Strange Things You Probably Never Knew !!!

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.

The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and
down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2" by 3-1/2".

During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen
in the distance (and Heston's wearing a watch).

On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily!
(That explains a few mysteries....)

Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per
side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange,
purple and silver.

Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space
because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them.

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Weatherman Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald.

If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will
instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who
discovered this??)

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down
so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in
the USA."

The original name for butterfly was flutterby.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which
stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player
for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot
sink into quicksand.

Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a
piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin
look-alike contest.

An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman
to take more than three steps backwards while dancing!

The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book
most often stolen from public libraries.

The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave!

Thanks to Deborah for submitting this!!

And another via email --this comes by Suzie T....

In the 1400's a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Men can read smaller print then women can; women can hear better.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne

Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?

A. Their birthplace.

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the "honeymoon".

Useless Men Facts (Funny for all)

1. Men are like .Laxatives ...... They irritate the crap out of you.
2. Men are like. Bananas . The older they get, the less firm they are.
3. Men are like
Weather . Nothing can be done to change them.
4. Men are like ...
Blenders You need One, but you're not quite sure why.
5. Men are like ...
Chocolate Bars . Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.
6. Men are like ..
Commercials ?....... You can't believe a word they say.
7. Men are like
Department Stores . Their clothes are always 1/2 off!
8. Men are like .....
Government Bonds ?.... They take soooooooo long to mature.
9. Men are like ....
Mascara . They usually run at the first sign of emotion.
10. Men are like
Popcorn ... They satisfy you, but only for a little while.
11. Men are like
Snowstorms . You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.
12. Men are like .......
Lava Lamps .. Fun to look at, but not very bright.
13. Men are like
Parking Spots All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

BEATLES TIMELINE FACTS

July 7, 1940 - Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) is born in Liverpool.

October 9, 1940 - John Lennon is born in Liverpool.

June 18, 1942 - Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool.

February 24, 1943 - George Harrison is born in Liverpool.

1957 - John Lennon, age 16, forms the Quarry Men, a band comprised of pals from his school, Quarry Bank Grammar.

July 6, 1957 - Paul McCartney, age 15, meets John at a Quarry Men performance at Woolton Parish Church fete. Soon after, John invites him to join the band.

February 1958 - George Harrison, age 15, joins the group.

January 1960 - Stu Sutcliffe, a friend of John's at Liverpool College of Art, is asked to join the group as bass guitarist. The band changes its name to Silver Beetles, then Silver Beatles.

August 1960 - Drummer Pete Best joins group, now known as simply the Beatles. He accompanies the band to Hamburg where, over five visits between now and December 1962, the group hones its sound at the Indra, Kaiserkeller, Top Ten and Star clubs.

December 27, 1960 - Having returned to Liverpool the Beatles appear on this date at a local public hall, Litherland Town Hall, prompting fan frenzy. Their popularity secure, they work the North West of Britain steadily to committed followers for the next two years.

Spring 1961 - Stuart Sutcliffe quits the Beatles.

November 1961 - The Beatles meet Brian Epstein, who becomes their manager. They start to polish their image and seek a recording contract.

January 1, 1962 - They audition (unsuccessfully) for Decca Records in London.

April 10, 1962 - Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg.

June 6, 1962 - The Beatles audition for George Martin, a producer at EMI. He signs them, and becomes their producer throughout the Beatles' career.

August 16, 1962 - Pete Best leaves the Beatles.

August 18, 1962 - Ringo joins the band.

October 5, 1962 - The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do" is released in the United Kingdom. It rises to a respectable #17 on the British charts.

January 11, 1963 - The Beatles" second single, "Please Please Me," is released in the U.K.. It goes to #1 on the British charts on February 22 and stays there for two weeks.

February 11, 1963 - In a single day, the Beatles record their first full album, also entitled "Please Please Me." They record ten songs, which were added to the previously recorded "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "P.S. I Love You," and "Ask Me Why."

March 22, 1963 - The album "Please Please Me" is released in the U.K. and becomes a runaway hit. Once it hits number one, it remains there for 29 weeks. The Beatles have taken Britain by storm and successive singles all hit number one: "From Me To You," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The album is released in America in July with the title, "Introducing the Beatles," and initially flops.

October 1963 - Beatlemania spreads through Europe. (This is the month biographers and Beatles scholars often point to as the start of the Beatles' phenomenal popularity).

October 13, 1963 - Beatles play on ITV's "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" which is broadcast to 15 million viewers. (This show in the United Kingdom was analogous to "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the U.S.)

November 4, 1963 - The Beatles appear at the Royal Command Performance, performing for the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Before beginning "Twist and Shout," John tweaks the crowd with his comment, "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry."

