Chicago is called the “Second City” due to a combination of historical and cultural factors, primarily stemming from its rivalry with New York City and the name of a book by A.J. Liebling, who coined the term in the 1950s. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chicago was in fierce competition

While the wind might blow off Lake Michigan, the nickname “Windy City” is rooted in Chicago’s reputation for verbose political speeches. In the late 19th century, the city was known for its blustering politicians—New York City’s The Sun newspaper accused them of being “full of hot air”—and they

Chilean sea bass commands a high price because of a combination of factors: its scarcity, arising from its deep, remote Antarctic habitat, which complicates and inflates the cost of fishing operations, and a robust demand, particularly in fine-dining settings, fueled by its celebrated rich, buttery

Christmas, the holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by a majority of Christians on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar. But early Christians did not celebrate his birth, and no one knows on which date Jesus was actually born (some scholars believe that the actual date

The nickname Constitution State refers to Connecticut’s adoption of the Fundamental Orders in 1638, a pioneering framework for self-governance. Created by settlers in towns along the Connecticut River, the orders outlined a system in which magistrates were elected and laws were made by an elected

Earth rotates eastward, a counterclockwise motion when viewed from a point above the North Pole. The hypothetical line about which Earth spins is its axis. Though invisible, the axis is said to be tilted, because of the way Earth aligns with the Sun in Earth’s orbital path: one of Earth’s poles,

There are three basic macronutrients that the body needs to survive: fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Proteins are directly involved with the chemical processes that support life, and proteins help compose the enzymes, hormones, and tissues that form our bodies and keep them running smoothly.

“The Hillbilly Cat.” “Elvis the Pelvis.” “The Memphis Flash.” The renowned singer and dominant performer Elvis Presley has had no shortage of nicknames, but his most memorable moniker is also his grandest: “the King of Rock ’n’ Roll,” or simply “the King.” Although its exact debut is unknown, that

Finland is often cited as the happiest country in the world because it has topped the World Happiness Report for several years in a row since 2018. The World Happiness Report is an annual publication that ranks global well-being using data collected from more than 140 countries. The data measures

Flour is bleached to speed up the aging process, which improves its baking qualities. Unbleached flour also is aged to enhance its baking performance, but it is aged naturally after milling instead of through bleaching. Because different forms of bleach are used to whiten or lighten fabrics, hair,

Grass is green because of the presence of chlorophyll throughout the leaves and stems. Chlorophyll is a pigment that allows plants to capture energy from the Sun in order to power the process of photosynthesis. Given that most grasses lack trunks or woody stems like trees or shrubs, their

The island of Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland, which is a sovereign country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland endured a hard-fought birth. Ruled from Great Britain since the 13th century, its citizens, many of them suppressed Catholics,

It would be natural to think that a spelling bee gets its name from the buzz created when students compete in bees at the local, state, and national levels. Natural, but wrong. This kind of bee has absolutely nothing to do with that kind of bee. Let’s start with the term bee, which generally refers

The day following Thanksgiving—commonly referred to as Black Friday—has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States. National chain stores traditionally offer limited money-saving specials on a wide variety of goods in an effort to lure shoppers into stores while

Historians use the phrase “Cold War” to refer to the long period of rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies following World War II. The Cold War was unique in that it did not involve direct military confrontation between the U.S.-led Western bloc and the Soviet-led

The Mandela effect is named after former South African president Nelson Mandela due to a widespread but false memory about his death. The term was coined by Fiona Broome, a paranormal researcher, after she discovered in 2009 that she and many others shared a vivid, yet incorrect, memory of Mandela

The term Persian Gulf refers to Persia—a historic region associated with modern Iran—whose coastal lands lie along the gulf’s northern shoreline. From early in recorded history the gulf was identified consistently with its northern shore because of the prominence of the Persian Achaemenian Empire

Touching a manatee is illegal in the United States. The ban’s aim is to protect these vulnerable marine mammals from harm and stress caused by human interaction. The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, is safeguarded under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered

This article was originally published on March 19, 2020. Knowing the incubation period of an infectious disease—the time from exposure to the causative agent to when symptoms first appear—can provide important information during an outbreak, including when infected individuals will be symptomatic

About 20 percent of South Korea’s population of 49.3 million (2015 est.) has the family name Kim. That’s about 10 million people. Lee is the second most common name, and Park (or Pak) is the third. All told, about 45 percent of Koreans have one of these three names! But why are Kims so particularly

The origins of Labor Day can be traced to the labor movement of the late 19th century in the United States. There is some uncertainty as to who deserves credit for the idea; most cite either Peter J. McGuire, a union leader who founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in 1881, or Matthew

