Archives are generally grouped by month of Main Page appearance. (Currently, DYK hooks are archived according to the date and time that they were taken off the Main Page.) To find which archive contains the fact that appeared on Did you know, go to article's
talk page and follow the archive link in the DYK talk page message box.
...that after two thousand years or more of continuous habitation the
Scottish island of Mingulay(pictured: old school house) was abandoned by its residents in
1912?
...that the Polish community is the only national (or ethnic) minority in the
Czech Republic that is linked to a specific geographical area?
...that Indian chess player Umakant Sharma was banned from playing competitive
chess for 10 years after being caught cheating with a
Bluetooth device sewn into his cap?
...that
surveying errors in
New England created areas known as gores, which are not part of any towns, have few or no inhabitants, and have no self-government?
...that Virgin Unite, the independent charitable arm of
Richard Branson's Virgin Group founded in 2004, ran an ad campaign that juxtaposed the
seven deadly sins with seven good deeds?
...that despite running for only 3 years, Aušra(pictured), the first national
Lithuanian newspaper, gave its name to the period between 1883 and 1904 in the
history of Lithuania?
...that Robert Bristow, the
British harbour engineer credited for the development of the
Indian port of
Kochi, also founded the first non white-exclusive club in the state?
...that the citizens of
Smyrna, Michigan withheld $25 from their deferred payment for Whites Bridge(pictured) because they were upset that the builders used second hand lumber?
...that, after having spent much of her 8 years in
Communist prisons in complete solitude, and willing herself to memorize events in daily succession, the
Romanian artist Lena Constante published her recollections in a diary?
...that Grevillea 'Superb' is a cultivated garden plant which flowers during all twelve months of the year?
29 December 2006
21:08, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
...that as one of the three original members of the
Royal Philatelic Society's Expert Committee, Edward B. Evans(pictured) edited most of the Society's early publications?
...that Maltese Jews were forced to pay for the financial damages caused by their absence in the country, after they were expelled from
Malta by the
1492Alhambra decree?
...that the canoe livery business is an important segment of the recreational goods rental industry?
...that when John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune opened the first secular girls' school in
Calcutta in 1849, outraged bystanders swore at the girls as they were carried to school in covered carriages?
...that Robert Cocking was the first person to die in a
parachuting accident, after a parachute of his own design (pictured) failed during a test at
Vauxhall Gardens in 1837?
...that Hortus Malabaricus, the earliest printed treatise on the
flora in
Asia, contains the first instances of
Malayalam types being used for printing?
...that the two fundamental reference points in the rowing stroke are the catch where the
oar blade is placed in the
water, and the extraction (also known as the 'finish' or the 'release') where the oar blade is removed from the water?
...that the "Hymn" for
tenor in the
cantata, Hodie, by
Ralph Vaughan Williams was composed because the originator of the part asked that he might be given more to sing?
...that Safaitic inscriptions,
graffiti written by
Bedouin in the
Syrian Desert between the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD, can be written
boustrophedon - from left to right then vice versa?
...that the
mathematicianAlexander Kronrod thought female computing staff members were more accurate than males and was known for helping terminal
cancer patients?
...that the camouflage of the pygmy seahorse(pictured) is so effective that the original specimens were only found after their host
gorgonian had been collected and placed in an aquarium?
...that the Henschel Hs 123 was a
sesquiplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft flown by the
Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early part of World War II?
...that Just a Gigolo (1978),
David Bowie's second major film, was so poorly received by critics that the singer quipped, "It was my 32
Elvis Presley movies rolled into one"?
...that the 180-
degreeturnout, or rotation of the leg, featured in
ballet allows for greater extension of the leg, especially when raising it to the side and rear?
...that
Owen Glendower, the last independent
Prince of Wales, who disappeared in 1412, has many aristocratic English descendants through his great-grandson Sir John Donne(work pictured), the
Yorkist courtier, soldier and diplomat?
...that the Nanai language, despite having only a few thousand speakers left, continues to contribute
loanwords to languages with even fewer speakers, such as
Udege?
...that the phenomenon of Renting-A-Russian sometimes refers to getting a male Russian ice dancer to country hop to pair with a female figure skater from another country?
...that the American singer Mary Fahl's first full-length solo album contains a song first written over 800 years ago in the
extinct language of
Mozarabic?
...that one of the finest
khachkar memorial stones is located at Goshavank Monastery in
Armenia, the place where the law of Armenia was first codified by
Mkhitar Gosh in the late 12th and early 13th century?
...that the high-pitched quack of the Call Duck was used to lure wild ducks into
funnel traps?
...that Roland Winters, who played the role of
Charlie Chan in six films, was just over 6 months younger than
Keye Luke, who played his son?