November 22, 1963 - The band's second album "With the Beatles" is released in the U.K., remaining in the top position on the British charts for 21 weeks. It features the songs "All My Loving," "Please Mr. Postman," "Roll Over Beethoven," and others. It succeeded the first album in the number one spot, and together the Beatles were top on the album charts for 51 consecutive weeks.

November 29, 1963 - The single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" is released in the U.K. and immediately hits number one on the charts. It is released in the U.S. December 26 that year, and spends seven weeks at number one.

January 20, 1964 - The album, "Meet the Beatles!" is released by Capitol Records in the U.S. On February 15 it hits number one on Billboard's chart in America, where it remains for 11 weeks.

February 7, 1964 - The Beatles land at JFK Airport in New York. The British Invasion begins. Fans surround the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles are staying.

February 9, 1964 - The Beatles perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and are watched by a record-setting 73 million people (23,240,000 households, according to A.C. Nielsen). They perform five songs, "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

February 11, 1964 - The Beatles give their first live performance in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.

February 12, 1964 - The Beatles perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

February 16, 1964 - The Beatles perform for the second time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Approximately 70 million people tune in (22,445,000 households).

February 23, 1964 - The Beatles appear for the third time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," this time with a taped performance of three songs.

March 2, 1964 - Filming commences on the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night," and is completed in eight weeks.

March 31, 1964 - The Beatles hold the top five slots on Billboard's chart: (1) Can't Buy Me Love, (2) Twist and Shout, (3) She Loves You, (4) I Want To Hold Your Hand (5) Please Please Me--a musical first.

April 4, 1964 - The Beatles hold 14 slots on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

July 6, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" premieres in London. It cost $500,000. The film is well-received by critics and the public.

July 10, 1964 - The album "A Hard Day's Night" is released in the U.K., hitting number one there, as well as in America after its U.S. release in August.

August 11, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" opens in America and is a huge hit.

August 19, 1964 - The Beatles perform at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, in the first concert of their USA/Canada tour, which lasts a month.

December 4, 1964 - The album "Beatles For Sale" is released in the U.K. and hits number one.

February 23, 1965 - Shooting begins in the Bahamas on the Beatles' second film, "Help!"

June 12, 1965 - The Beatles are named Members of the British Empire by the Queen, and in October they are presented with medals at Buckingham Palace.

July 29, 1965 - The Beatles second feature film, "Help!" opens in London. It opens in the U.S. on August 11 that year. It cost $1.5 million to make and was very successful.

August 6, 1965 - The album, "Help!" is released in the U.K. and becomes a number one hit there and in the U.S.

August 15, 1965 - The Beatles play for a record-breaking 55,600 people at New York's Shea Stadium, grossing $304,000 dollars. The Beatles' share was $160,000.

December 3, 1965 - The album, "Rubber Soul," is released in the U.K. and goes to number one there and in the U.S.

August 5, 1966 - The album, "Revolver," is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S.

August 29, 1966 - The Beatles give their last live concert, in San Francisco, California.

June 1, 1967 - The album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts all over the world, holding the number one slot in Britain for 27 weeks and for 19 in America. It receives four Grammys including Best Album.

June 25, 1967 - The Beatles star in "Our World," a two-hour satellite television program transmitted live by satellite to five continents and 24 countries. They perform "All You Need is Love." This was the first live television satellite program to air worldwide.

August 27, 1967 - Brian Epstein dies. The Beatles learn of his death while they are visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, Wales. The spiritual leader is introducing people to Transcendental Meditation (TM).

November 27, 1967 - The album, "Magical Mystery Tour," is released in the U.S. where it hits number one. It is released in the U.K. eleven days later as an extended play disc, without three singles.

December 26, 1967 - "Magical Mystery Tour," the Beatles' hour-long television special airs in the U.K., where it is seen by approximately 14 million viewers and not liked by critics.

February 1968 - The Beatles travel to Rishikesh, India, to attend a TM seminar hosted by Maharishi at his center. They stay a few weeks.

May 14, 1968 - John and Paul appear on "The Tonight Show" (with guest host Joe Garagiola) to announce that their company, Apple, desires to help young artists.

July 17, 1968 - "Yellow Submarine," the animated film, premieres in London. It opens in America several months later and becomes a great success.

November 22, 1968 - The album, "The Beatles" ('White Album'), is released and zooms to number one in Britain and America.

January 13, 1969 - The soundtrack, "Yellow Submarine," is released in the U.S. and reaches the number two position on the British and American charts (number one was held by the White Album).

January 30, 1969 - The Beatles perform together for the last time live, singing many songs, on the roof of Apple's London office. The scenes were included in what became the documentary "Let It Be."

