| 2001/
Australia's highest mountain is named for Thaddeus Kosciusko,
the Polish general who fought in the American Revolution.
2002/ Of the million-plus
species of insects on earth, 3,000 of them are mosquitoes.
More than 165 of those live in the United States.
2003/ Latest figures
show the Brits spent £10 billion last year in pubs ,
bars and drinking out. An average of £1600 per person
over the year.
2004/ The most common
pub name in the UK is "The Red Lion'.
2005/ The Fifth Amendment
of the US Constitution is - 'No person shall be held to answer
for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment
or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in
the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual
service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person
be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy
of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case
to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.'
2006/ The only US President
to be born on the 4th July is Calvin Coolidge in 1872. He
was President from 1923 to 1929.
2007/ The Medal of Honor
is the highest award for valour in action against an enemy
force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in
the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented
to its recipient by the President of the United States of
America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional
Medal of Honor. The first award of the Congressional Medal
of Honor was made on March 25th, 1863, to Private Jacob Parrott,
and five others. Since then there have been 3,459 Medals of
Honor Awarded for 3,454 separate acts of heroism performed
by 3,440 individuals (including 9 “Unknowns”.
Today, there are 137 living Recipients of the Medal of Honor.
2008/ Mary Walker, a
surgeon in the civil war, was the only woman awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor at Bull Run on July 21,1861. There are nineteen
double recipients.
2009/ On the 29th January,
1856, Her Majesty Queen Victoria signed the Royal Warrant
that was to institute The Victoria Cross. It was to be, and
still is, the highest, and most highly prized, military decoration
to be awarded. Only issued for acts of outstanding bravery
and devotion to duty, it is open to all ranks, and can only
be issued in times of war. The Victoria Cross out-ranks all
other British and Commonwealth Orders, Decorations and Medals.
Since it's institution has only been awarded 1354 times, which
includes being awarded twice (signified by an additional bar)
to the same people, on three occasions!
2010/ The first was awarded
to: Mate Charles Lucas, Royal Navy, 21st June, 1854 in the
Crimean War. You can see a photograph of one of the double
winners (VC and Bar) here,
and more information about all three here
2011/ Hearts is the only
suit common to both American and German playing cards.
2012/ Maoris make up
about 8% of the overall population of New Zealand
2013/ The salesman in
"Death of a Salesman" sells ladies' hosiery.
2014/ The first person
to fly across the Pacific Ocean in 1928 in a plane called
the 'Southern Cross' was Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.
2015/ The first Australian
to win the Nobel Prize for Literature was Patrick White.
2016/ The US State with
the lowest per capita consumption of malt beverage is Utah.
2017/ A Harvard Nurses
Health Study surveyed 85,000 American women with moderate
alcohol consumption and found that mortality rate and the
risk for breast cancer was decreased.
2018/ Yaks milk is pink
in colour.
2019/ A cows stomach
has four compartments.
2020/ In the Mediterranean
Middle Ages, points of the compass were identified by names
of winds. The names of the winds were commonly known as tramontana
(N), greco (NE), levante (E), siroco (SE), ostro (S), libeccio
(SW), ponente (W) and maestro (NW). more
info
Click on the links below for more great
facts...
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