...that an impact wrench can deliver very high
torque to a fastener, while only requiring minimal effort from the user, and is one of the most commonly used
air tools?
...that Article 10 of the
Constitution of
Malaysia guarantees citizens certain rights on condition that these rights are not restricted by the government?
...that Zimbabwe is the only
cricket team to not lose its first
Test match since Australia won the very first Test in 1877?
...that the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 is a law passed by the
United States Congress in December 2006 for the purpose of protecting the reputation and honor of US military heroism medals due to the larger number of fake military heroes in the USA?
...that, in addition to the seven-day
week, the Javanese calendar incorporates a five-day week, which runs concurrently to produce a repeating
cycle of 35 days?
...that there has been a long history of activism at Ohio Wesleyan University(protest pictured), endorsed by the inaugural address of its first president?
...that the obedience to orders and dogged resistance of the Russian infantry at the Battle of Golymin in
1806 greatly impressed
Napoleon and his army?
...that one of only five extant Rafetus swinhoei soft-shelled turtles is thought by residents of
Hanoi,
Vietnam to be the magical Golden Turtle God named Kim Qui?
... that the
printmaking technique of
mezzotint was invented in 1642 by professional soldier Lieutenant-Colonel Ludwig von Siegen? (example mezzotint pictured)
...that Major General John Paton commanded the rear party during the evacuation of
Anzac Cove in
World War I and was one of the last
Australian soldiers to leave the beach?
...that
U.S.soldierLouis R. Rocco single-handedly carried three comrades out of a burning
helicopter under enemy fire, despite having burned hands, a broken wrist and a fractured hip?
...that the Théâtre Optique(pictured) show of 1892 was the first public projection of moving images, predating the
Lumière Brothers' screening by three years?
...that coral within tropical oceans is being used as a tropical cyclone observation to date past hurricanes, by looking for concentrations of the oxygen isotope
O-18?
...that industrialist Joseph S. Cullinan (pictured) worked in the oilfields of
Pennsylvania from the age of 14, but would later help shape the early
oil industry in
Texas?
...that in 2005 the Constitutional Court of Spain ruled that Spanish courts may hear cases regarding
genocide in which there were no Spanish victims, thereby reversing a decision of the country's
Supreme Court?
...that Chris Phatswe committed
suicide by crashing his
Air Botswana plane into two other planes belonging to the airline, effectively crippling operations?
16:44, 9 December 2006 (UTC)
...that Kalos inscriptions found on antique
Attic vases (pictured), usually contain the author's declarations of love for the young man represented in the vase-painting?
...that during his lifetime, Radu Irimescu worked as a
German naval officer,
Romanian Air Force pilot, banker, businessman, government minister, and diplomat to the
United States?
...that a Congreve clock uses a rolling ball rather than a
pendulum to regulate the time?
... that the first printed and illustrated travel-book published in the West included a 5-ft (1.6 m) long fold-out view of
Venice in
woodcut by Erhard Reuwich?
...that the Khooni Darwaza (literally Gateway of Blood) is a
16th century monument in
Delhi,
India that was named for the various incidents of bloodshed associated with it?
...that the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, launched in
1975, was one of the first demonstrations that showed the potential of satellite technology as an effective mass communication media?
...that the Eskaya tribe are the object of
internationalarcheological studies considering their distinct culture, language and alphabet not found elsewhere in the world?
5 December 2006
19:18, 5 December 2006 (UTC)
...that Russian Jewish painter
Marc Chagall created the windows of the St Stephan church(pictured) in
Mainz as a sign of Jewish-German reconciliation?
...that the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm was the most significant snow event for southern Texas since
1895 with a maximum of 1.5 inches of accumulated snow?
...that
Ming Dynasty general Gang Bingcastrated himself and placed his severed organs under Emperor
Yongle's saddle to avoid being accused of sexual improprieties?
...that the southern side of Mount Elden(pictured) in the state of
Arizona was left almost entirely devoid of vegetation after a 4600-acre
wildfire ran through the area in June 1977?
...that, in the early 1890s, the Berlin wine tavern Zum schwarzen Ferkel was the meeting place for a circle of mostly Scandinavian writers and artists that included
August Strindberg and
Edvard Munch?
...that
SovietsniperRoza Shanina's declaration "I shall return after the battle" would be paraphrased in a book title?
05:30, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
...that according to legend, the masons who built Corcomroe Abbey(pictured) in
Ireland were killed to stop them from building another masterpiece elsewhere?
...that Henry Burrell was the first person to successfully keep the
Platypus in captivity, in a habitat of his own design that he called a platypusary?
...that Marmoutier Abbey in
France was destroyed four times between its construction in the 4th Century and the raising of a
private school on its latest ruins?