Mid-September, 1969 - John decides to "divorce" the Beatles, but he does not announce it publicly because of contract negotiations taking place with EMI. By this time, George and Ringo have each quit the band for short spells, returning soon after.

September 26, 1969 - The Beatles last studio album, "Abbey Road," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts there and in America.

November 25, 1969 - John returns his Member of the British Empire medal to Buckingham Palace as an anti-war protest, and, he says in his letter to the Queen, in protest against his single "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts.

April 10, 1970 - Paul announces publicly that he has left the Beatles.

May 8, 1970 - The Beatles last album, "Let It Be" (recorded before "Abbey Road"), is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S.

May 20, 1970 - The movie, "Let It Be," premieres in London. None of the Beatles attend.

Britney Spears Trivia - Britney Spears Facts - Britney Spears Information

Full Name: Britney Jean Spears

  • Birth Date: December 2, 1982
  • Born: Kentwood, Louisiana
  • Hair: Naturally brown. Blonde with brown.
  • Eyes: Brown
  • Favorite actor: Ben Affleck
  • Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch
  • Favorite City: Chicago (1999) - London (2004) - Marid (2004)
  • Favorite color: Baby blue
  • Favorite food: Mom's home cooking!
  • Favorite movie: Steel Magnolias
  • Favorite song: Purple Rain by Prince
  • Favorite sport: Basketball
  • Favorite TV Show: Friends, Sex & The City
  • Favourite Song from "...Baby One More Time" Album: "From the Bottom Of My Broken Heart"
  • Favourite Song from "Britney": "Slave 4 U"
  • Favourite Song from "In The Zone": "Everytime" and "Boom Boom"
  • Favourite Song From "Oops!... I Did It Again" Album: "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know"
  • First Hit Single: (debut) "...Baby One More Time" on late 1998
  • At age seven Britney won $50,000 in a singing contest.
  • Biggest Influence: Madonna
  • Britney auditioned to play Allie Nelson in The Notebook, but lost the part to Rachel McAdams.
  • Britney confirmed that her 5th studio album will be coming out in 2007.
  • Britney has a song with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake called "What is like to be me" on her album "Britney."
  • Britney has one Grammy award (won in 2005) and has six nominations: two nominations each in the 2000, 2001 and 2003 ceremonies. She also has had a total of 16 MTV Video Music Award nominations.
  • Britney has taken to signing autographs "Britney Federline," rather than "Britney Spears."
  • Britney hates flying on airplanes.
  • Britney performed on Star Search when she was eight years old. She also first auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club when she was eight but was turned down because she was too young.
  • Britney was voted the female star internet surfers are hungry to read about by the Pipex survey of 16-24-year olds.
  • Contract with Jive Records: signed at age 15
  • Crush: Brad Pitt
  • Dislikes: Her feet
  • Ex-Boyfriends: Reg, Justin Timberlake
  • Ex-Husband: Jason Allen Alexander
  • Hobbies: singing, dancing, shopping, watching tv and going to the movies, travelling, spending the day at a spa, long baths, going to the beach, reading romantic novels
  • Husband: Kevin Federline
  • She sang "New York, New York" (Frank Sinatra) on her "Broadway" phase, performing in NY.
  • She sang "Open Arms" (Mariah Carey) at her neighboard's wedding and send the tape to Jive when she was trying to get a record deal.
  • She'd like to duet with Robbie Williams.
  • She'd like to work on a movie with George Clooney.
  • In the film "Seed of Chucky", Chucky runs 'Britney Spears' off the side of the road, causing her car to explode. Britney was portrayed by a look-alike, and TV spots displayed a cautionary bumper: "Britney Spears Does Not Appear In This Movie". Britney was concerned movie-goers might think she had actually died.
  • Nicknames: Brit, Bit-Bit, Pinky
  • On May 9, 2006, Brittany announced on The David Letterman Show that she was pregnant with her second child.
  • Parents' jobs: her father worked at construction, has owned a gym, and now owns a fast food restaurant JJ Chill at LA, and her mum used to be a primary school teacher.
  • Parents: Jamie & Lynne Spears
  • Pets: 3 dogs from childhood n up to 2004 + 3 new dogs
  • She appeared on Star Search twice and won once.
  • She sang "I'm a brass band" in one of the tapes she used for 'promoting' herself wen she was little.
  • She sang "Lavender's blue" in some kind of small event, with a blue shirt and a bow on her head, very cute.
  • Siblings: Jamie Lynn and Bryan
  • Tattoos: Fairy on her lower back, Chinese symbol on her lower tummy, Daisy on her toe
  • TV Break: The New Micky Mouse Club (11 yrs old)
  • When Britney first started in 1999, she was often compared to fellow mouseketeer, Christina Aguilera. There were many rumors of them feuding, while none were true.
  • When Britney gets angry and yells, Britney calls this alter-ego 'Mona Lisa'. Mona Lisa is credited as director for the music video 'Do Somethin'.
  • Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Useless Historical facts about life in England