Los Angeles is called the “City of Angels” because the literal meaning of its name in Spanish is “The Angels.” The city’s full original name was “El Pueblo de la Reina de los Angeles,” which means “The Town of the Queen of the Angels.” This name was given by the Spanish settlers who established the

Making moonshine—a term that can refer to any illicitly distilled liquor—is illegal primarily because of the significant health hazards homemade alcohol poses. Unregulated production environments can introduce dangerous contaminants and faulty distillation techniques may leave methanol, a poisonous

Since the late 20th century, there has been a growing movement in the United States to legalize marijuana. In 1996 California made news as the first U.S. state to approve the decriminalization of pot for medical use, and medical marijuana was later allowed in other states. Then in 2012 Washington

The distinct reddish color of Mars is primarily due to the presence of iron oxide (commonly called “rust”) in the dust and rocks that cover the planet’s surface. Mars has been associated with the color red for centuries. In various historical cultures and mythologies, Mars has been linked to death,

Pasteurization is a heating process used to make foods and beverages, including milk, safe for consumption. First suggested for milk in 1886, it was widely adopted in the early 20th century to combat diseases once commonly carried in raw milk, such as tuberculosis, typhoid, and diphtheria. Today

Missouri has long been known as the Show Me state, but the origins of that nickname aren’t entirely clear. Perhaps the best-known story involves a Missouri representative named Willard Duncan Vandiver. After a tour of the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1899, the congressman was invited to a meeting of

You have a new job—congrats! Even better, it’s payday! But, wait. You were supposed to earn $1,000 this pay period and not all of that money is in your bank account. What happened? Let’s go through your pay stub to learn how to read it. Employers use different software and companies to produce

New Jersey became known as the Garden State in the 18th century because of its fertile land and agricultural productivity. Although modern New Jersey is highly urbanized and has one of the United States’ highest population densities, agriculture remains a vital part of the economy and culture.

New York is called the “Empire State” due to its historical significance, economic power, and cultural influence. The nickname is often attributed to a 1785 letter written by George Washington, in which he praised New York for its strength during the American Revolution and referred to it as “the

Niagara Falls is famous for its scenic splendor and distinctive natural features. It is situated on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York state, U.S. Niagara Falls is renowned for the sheer volume of water that cascades over its cliffs. The falls are divided into two main sections: the

Oklahoma earned its “Sooner State” nickname from settlers who jumped the gun—literally—during the Land Rush of 1889. At noon on April 22, a cavalry bugle signaled the official start of the run for 3,100 square miles of land in what had been Indian Territory. But some settlers slipped in early to

There are a number of different explanations for Paris being called the “City of Light” (“la Ville Lumière”). One reason is for Paris’s historical significance as a center for education and intellectual pursuits, particularly during the Enlightenment (17th and 18th centuries). This era was marked

Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State because of its central location among the original 13 American colonies and its crucial role in the founding and development of the United States. The term keystone refers to the stone in an arch that is located in the middle of the structure and is

Philadelphia is called the “City of Brotherly Love” because its name is derived from the Greek words philia, meaning love, and adelphos, meaning brother. The name reflects the ideals of its founder, the Quaker leader William Penn. He founded Philadelphia in 1681 with a vision of creating a place

An easy group dinner or a tasty midnight snack, pizza is a staple in the U.S. Americans love pizza so much that they eat 100 acres of pizza a day. (If you don’t measure your pizza consumption in acres, that’s about 350 slices of pizza per second!) Did you ever wonder how this Italian flatbread—now

In 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted the much-loved Pluto from its position as the ninth planet from the Sun to one of five “dwarf planets.” The IAU had likely not anticipated the widespread outrage that followed the change in the solar system’s lineup. When the announcement

The abbreviation “lbs” for the unit of weight pounds comes from the Roman term libra. The word libra means “scales” or “balance” in Latin, and the Latin phrase libra pondo means “pound by weight.” This ancient Roman unit of weight was brought to Britain, where it became the standard for weighing

Simply stated, predicting the future is hard work, and meteorologists should never be expected to get things exactly right everywhere at once, but they often get close. Since ancient times, weather prediction has used observations to forecast changes. For many generations, almanacs that contained

Colorful uplifting parades with floats and celebrities, joyous festivals, workshops, picnics, and parties are among the principal components of LGBTQ Pride Month, also called Gay Pride, which is celebrated in June in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Pride Month commemorates years