Archives are generally grouped by month of Main Page appearance. (Currently, DYK hooks are archived according to the date and time that they were taken off the Main Page.) To find which archive contains the fact that appeared on Did you know, go to article's
talk page and follow the archive link in the DYK talk page message box.
...that after two thousand years or more of continuous habitation the
Scottish island of Mingulay(pictured: old school house) was abandoned by its residents in
1912?
...that the Polish community is the only national (or ethnic) minority in the
Czech Republic that is linked to a specific geographical area?
...that Indian chess player Umakant Sharma was banned from playing competitive
chess for 10 years after being caught cheating with a
Bluetooth device sewn into his cap?
...that
surveying errors in
New England created areas known as gores, which are not part of any towns, have few or no inhabitants, and have no self-government?
...that Virgin Unite, the independent charitable arm of
Richard Branson's Virgin Group founded in 2004, ran an ad campaign that juxtaposed the
seven deadly sins with seven good deeds?
...that despite running for only 3 years, Aušra(pictured), the first national
Lithuanian newspaper, gave its name to the period between 1883 and 1904 in the
history of Lithuania?
...that Robert Bristow, the
British harbour engineer credited for the development of the
Indian port of
Kochi, also founded the first non white-exclusive club in the state?
...that the citizens of
Smyrna, Michigan withheld $25 from their deferred payment for Whites Bridge(pictured) because they were upset that the builders used second hand lumber?
...that, after having spent much of her 8 years in
Communist prisons in complete solitude, and willing herself to memorize events in daily succession, the
Romanian artist Lena Constante published her recollections in a diary?
...that Grevillea 'Superb' is a cultivated garden plant which flowers during all twelve months of the year?
29 December 2006
21:08, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
...that as one of the three original members of the
Royal Philatelic Society's Expert Committee, Edward B. Evans(pictured) edited most of the Society's early publications?
...that Maltese Jews were forced to pay for the financial damages caused by their absence in the country, after they were expelled from
Malta by the
1492Alhambra decree?
...that the canoe livery business is an important segment of the recreational goods rental industry?
...that when John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune opened the first secular girls' school in
Calcutta in 1849, outraged bystanders swore at the girls as they were carried to school in covered carriages?
...that Robert Cocking was the first person to die in a
parachuting accident, after a parachute of his own design (pictured) failed during a test at
Vauxhall Gardens in 1837?
...that Hortus Malabaricus, the earliest printed treatise on the
flora in
Asia, contains the first instances of
Malayalam types being used for printing?
...that the two fundamental reference points in the rowing stroke are the catch where the
oar blade is placed in the
water, and the extraction (also known as the 'finish' or the 'release') where the oar blade is removed from the water?
...that the "Hymn" for
tenor in the
cantata, Hodie, by
Ralph Vaughan Williams was composed because the originator of the part asked that he might be given more to sing?
...that Safaitic inscriptions,
graffiti written by
Bedouin in the
Syrian Desert between the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD, can be written
boustrophedon - from left to right then vice versa?
...that the
mathematicianAlexander Kronrod thought female computing staff members were more accurate than males and was known for helping terminal
cancer patients?
...that the camouflage of the pygmy seahorse(pictured) is so effective that the original specimens were only found after their host
gorgonian had been collected and placed in an aquarium?
...that the Henschel Hs 123 was a
sesquiplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft flown by the
Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early part of World War II?
...that Just a Gigolo (1978),
David Bowie's second major film, was so poorly received by critics that the singer quipped, "It was my 32
Elvis Presley movies rolled into one"?
...that the 180-
degreeturnout, or rotation of the leg, featured in
ballet allows for greater extension of the leg, especially when raising it to the side and rear?
...that
Owen Glendower, the last independent
Prince of Wales, who disappeared in 1412, has many aristocratic English descendants through his great-grandson Sir John Donne(work pictured), the
Yorkist courtier, soldier and diplomat?
...that the Nanai language, despite having only a few thousand speakers left, continues to contribute
loanwords to languages with even fewer speakers, such as
Udege?
...that the phenomenon of Renting-A-Russian sometimes refers to getting a male Russian ice dancer to country hop to pair with a female figure skater from another country?
...that the American singer Mary Fahl's first full-length solo album contains a song first written over 800 years ago in the
extinct language of
Mozarabic?
...that one of the finest
khachkar memorial stones is located at Goshavank Monastery in
Armenia, the place where the law of Armenia was first codified by
Mkhitar Gosh in the late 12th and early 13th century?
...that the high-pitched quack of the Call Duck was used to lure wild ducks into
funnel traps?
...that Roland Winters, who played the role of
Charlie Chan in six films, was just over 6 months younger than
Keye Luke, who played his son?