  • In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight".
  • It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month or what we know today as the honeymoon.
  • In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's".
  • Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
  • In Scotland, a new game was invented entitled: Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden....and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

Kohinoor, World's Best Diamond

Information about the famous Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
Discover some fascinating information about the famous Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)

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Facts and Information about the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
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The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor diamond
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History & Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond
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Kohinoor Diamond - one of the World's most famous diamonds the Koh-i-Noor diamonds

Description of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Kohinoor Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The Kohinoor diamond was first mentioned in 1306 when it was taken from a Rajah of Malwa, whose family had held the diamond for centuries. It was described as weighing 186 carats and was an oval cut white diamond - the shape and size of a small hen's egg. The Kohinoor diamond belonged to various Indian and Persian rulers but it became part of the Crown Jewels of England at the time that Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India. The Kohinoor was re-cut at this time and now weighs 108.93 carats and is kept in the Tower of London.

Origin / Meaning of the name Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Kohinoor (Koh-i-Noor) originated from India in Golconda at the Kollur mine and was specifically mined from the *Rayalaseema diamond mine (meaning *Land of Stones) during the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty. The Kohinoor was then passed from one ruling dynasty to the next. The original name of the diamond was ‘Samantik Mani’ (Prince and leader among diamonds). In 1739 Nadir Shah, the King of Persia, invaded India and was said to refer to the diamond as the "Mountain of Light". The Persian-Arabic words for "Mountain of Light" were Koh-i-Noor. The magnificence of the diamond and its value symbolized the power of an Empire. It was said that "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes." Possession of the Kohinoor led to murder, torture, mutilation and treachery and stories of the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond...


The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Curse of Kohinoor Diamond dates back to a Hindu text from the time of the first authenticated appearance of the diamond in 1306. The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond reads:

"He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all
its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity."

The history and lives of the rulers who owned the Koh-i-Noor diamond were filled with violence, murders, mutilations, torture and treachery. Whether or not people believe in the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond, the history of the stone is undeniable - and the threat of the Koh-i-Noor curse is enough to make people cautious. The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor and from the reign of Queen Victoria, when the Kohinoor diamond came into their possession, it has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne. The History Timeline details the story of the Kohinoor diamond.

History of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
Myths and legends surround the stone. It was of incredible value and described by one of its owners, the Emperor Babur, the Great Mogul, as "Worth the value of one day's food for all the people in the world". The men who fought for it, and the Kingdoms and great Empires that were won and lost, produced many stories of ill-luck that plagued the owners and became part of the history of the Kohinoor diamond.

The History Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The following timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and dates:
Dates in History of the Kohinoor Timeline & History of Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)

1200 - 1300's

There were many dynasties who owned the Kohinoor diamond including the Slave dynasty (1206-90), the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413), the Sayyid dynasty (1414-51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526)These were all brief reigns ending with war and violence
1306 In 1306 the Rajah of Malwa was forced to give the diamond to the rulers of the Kakatiya Empire
1323

Soon after, in 1323, the Kakatiya Empire fell after a rule stretching from 1083 to 1323. The diamond was taken by Muhammad bin Tughluq who became the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351
1323 - 1526

The diamond came into the possession of the Delhi Sultanate which consisted of many Muslim dynasties that ruled in India to 1526. During the Delhi Sultanate Muslim armies consisting of Mongol, Turkic, Persian, and Afghan warriors invaded India
1526

In 1526 the Kohinoor Diamond passed to the Mughal Empire when the Timurid Prince Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans, at the First Battle of Panipat. Mughal is the Persian word for Mongol


Babur mentions in his memoirs, the Baburnama, that the diamond had belonged to an un-named Rajah of Malwa


The Mughal Empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for two hundred years and the Kohinoor passed from one Mughal Emperor to the next. Violence and bloodshed followed these years often marked by the sons of the Emperors rebelling and overtaking their fathers



The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592 – 1666), who was famous for building the Taj Mahal, had the Kohinoor Diamond placed into his ornate Peacock Throne
1639

The Koh-i-Noor changed ownership several more times until the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan took the throne. In 1639 a struggle for the Empire started between his four sons - Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh when brother killed brother. Shah Shuja executed his brother Dara Shikoh and in then 1658 Aurangzeb defeated Shuja and Shuja who was tortured to death together with all his family
1665

In 1665 Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689), French traveller and pioneer of jewelry and diamond trade with India, recorded his experiences in which he describes a great Mughal diamond said to be the biggest in the world. It was called the "Great Mogul" by Tavernier
1739