In 2018 petitioners addressing the United Nations (UN) Special Committee on Decolonization described the United States’ relationship with Puerto Rico, according to a UN report, “as one of genocide and ‘economic terrorism,’ characterized by multinational corporations—facilitated by the United

The popularity of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet can be attributed to its exploration of young romance through themes that resonate across generations. At the heart of Romeo and Juliet is the intense and immediate love between two young people. The play captures the essence of youthful

Root beer is a popular sweet, carbonated beverage that contains no alcohol. It is called “root beer,” however, because its original formulation was derived from roots and herbs, and the name was chosen to appeal to a specific customer. The primary ingredients in early recipes of the drink included

Russia is the world’s biggest country with a total area of 6,592,850 square miles (17,075,400 square km). Its vast size is a result of historical expansion, strategic conquests, and geographical features that have shaped its borders over centuries. Successive rulers have contributed to Russia’s

The ancient Greeks and Romans used saffron as perfume, and saffron is mentioned in the Chinese materia medica from the 1550s. Today the herb is also used as a cooking spice and a clothing dye. It’s now an essential part of some Eastern, Middle Eastern, and European dishes, such as the French

Seattle is called the Emerald City because of its abundant parks and greenbelts, which give it a vibrant, lush appearance year-round. In addition to ample vegetation within the city itself, Seattle is surrounded by areas of great natural beauty, including the densely forested Olympic Peninsula and

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 because, according to legend, it marks the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick, originally from Roman Britain, was kidnapped, enslaved, and brought to Ireland at the age of 16. After escaping and making his way back to Britain,

The temperature people feel outside is largely based on the absorption of radiant energy from the Sun. Differing seasonal temperatures are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis, which is at an angle of about 23.4 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. Summer occurs when a part of Earth is

Tennessee earned the nickname the “Volunteer State” due to its residents’ remarkable willingness to serve in the military, especially during key moments in U.S. history. The origin of the nickname dates back to the War of 1812 when a large number of Tennesseans volunteered to fight under Andrew

Texas is called the Lone Star State because of its historical association with the single star on its flag. This star symbolizes the unity and solidarity of the people of Texas under “God, state, and country.” The term “Lone Star” is deeply rooted in Texas’s history, particularly in its fight for

Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the United States, but formally establishing the day on which it is to be observed was difficult and fraught with controversy. By federal law, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November since 1942, but numerous other

The American film industry is located in and around Hollywood, California, because of a combination of geographic, legal, and economic factors. Initially, much of the movie-making industry in the United States was centered in colder, northern cities, such as New York City and Chicago. As demand for

There are a number of theories for the origin of the word cockpit, used to describe the area from which a pilot operates the controls and instruments to fly an aircraft. Here are some of the most popular hypotheses: In aviation, the cockpit has evolved significantly over the years, from the open

The Gobi Desert, spanning parts of northern China and southern Mongolia, is famously known as a “cold desert” due to its extreme climate. Unlike more familiar hot deserts, such as the Sahara, the Gobi experiences long, bitter winters with temperatures often plunging below −40 °C (–40 °F). Yet it

The Huang He, also known as the Yellow River, is often referred to as “China’s Sorrow” due to its long history of devastating floods. The river’s lower reaches, particularly across the North China Plain, are prone to overflowing because of the heavy silt load. Since the 2nd century bce, the Huang

The first full year of auto racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was 1910. Races were held over the weekends of Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day), the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. However, attendance fell off over the summer. The speedway’s management felt there had been too much

Five centuries after Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa (1503–19), the portrait hangs behind bulletproof glass within the Louvre Museum and draws thousands of jostling spectators each day. It is the most famous painting in the world, and yet, when viewers manage to see the artwork up close,

The North Sea is considered dangerous because of its shallow depths, frequent storms, and strong tidal currents. With depths measuring less than 120 feet (35 meters), particularly in the southern regions, and many shallow, shifting banks, the North Sea can be treacherous for ships. The presence of

When sunlight hits the ocean, the different wavelengths of light are either absorbed or scattered by water molecules and other particles. Some wavelengths, like those on the red end of the light spectrum, are absorbed rapidly and are not available for scattering, but blue and blue-green wavelengths

“Water, water everywhere,/ Nor any drop to drink.” This famous line, spoken by the lost sailor in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, sums up one of the basic difficulties of life at sea: humans need water to survive, but seawater is too salty to drink. In fact, most of

When 18th-century zoologist George Shaw published the first scientific description of a platypus, many of his contemporaries did not believe that the animal was real. Shaw himself had initially believed the specimen to be a hoax consisting of body parts from different animals, sewn together to

