In July 2021, Amazon founder and multibillionaire Jeff Bezos launched himself into space. What’s more surprising about this? He’s hardly the first non-government-agency-affiliated person to reach the edge of the cosmos. Here’s a brief history of private spaceflight. 1961: Just four years after the Soviet Union launched two Sputnik satellites, the first manmade objects to […]
English is a living, breathing, constantly evolving language. It’s a Germanic language, which means that German also has its fair share of made-up words (specifically, “compound nouns”) to describe very specific experiences in life. Der Treppenwitz This translates to “the staircase joke,” and it refers to when you think up the perfect comeback or witty […]
It was back in 1959 — 60 years ago — that Alaska became a state (#49 overall). Here’s some trivia about what makes “The Land of the Midnight Sun,” a.k.a. “The Last Frontier” one of a kind. That will pay you to live there. The Alaskan state government makes so much money off of the […]
“Big in Japan” is a slightly derisive term in the music business. It refers to American singers and bands that haven’t quite found much success stateside, but who are supposedly “big in Japan.” Sometimes, it’s actually true. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick didn’t really pop in the U.S. until after Live in […]
Have you ever wondered why there are two cities named Kansas City…specifically how the larger one isn’t even in Kansas at all? Kansas City vs. Kansas City There are two places in the Midwest named Kansas City, and they both sit and prosper along the Missouri River…although on opposite sites. There’s the major metropolis of […]
Any halfway decent hotel offers turn-down service or some mints on your pillow. Other hotels go the extra mile or two. Here are some hotels with singular benefits to possibly check our during your summer travels. GONE FISHIN’ Travelers staying at the Happy Guests Lodge, a hotel in Warrington in west-central England, guests can bring […]
Taos, New Mexico is home to an artistic community, a lot of turquoise jewelry, unbelievably beautiful landscapes…and a strange noise that’s baffled scientists. Out of the blue Sometime out of the blue in the early ‘90s, residents of the northern New Mexico city of Taos — and not from any one part of town either […]
Should you ever find yourself in Canada and don’t understand the conversation, here’s a handy guide. (And if none of these come up…well, you just might be in the French-speaking part of Canada.) Keener: A person who tries desperately to please others or who’s just far too enthusiastic. Runners: Running shoes, sneakers. Supply teacher: A […]
As the world prepares to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—and all things Irish—here’s a look at some of the things that can only be found on the Emerald Isle. Halloween as a National Holiday? Think Halloween is a big deal in the U.S.? It’s bigger in Ireland. It’s the only place in the world where Halloween […]
In 2016, a vacation rental company transformed a first-floor conference room in the Eiffel Tower into a luxury two-bedroom apartment, and four lucky contest winners got to call the tower home for a night. But there once was a man who could live there as he pleased. (This article was first published in Who Knew?) […]
When you think about it, it’s kind of weird and amazing that humans have created machines that allow us to travel through the sky and into space. It makes sense then that there are going to be some weird stories about what happens when humans take to the skies. THE SKY KING The U.K.’s Prince […]
Real questions asked by people on vacation.
Cold, hard facts about the cold, hard continent.
Most airport names are self-explanatory: Denver International Airport, or Los Angeles International Airport, for example. But what about all those major airports that have been named after major figures? Ever been to one and wondered about the person they’re named after, and you didn’t know because you weren’t from that area? Here are those stories. […]
It’s more than just saying “hello?” Answering the phone in different countries and in different languages varies quite a bit, and depends on local customs and idioms. Here’s what you would say if you picked up a ringing phone in… Italian In Italy, the common greeting is “Pronto.” That translates roughly to “Ready,” as in, […]
Pittsburgh used to be Pittsburg and New York used to be New Amsterdam. And then there are these American towns that got a lot of publicity when they came up with new names for themselves. Hot Springs, New Mexico “Truth or Consequences” is a very mysterious name for a town, particularly a sparsely populated one […]
America has a number of iconic places where some amazing history has happened. What does all that add up to? Ghosts. Here are some spooky stories you may have never heard about American landmarks. The Ghost Ship of the Golden Gate Bridge It gets pretty foggy in San Francisco, particularly around Golden Gate Strait. In […]
There are certain places you hear mentioned on the news or read about in magazines that aren’t exactly countries—they’re more like regions or “geographic distinctions.” But where are they? (Here they are.)