In 1739 the Persian King Nadir Shah invaded the Mughal Empire defeating their Emperor and stole the great Koh-i-Noor diamond (Nadir Shah is credited with giving the diamond the name it is known by today). The Koh-i-Noor Diamond was taken to Persia
1747

In 1747 the empire of Nadir Shah quickly disintegrated after he was assassinated - the Curse of the Kohinoor strikes again? After Nadir Shah's assassination, the diamond passed to his successors, each were dethroned and ritually blinded (Blinding was used to render an enemy powerless and make him a burden on his community.)
1800

1800 - Ranjit Singh took the Empire and possession of the Kohinoor diamond. Rajah Ranjit Singh died in 1839 and his successors lacked his bravery and vision


The Sikh kingdom became weak and the British conquered India which became part of the British Empire and the British Raj or rule gained control of India from 1858 - 1947


The British Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie, was responsible for the British acquiring the Koh-i-Noor

1851

1851 - Dalhousie arranged that the Kohinoor diamond should be presented by Ranjit Singh's successor, Duleep Singh, to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India
1851

1851 - The Great Exhibition was staged in Hyde Park in London when the Koh-i-Noor was put on view by the British public
1852

In 1852 Prince Albert ordered that the Koh-i-Noor diamond to be re-cut from 186 carats to its current 105 carats thus increasing its brilliance. The Koh-i-Noor diamond was mounted in a tiara with more than two thousand other diamonds


The Koh-i-Noor diamond was then used as the centre piece of the crowns of the Queen consorts to the British Kings. The Queen Consorts Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary wore the crowns
1936

In 1936, the stone was set into the crown of the wife of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother), wife of King George VI
The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor - "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity." And from the reign of Queen Victoria the Kohinoor diamond has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne


In 1850, it was given to Queen Victoria in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Oriental India Company. The Queen asked for the stone to be cut again, its 186ct then became 108,93. In 1911, a new crown was made for Queen Mary with the Koh-I-Noor as central stone. In 1937, it was transferred to the crown of Queen Elizabeth for her Crowning.
The diamond is now, along with other famous diamonds, part of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. The government of India has repeatedly lobbied the British Government and the British monarchy for the return of this diamond, claiming legitimate ownership. As of 2003, nothing has come of these requests.

Ten things you probably didn't know about Africa:

  1. The Nile is the longest river in the world, flowing through Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt - if all the bends in the river were straightened out, it would flow from the Equator right up to the Scottish Highlands.
  2. Many children in Africa don’t get the chance to go to school. If you grew up in Mali in west Africa, for example, you’d only have a one in three chance of being able to go to primary school. Puts things in perspective rather yes?

  3. Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa – the cheetah, which can run at an amazing 70 miles per hour, wildebeest, lion and gazelle.
  4. Lake Malawi in southern Africa is home to around 500 different types of fish. That’s more than anywhere else in the world! Gosh!
  5. Africa is almost an island. Its only connection to other land is the tiny Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
  6. Africa is the home of the Human species, which developed there about 5 million years ago.
  7. More people are killed in Africa by crocodiles than by lions. We probably should include crocs on our scary stuff page .. oh well, too late!
  8. The banjo as we know it originated from a single-string, gourd-bodied African lute (sometimes called the "hodu") which the Griots of West Africa played to accompany storytelling. Now, bet you feel better for knowing that!
  9. Only three countries in the world are bigger than the Sahara Desert – Russia, Canada and China. The Kalahari Desert in southern Africa covers an area larger than France.
  10. The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace prize winners is in Soweto, South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses in Vilakazi Street.

MIX Facts...abt science, people, nature, human body etc

Did you know that there are 206 bones in the adult human body and there are 300 in children (as they grow some of the bones fuse together).

Flea's can jump 130 times higher than their own height. In human terms this is equal to a 6ft. person jumping 780 ft. into the air.

The most dangerous animal in the world is the common housefly. Because of their habits of visiting animal waste, they transmit more diseases than any other animal.

Snakes are true carnivorous because they eat nothing but other animals. They do not eat any type of plant material.

The world's largest amphibian is the giant salamander. It can grow up to 5 ft. in length.

100 years ago: The first virus was found in both plants and animals.

90 years ago: The Grand Canyon became a national monument & Cellophane is invented.

80 years ago: The food mixer and the domestic refrigerator were invented.

70 years ago: The teletype and PVC (polyvinyl-chloride) were invented.

60 years ago: Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fission by splitting uranium, Teflon was invented.

50 years ago: Velcro was invented.

40 years ago: An all-female population of lizards was discovered in Armenia.

30 years ago: The computer mouse was invented.

20 years ago: First test-tube baby born in England, Pluto’s moon, Charon, discovered.