Plenty of paintings have been called the “most controversial,” and the Salvator Mundi (produced after 1500; “Savior of the World”) is only the latest to be given that title. After the artwork sold as a previously lost Leonardo da Vinci in 2017 for $450.3 million—the highest price paid for a work of

One of the perennial questions of childhood is “Why is the sky blue?” You may have asked this as a child, or you may have a child now asking you! The explanation begins with the ultimate source of light in our solar system: the Sun. Sunlight appears white, but this white light is made up of all the

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable statues in the United States. It is often seen as a symbol of freedom and justice, core principles in the United States’ Declaration of Independence from the British Empire in 1776. But why did sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi choose to make

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, is a monumental grave that honors unidentified military service members who sacrificed their lives in wartime. The tomb was installed in 1921 and originally held the remains of one unidentified soldier from World

In October 2025 the administration of U.S. Pres. Donald Trump announced the extension of a $40 billion bailout package to Argentina. The U.S. Treasury would provide a $20 billion currency swap to prop up Argentina’s ailing peso (a deal that was finalized on October 20), while an additional $20

The drinking age is 21 in the United States because of federal legislation enacted in 1984, known as the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. This act pressured states into raising their minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to 21 by dictating that a portion of their federal transportation funding would

The red, white, and blue used in the U.S. flag are deeply linked to the country’s historical ties with Britain. The colors mirror those used in the British Union Jack, reflecting the colonial heritage of the United States. The nation’s earliest flags, used during the American Revolution,

A wake is a religious rite that traditionally involves mourners staying awake to watch over the body of a deceased person the night before the person’s burial. The term wake has its roots in ancient customs, particularly in the British Isles. The original purpose of a wake was rooted in the belief

If we pronounce the title Mrs. as “missus,” why is there an r in it? Despite its pronunciation, the abbreviation Mrs. is derived from the title mistress, which accounts for that confusing extra letter. Mistress is the counterpart of master, which—you guessed it—is abbreviated to Mr. (Of course,

Rain and other forms of precipitation fall on our planet as slightly acidic fresh water. As some of this water washes over the landscape, it physically erodes rocks and chemically breaks them down. It then carries salts from the rocks into rivers and other streams and deposits the salts in the

Utah’s moniker of the “Beehive State” comes from the reputation bees have for industriousness, a value that is an intrinsic part of the the the state’s history and culture. The beehive symbol is derived from the sacred Book of Mormon, where “Deseret” means “honeybee.” This term was used by the

Each March, Americans celebrate National Women’s History Month: a chance to recognize women’s varied, and often under-recognized, accomplishments throughout history. It is celebrated with television specials, political speeches, classroom learning initiatives, and (more recently) social media posts

Saul Bass: His Why Man Creates (1968) won the Academy Award for best short-subject documentary.

Roy Del Ruth: Later work: His final film was Why Must I Die? (1960), an account of Barbara Graham, a party girl convicted and executed for murder; it was an alternate treatment to director Robert Wise’s I Want to Live! (1958).

Daron Acemoglu: Contributions to studies of political economy and economic development: Among them are Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (2012), authored with his fellow laureate James Robinson, which argues that countries with “inclusive” political institutions and respect for the rule of law tend to be prosperous, while those with “extractive” institutions that enforce extreme…

Many cities are known by nicknames. But why? Here’s how nine of the world’s most famous cities earned their iconic monikers. list, geography, nicknames, major cities, famous cities, citiesNew York City is known by many nicknames—such as “the City that Never Sleeps” or “Gotham”—but the most popular

Christopher Hitchens: Hitchens’s later works include Why Orwell Matters (2002), Thomas Jefferson: Author of America (2005), and Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man: A Biography (2006). With God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007) Hitchens issued a rallying cry to the atheist movement; he dubbed the quartet formed by him…

Michael Fried: … (1987), Art and Objecthood (1998), Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before (2008), After Caravaggio (2016), and What Was Literary Impressionism? (2018).

Children love sweets (a fair portion of children, at least). There’s just one sweet that the smaller and younger members of that crowd are strictly advised to never consume: honey. The World Health Organization is just one of many medical groups worldwide that agree that honey should not be fed to

William Shakespeare may have poo-pooed the importance of names by asking “What’s in a name?” But when it comes to the Roman Catholic Church the answer is: “A lot.” The name chosen by a pope has, throughout the history of the church, offered insight into the way he would lead the Church’s now 1.3

On the morning of January 25, 1884, Jane Pitts woke up to newspaper headlines that her daughter Helen, without her knowledge, had married the famous abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass. The news of the union shocked many people, and scrutiny came from all sides at once toward the newlyweds,

Nazi leader Adolf Hitler imagined his dictatorial regime as the historical successor to two great German empires. By claiming for his government the mantle of the Third Reich, Hitler attempted to position himself within the larger context of German and European history. In his mind, Hitler’s

The Black Panther comic book superhero has long been a Marvel fan favourite, especially among comic enthusiasts of colour. But when the Wakandan prince took to the big screen in 2018 as the lead in his own movie, his story shattered box-office records, took over the Internet, and inspired millions.

