by the end of the 20th century it had become the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft. The high development costs of the…

Boeing Company: History of Boeing Company: …by the 727 trijet and 737 twinjet, which entered service in 1964 and 1968, respectively. The 737 was developed into a modern family of planes, and by the end of the 20th century it had become the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft. The high development costs of the 747 “Jumbo Jet,”…

Boeing Company: History of Boeing Company: …high development costs of the 747 “Jumbo Jet,” the world’s first wide-body jetliner, almost forced Boeing into bankruptcy, but, when the 400-seat aircraft went into service in 1970, it allowed airlines to offer affordable long-range air travel for the general public and gave Boeing a monopoly position in this market…

Air Force One: …have been in service: identical Boeing 747-200B jumbo jets bearing the tail numbers 28000 and 29000 and the Air Force designation VC-25A.

Boeing 767: …developed in parallel with the 757 but with a wide body as opposed to the 757’s narrow body. It has several variants, with the 767-300ER being the most popular. The Boeing 767 has been used for passenger travel as well as freight delivery. More than 1,300 767s have been delivered…

June 22 marks the 75th anniversary of the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Although the initial offensive caught the Soviets completely by surprise, penetrating hundreds of miles into Soviet territory and netting hundreds of thousands of prisoners, the advance

In the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” British pilots exerted their dominance over the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940, ensuring that an invasion of Britain would prove impossible for Hitler’s war machine.

June 1941 marked the beginning of a dark episode in Lithuania’s history: amid World War II and the occupation of the country by Nazi Germany, on or about June 23 the slaughter of nearly the entire Jewish population of Lithuania began. Lithuania’s Jews had lived in the country for hundreds of years

flag of the United States of America: The new Stars and Stripes formed part of the military colours carried on September 11, 1777, at the Battle of the Brandywine, perhaps its first such use.

Boeing 767, twin-engine wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by the Boeing Company. It first flew on September 26, 1981, and started commercial operations in 1982 with United Airlines. It was developed in parallel with the 757 but with a wide body as opposed to the 757’s narrow body. It

77 Dream Songs, volume of verse by American poet John Berryman, published in 1964. It was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1965 and was later published together with its sequel, His Toy, His Dream, His Rest (1968), as The Dream Songs (1969). The entire sequence of 385 verses, consisting of three

The Boeing 777 is a family of wide-body twin-engine commercial jet aircraft with variants for both passenger and cargo transportation. The 777 was first flown on June 12, 1994, and commercial service commenced on June 7, 1995. It is the world’s largest two-engine jet (twin jet), and more than 1,200

Guglielmo Marconi: Education and early radio work: …also, Marconi filed his now-famous patent No. 7777 for Improvements in Apparatus for Wireless Telegraphy. The patent, based in part on earlier work in wireless telegraphy by Sir Oliver Lodge, enabled several stations to operate on different wavelengths without interference. (In 1943 the U.S. Supreme Court overturned patent No. 7777,…

construction: Use of reinforced concrete: …Khan in the 174-meter (570-foot) 780 Third Avenue Office Building (1983) in New York City. This is a framed tube with diagonal bracing achieved by filling in diagonal rows of window openings to create exterior bracing members; this is a very efficient system and may lead to yet taller buildings…

Boeing Company: History of Boeing Company: …began taking orders for the 787 Dreamliner, a mid-range jet with speeds (Mach 0.85) that would match the fastest wide-body long-range planes but with vastly improved fuel efficiency, thanks to new high-bypass turbofan engines built by Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce and a radically innovative body design. Roughly half of…

Desert Rats, group of British soldiers who helped defeat the Germans in North Africa during World War II. The Desert Rats, led by Gen. John Harding, were especially noted for a hard-fought three-month campaign against the more-experienced German Afrika Korps, led by Gen. Erwin Rommel (“The Desert

James Patterson: …the numerically titled series, including 7th Heaven (2008), 11th Hour (2012), 14th Deadly Sin (2015), 16th Seduction (2017), and The 20th Victim (2020), were written with coauthors. Patterson’s other thriller series included one involving Michael Bennett, a detective. The first installment, Step on a Crack, was published in 2007, and…

Frank Borzage: Breakthrough and success at Fox: …Borzage made his breakthrough film, 7th Heaven, a sentimental and beautifully photographed tale of a Parisian sewer worker (played by Charles Farrell) who saves a homeless woman (Janet Gaynor) from despair. At the first Academy Awards ceremony, it won for best actress, best screenplay adaptation, and best director of a…

Battle of the Chosin Reservoir: Crossing into North Korea: ”] Smith), the 7th Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. David G. Barr), and the 3rd Infantry Division (Maj. Gen. Robert H. Soule). The corps also had control of the Capital and 3rd divisions of the South Korean I Corps, which was already crossing the 38th parallel on the east…

Battle of the Chosin Reservoir: The Chinese strike: …Army Group (commanded by General Song Shilun) to leave Manchuria and destroy it. Song’s army group (12 divisions in 3 armies) numbered 150,000 soldiers—mostly infantry with mortars and machine guns but not much artillery, since the Chinese lacked guns, shells, and trucks and feared UNC air strikes on road-bound columns.…

Stan Lee: Later work and participation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: …an animated online series called 7th Portal, which featured aliens who enter Earth through a “7th portal”—the Internet. After this initial success, however, the company was beset by a number of lawsuits and corruption charges. It filed for bankruptcy in February 2001. In 2004 Pow Entertainment was established for Lee’s…

October: …from octo, Latin for “eight,” an indication of its position in the early Roman calendar.

Lina Wertmüller: …classic Otto e mezzo (1963; 812. She then wrote and directed her first film, I basilischi (1963; The Lizards). At about this time she became friends with the actor Giancarlo Giannini, who would star in most of her subsequent films.

The vast expanse of the African continent spans several different climatic regions and contains everything from dry deserts to rainforests to snow-covered mountaintops. Check out some of the most-impressive physical features found in Africa. list, Congo River, East African Rift System, Ituri