10 years ago: First patent for a genetically-engineered mouse was issued to Harvard Medical School.
5 years ago: The first successful cloning of human embryo

The smallest bone in the human body is the stapes or stirrup bone located in the middle ear. It is approximately .11 inches (.28 cm) long.

The longest cells in the human body are the motor neurons. They can be up to 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) long and run from the lower spinal cord to the big toe.

There are no poisonous snakes in Maine.

The blue whale can produce sounds up to 188 decibels. This is the loudest sound produced by a living animal and has been detected as far away as 530 miles.

The largest man-made lake in the U.S. is Lake Mead, created by Hoover Dam.

The poison arrow frogs of South and Central America are the most poisonous animals in the world.

A new born blue whale measures 20-26 feet (6.0 - 7.9 meters) long and weighs up to 6,614 pounds (3003 kg).

The first coast-to-coast telephone line was established in 1914.

The Virginia opossum has a gestation period of only 12-13 days.

The Stegosaurus dinosaur measured up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) long but had a brain the size of a walnut.

The largest meteorite crater in the world is in Winslow, Arizona. It is 4,150 feet across and 150 feet deep.

The human eye blinks an average of 4,200,000 times a year.




Skylab, the first American space station, fell to the earth in thousands of pieces in 1979. Thankfully most over the ocean.

It takes approximately 12 hours for food to entirely digest.

Human jaw muscles can generate a force of 200 pounds (90.8 kilograms) on the molars.

The Skylab astronauts grew 1.5 - 2.25 inches (3.8 - 5.7 centimeters) due to spinal lengthening and straightening as a result of zero gravity.

An inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain water is equivalent to 15 inches (38.1 centimeters) of dry, powdery snow.

Tremendous erosion at the base of Niagara Falls (USA) undermines the shale cliffs and as a result the falls have receded approximately 7 miles over the last 10,000 years.

40 to 50 percent of body heat can be lost through the head (no hat) as a result of its extensive circulatory network.

A large swarm of desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) can consume 20,000 tons (18,160,000 kilograms) of vegetation a day.

The largest telescope in the world is currently being constructed in northern Chile. The telescope will utilize four - 26 ft. 8 in. (8.13 meters) mirrors which will gather as much light as a single 52 ft. 6 in. (16 meters) mirror.

The Hubble Space Telescope weighs 12 tons (10,896 kilograms), is 43 feet (13.1 meters) long, and cost $2.1 billion to originally build.

The longest living cells in the body are brain cells which can live an entire lifetime.

The largest flying animal was the pterosaur which lived 70 million years ago. This reptile had a wing span of 36-39 feet (11-11.9 meters) and weighed 190-250 pounds (86-113.5 kilograms).

The Atlantic Giant Squid's eye can be as large as 15.75 inches (40 centimeters) wide.

Armadillos, opossums, and sloth's spend about 80% of their lives sleeping.

The starfish species, Porcellanaster ivanovi, has been found to live in water as deep as 24,881 feet (7,584 meters).

The tentacles of the giant Arctic jellyfish can reach 120 feet (36.6 meters) in length.

The greatest tide change on earth occurs in the Bay of Fundy. The difference between low tide and high tide can be as great as 54 ft. 6 in. (16.6 meters).

The highest temperature produced in a laboratory was 920,000,000 F (511,000,000 C) at the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor in Princeton, NJ, USA.

The most powerful laser in the world, the Nova laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA, USA, generates a pulse of energy equal to 100,000,000,000,000 watts of power for .000000001 second to a target the size of a grain of sand.

The fastest computer in the world is the CRAY Y-MP C90 supercomputer. It has two gigabytes of central memory and 16 parallel central processor units.

The heaviest human brain ever recorded weighed 5 lb. 1.1 oz. (2.3 kg.).

The deepest part of the ocean is 35,813 feet (10,916 meters) deep and occurs in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. At that depth the pressure is 18,000 pounds (9172 kilograms) per square inch.

The largest cave in the world (the Sarawak Chamber in Malaysia) is 2,300 feet (701 meters) long, 980 feet (299 meters) wide, and more than 230 feet (70 meters) high.

The hottest planet in the solar system is Venus, with an estimated surface temperature of 864 F (462 C).

The ears of a cricket are located on the front legs, just below the knee.



The first electronic digital computer (called ENIAC - the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) was developed in 1946 and contained over 18,000 vacuum tubes.

The leg muscles of a locust are about 1000 times more powerful than an equal weight of human muscle.

The cosmos contains approximately 50,000,000,000 galaxies.

There are between 100,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,000,000 stars in a normal galaxy.

Sound travels about 4 times faster in water than in air.