The question “Why wasn’t Auschwitz bombed?” is not only historical. It is also a moral question emblematic of the Allied response to the plight of the Jews during the Holocaust. Moreover, it is a question that has been posed to a series of presidents of the United States. In their first meeting in

In the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is observed annually on the third Monday in January. The day commemorates the life and work of Dr. King, who was a Baptist minister and prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. People are encouraged to use the day to “reflect on the

Anatole Litvak: The Hollywood years: …with Frank Capra on the Why We Fight series of documentaries, codirecting (uncredited) Prelude to War (1942), The Nazis Strike (1943), Divide and Conquer (1943), The Battle of Russia (1943), The Battle of China (1944), and War Comes to America (1945).

The gender wage gap continues to be a subject of study—mainly because it still exists even after women have made decades of progress in education and the workforce. So, why does the disparity in pay between men and women still exist? Why Does the Gender Wage Gap Persist?When will we find an

Whyalla, city and port, southern South Australia, on the east coast of Eyre Peninsula opposite Port Pirie and northwest of Adelaide. It was created in 1901 by the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd. (BHP) as the Spencer Gulf terminus of a tramway bringing iron ore from the Middleback Ranges for

Ouidah, town in southern Benin, western Africa. It lies along the Gulf of Guinea. The town was the main port of the Kingdom of Abomey in the 18th and 19th centuries. Portuguese, French, Dutch, Danish, British, and Americans all vied for a share of the slave and palm-oil trade made available through

whydah, any of several African birds that have long dark tails suggesting a funeral veil. They belong to two subfamilies, Viduinae and Ploceinae, of the family Ploceidae (order Passeriformes). The name is associated with Whydah (Ouidah), a town in Benin where the birds are common. In the Viduinae,

Canadian literature: Poetry and poetics: …while George Elliott Clarke’s collage Whylah Falls (1990) uncovers the life of Canadian blacks in a 1930s Nova Scotia village. In mapping arrivals and departures through an increasing diversity of voices and selves, celebrating and mourning differences, and protesting coercion, constraint, and smugness in a bountiful array of forms from…

Edward Whymper was an English mountaineer and artist who was associated with the exploration of the Alps and was the first man to climb the Matterhorn (14,692 feet [4,478 metres]). Privately educated, Whymper entered his father’s wood engraving business and ultimately succeeded as head of it. He

wendigo, a mythological cannibalistic monster in the spiritual tradition of North American Algonquian-speaking tribes. It is associated with winter and described as either a fearsome beast that stalks and eats humans or as a spirit that possesses humans, causing them to turn into cannibals. There

wendigo, a mythological cannibalistic monster in the spiritual tradition of North American Algonquian-speaking tribes. It is associated with winter and described as either a fearsome beast that stalks and eats humans or as a spirit that possesses humans, causing them to turn into cannibals. There

Wi-Fi, networking technology that uses radio waves to allow high-speed data transfer over short distances. Wi-Fi technology has its origins in a 1985 ruling by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that released the bands of the radio spectrum at 900 megahertz (MHz), 2.4 gigahertz (GHz), and

Wi-Fi: …Compatibility Alliance (WECA, now the Wi-Fi Alliance), a global nonprofit organization created to promote the new wireless standard. WECA named the new technology Wi-Fi. (Wi-Fi is not an abbreviation for “wireless fidelity”; the name was created by a marketing firm hired by WECA and chosen for its pleasing sound and…

Wi-Fi: A version of Wi-Fi called Wi-Fi Direct allows connectivity between devices without a LAN.

Biak Island, largest of the Schouten Islands and part of the Indonesian province of Papua, which spans the greater portion of western New Guinea. The island is 45 miles (72 km) long and 23 miles (37 km) wide and occupies an area of 948 square miles (2,455 square km) at the entrance to Cenderawasih

Groundhog Day: …best known being those portraying Wiarton Willie, a white-furred, pink-eyed creature that has appeared on the Bruce Peninsula, northwest of Toronto, since 1956.