...that an impact wrench can deliver very high
torque to a fastener, while only requiring minimal effort from the user, and is one of the most commonly used
air tools?
...that Article 10 of the
Constitution of
Malaysia guarantees citizens certain rights on condition that these rights are not restricted by the government?
...that Zimbabwe is the only
cricket team to not lose its first
Test match since Australia won the very first Test in 1877?
...that the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 is a law passed by the
United States Congress in December 2006 for the purpose of protecting the reputation and honor of US military heroism medals due to the larger number of fake military heroes in the USA?
...that, in addition to the seven-day
week, the Javanese calendar incorporates a five-day week, which runs concurrently to produce a repeating
cycle of 35 days?
...that there has been a long history of activism at Ohio Wesleyan University(protest pictured), endorsed by the inaugural address of its first president?
...that the obedience to orders and dogged resistance of the Russian infantry at the Battle of Golymin in
1806 greatly impressed
Napoleon and his army?
...that one of only five extant Rafetus swinhoei soft-shelled turtles is thought by residents of
Hanoi,
Vietnam to be the magical Golden Turtle God named Kim Qui?
... that the
printmaking technique of
mezzotint was invented in 1642 by professional soldier Lieutenant-Colonel Ludwig von Siegen? (example mezzotint pictured)
...that Major General John Paton commanded the rear party during the evacuation of
Anzac Cove in
World War I and was one of the last
Australian soldiers to leave the beach?
...that
U.S.soldierLouis R. Rocco single-handedly carried three comrades out of a burning
helicopter under enemy fire, despite having burned hands, a broken wrist and a fractured hip?
...that the Théâtre Optique(pictured) show of 1892 was the first public projection of moving images, predating the
Lumière Brothers' screening by three years?
...that coral within tropical oceans is being used as a tropical cyclone observation to date past hurricanes, by looking for concentrations of the oxygen isotope
O-18?
...that industrialist Joseph S. Cullinan (pictured) worked in the oilfields of
Pennsylvania from the age of 14, but would later help shape the early
oil industry in
Texas?
...that in 2005 the Constitutional Court of Spain ruled that Spanish courts may hear cases regarding
genocide in which there were no Spanish victims, thereby reversing a decision of the country's
Supreme Court?
...that Chris Phatswe committed
suicide by crashing his
Air Botswana plane into two other planes belonging to the airline, effectively crippling operations?
16:44, 9 December 2006 (UTC)
...that Kalos inscriptions found on antique
Attic vases (pictured), usually contain the author's declarations of love for the young man represented in the vase-painting?
...that during his lifetime, Radu Irimescu worked as a
German naval officer,
Romanian Air Force pilot, banker, businessman, government minister, and diplomat to the
United States?
...that a Congreve clock uses a rolling ball rather than a
pendulum to regulate the time?
... that the first printed and illustrated travel-book published in the West included a 5-ft (1.6 m) long fold-out view of
Venice in
woodcut by Erhard Reuwich?
...that the Khooni Darwaza (literally Gateway of Blood) is a
16th century monument in
Delhi,
India that was named for the various incidents of bloodshed associated with it?
...that the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, launched in
1975, was one of the first demonstrations that showed the potential of satellite technology as an effective mass communication media?
...that the Eskaya tribe are the object of
internationalarcheological studies considering their distinct culture, language and alphabet not found elsewhere in the world?
5 December 2006
19:18, 5 December 2006 (UTC)
...that Russian Jewish painter
Marc Chagall created the windows of the St Stephan church(pictured) in
Mainz as a sign of Jewish-German reconciliation?
...that the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm was the most significant snow event for southern Texas since
1895 with a maximum of 1.5 inches of accumulated snow?
...that
Ming Dynasty general Gang Bingcastrated himself and placed his severed organs under Emperor
Yongle's saddle to avoid being accused of sexual improprieties?
...that the southern side of Mount Elden(pictured) in the state of
Arizona was left almost entirely devoid of vegetation after a 4600-acre
wildfire ran through the area in June 1977?
...that, in the early 1890s, the Berlin wine tavern Zum schwarzen Ferkel was the meeting place for a circle of mostly Scandinavian writers and artists that included
August Strindberg and
Edvard Munch?
...that
SovietsniperRoza Shanina's declaration "I shall return after the battle" would be paraphrased in a book title?
05:30, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
...that according to legend, the masons who built Corcomroe Abbey(pictured) in
Ireland were killed to stop them from building another masterpiece elsewhere?
...that Henry Burrell was the first person to successfully keep the
Platypus in captivity, in a habitat of his own design that he called a platypusary?
...that Marmoutier Abbey in
France was destroyed four times between its construction in the 4th Century and the raising of a
private school on its latest ruins?