Scientists have discovered that copper pollution of the atmosphere occurred about 2500 years ago. This was discovered by analyzing ice cores from Greenland. The pollution was attributed to the Romans who used copper for military purposes and to produce coins.

Hydrofluoric acid will dissolve glass.

In a full grown rye plant, the total length of roots may reach 380 miles (613 km).

In a full grown rye plant, the total length of fine root hairs may reach 6600 miles (10,645 km).

A large sunspot can last for about a week.

If you could throw a snowball fast enough, it would totally vaporize when it hit a brick wall.

Boron nitride (BN) is the second hardest substance known to man.

The female Tarantula Hawk wasp paralyzes a large spider with her sting. She then lays her eggs on the motionless body so that her developing young have a fresh supply of spider meat to feed on.

The seeds of an Indian Lotus tree remain viable for 300 to 400 years.

The only letter not appearing on the Periodic Table is the letter “J”.

Velcro was invented by a Swiss guy who was inspired by the way burrs attached to clothing.

Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

October 10 is National Metric Day.

If you stretch a standard Slinky out flat it measures 87 feet long.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

Super Glue was invented by accident. The researcher was trying to make optical coating materials, and would test their properties by putting them between two prisms and shining light through them. When he tried the cyano-acrylate, he couldn't get the prisms apart.

No matter its size or thickness, no piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.

A car traveling at 80 km/h uses half its fuel to overcome wind resistance.

Knowledge is growing so fast that ninety per cent of what we will know in fifty years time, will be discovered in those fifty years.

According to an old English system of time units, a moment is one and a half minutes.

The typewriter was invented in 1829, and the automatic dishwasher in 1889.

The wristwatch was invented in 1904 by Louis Cartier.



When glass breaks, the cracks move at speeds of up to 3,000 miles per hour.

By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.

Ten minutes of one hurricane contains enough energy to match the nuclear stockpiles of the world.

Most gemstones contain several elements. The exception? The diamond. It's all carbon.

Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man.

Which of the 50 states has never had an earthquake? North Dakota.

When hydrogen burns in the air, water is formed.

Sterling silver contains 7.5% copper.

Cars were first made with ignition keys in 1949.

J.B Dunlop was first to put air into tires.

Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone, also set a world water-speed record of over seventy miles an hour at the age of seventy two.

It is energy-efficient to turn off a fluorescent light only if it will not be used again within an hour or more. This is because of the high voltage needed to turn it on, and the shortened life this high voltage causes.

The Earth's equatorial circumference (40,075 km) is greater than its polar circumference (40,008 km).

Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.

Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead.

The Earth's average velocity orbiting the sun is 107,220 km per hour.

There is a high and low tide because of our moon and the Sun.

The United States consumes 25% of all the world’s energy.

Flying from London to New York by Concord, due to the time zones crossed, you can arrive 2 hours before you leave.

There is enough fuel in a full tank of a Jumbo Jet to drive an average car four times around the world.

The surface speed record on the moon is 10.56 miles per hour. It was set with the lunar rover.

If you could drive to the sun -- at 55 miles per hour -- it would take about 193 years

The moon is one million times drier than the Gobi Desert.

Just twenty seconds worth of fuel remained when Apollo 11's lunar module landed on the moon.

A Boeing 707 uses four thousand gallons of fuel in its take-off climb.

The planet Saturn has a density lower than water. So, if placed in water it would float.

Since 1959, more than 6,000 pieces of 'space junk' (abandoned rocket and satellite parts) have fallen out of orbit - many of these have hit the earth's surface.

It takes 70% less energy to produce a ton of paper from recycled paper than from trees.

Every year in the US, 625 people are struck by lightning.

Hawaii is moving toward Japan 4 inches every year.

The rocket engine has to supply its own oxygen so it can burn its fuel in outer space.

The North Atlantic gets 1 inch wider every year.

Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, waters, and atmosphere (about 49.5%)

A stroke of lightning discharges from 10 to 100 million volts & 30,000 amperes of electricity.

A bolt of lightning is about 54,000°F (30,000°C); six times hotter than the Sun.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe (75%).

The average distance between the Earth & the Moon is 238,857 miles (384,392 km).

The moon is 27% the size of the Earth.

The Earth weighs 6.6 sextillion tons, or 5.97 x 1024 kg.

The center of the Sun is about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million °C).

Sunlight takes about 8 minutes & 20 seconds to reach the Earth at 186,282 miles/sec (299,792 Km/sec).

The highest temperature on Earth was 136°F (58°C) in Libya in 1922.

The lowest temperature on Earth was -128.6°F (-89.6°C) in Antarctica in 1983.

Sunlight can penetrate clean ocean water to a depth of 240 feet.

The average ocean floor is 12,000 feet.

The temperature can be determined by counting the number of cricket chirps in fourteen seconds and adding 40.

House flies have a lifespan of two weeks.

Chimps are the only animals that can recognize themselves in a mirror.

Starfish don't have brains.

The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

Shrimp's hearts are in their heads.

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds

Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

Porcupines float in water.

An ostrich's eye is bigger that its brain.

An iguana can stay under water for twenty-eight minutes.

The common goldfish is the only animal that can see both infra-red and ultra-violet light.

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

The pupil of an octopus' eye is rectangular.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

The leg bones of a bat are so thin that no bat can walk.

Ants cannot chew their food, they move their jaws sideways, like scissors, to extract the juices from the food.

Hummingbirds are the only animals able to fly backwards.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

A cat's jaws cannot move sideways.

Armadillos get an average of 18.5 hours of sleep per day.

Armadillos can walk underwater.

There are more beetles than any other kind of creature in the world.

Certain frogs that can survive the experience of being frozen.

Only humans sleep on their backs.

The human brain is 80% water.

Everyone's tongue print is different.

As an adult, you have more than 20 square feet of skin on your body--about the same square footage as a blanket for a queen-sized bed.

In your lifetime, you'll shed over 40 pounds of skin.

15 million blood cells are produced and destroyed in the human body every second.

Every minute, 30-40,000 dead skin cells fall from your body.

The brain uses more than 25% of the oxygen used by the human body.

If your mouth was completely dry, you would not be able to distinguish the taste of anything.

There are more living organisms on the skin of a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth.

Muscles are made up of bundles from about 5 in the eyelid to about 200 in the buttock muscle.

Muscles in the human body (640 in total) make up about half of the body weight.

The human body has enough fat to produce 7 bars of soap.

The human head is a quarter of our total length at birth, but only an eighth of our total length by the time we reach adulthood.

Most people blink about 17,000 times a day.

Moths have no stomach.

Hummingbirds can't walk.

Sea otters have 2 coats of fur.

A starfish can turn its stomach inside out.

A zebra is white with black stripes.

The animal with the largest brain in relation to its body is the ant.

The largest eggs in the world are laid by a shark.

A crocodile’s tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth.

Crocodiles swallow stones to help them dive deeper.

Giraffes are unable to cough.

Sharks are immune to cancer.

Despite the hump, a camel’s spine is straight.

Cheetah's can accelerate from 0 to 70 km/h in 3 seconds.

A giraffe's neck contains the same number of vertebrae as a human.

The heart of giraffe is two feet long, and can weigh as much as twenty four pounds.

On average, Elephants sleep for about 2 hours per day.

Lobsters have blue blood.

Shark's teeth are literally as hard as steel.

A mosquito has 47 teeth.

Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen make up 90% of the human body.

Seventy percent of the dust in your home consists of shed human skin

Fish are the only vertebrates that outnumber birds.

A cockroach can live for several weeks without its head.

The average human produces a quart of saliva a day -- about 10,000 gallons in a lifetime

Elephants have been known to remain standing after they die.

The embryos of tiger sharks fight each other while in their mother's womb, the survivor being the baby shark that is born.

Ants do not sleep.

Nearly a third of all bottled drinking water purchased in the US is contaminated with bacteria.

Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over 1 million descendents.

An Astronaut can be up to 2 inches taller returning from space. The cartilage disks in the spine expand in the absence of gravity.

The oldest known fossil is of a single-celled organism, blue-green algae, found in 3.2 billion year-old stones in South Africa.

The oldest multicellular fossils date from ~700 million years ago.

The earliest cockroach fossils are about 280 million years old.

Healthy nails grow about 2 cm each year. Fingernails grow four times as fast as toenails.

20/20 vision means the eye can see normally at 20 feet. 20/15 is better; the eye can see at 20 feet what another eye sees at 15 feet.

The average person has 100,000 hairs on his/her head. Each hair grows about 5 inches (12.7 cm) every year.

There are 60,000 miles (97,000 km) in blood vessels in every human.

Computing Facts...

Here are some interesting facts and figures from the Internet and tech world.

In 2002 Nintendo invested more than $ 140-Million in research and development. The US Federal Government spent less than half of that on research and innovation in education.

One out of eight couples which married in the US last year met online.

If MySpace were a country it would be the 11th largest in the world. As of September 2006 it had more than 106-million registered users.

The average MySpace page is visited 30 times a day.

The number of text messages sent and received per day exceeds the total population of the planet.

It is estimated that 40 Exabyte (40 x 10^19) of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year.

e-Paper will eventually be cheaper than real paper

47 million laptops were shipped last year

Predictions are that by 2013 a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computational power of the human brain.

Predictions are that by 2049 a $ 1000-00 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human race.

Source : A ppt "SHIFT HAPPENS -- www.slideshare.net"