First facts and facts about firsts, from the Random Facts shelf.
24 facts on this shelf
George W. Bush is the first u.s. president to declare himself exempt from over 750 U.S. laws, sidestepping most of the bill of rights including the constitutional requirement that the president follow all laws. Yes, they mentioned it specifically to suppress tyranny.
The first central power plant Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan, built by Thomas Edison began generating electricity on September 4, 1882. Pearl Street had one generator and it produced power for 800 electric light bulbs. Within 14 months, Pearl Street Station had 508 subscribers and 12,732 bulbs.
Since the first power plant (thomas edison's power plant) lit up 800 light bulbs in 1882, the electric utility industry has grown to generate over 2.5 million gigawatt-hours annually, the equivalent of lighting 4.8 billion 60-watt light bulbs for a year
The first use of gas energy in the United States occurred in 1816, when gaslights illuminated the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.
Popular culture also holds the year 2000 as the first year of the twenty first century and the third millennium. In the Gregorian Calendar, however, this distinction falls to the year 2001. This is because the first century began with the year 1 (there was no year zero)
In 1830 the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company built the first railroad station in Baltimore.
The first ambulance service was established in Cincinnati in 1865.
100 is the sum of the first nine prime numbers, as well as the sum of two prime numbers (47 + 53), and the sum of the cubes of the first four integers (100 = 1^3 + 2^3 + 3^3 + 4^3). Also, 2^6 + 6^2 = 100
In 1865 the first speed limit was introduced in Britain - 2 mph in town and 4 mph in the country.
The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It To Beaver".
Internet Retailer magazine makes a list of the Top 50 Retailing Websites. We're checking them out one by one, the first to jump out is GiftBaskets.com Inc
You have to hand it to them, no matter if it's a grandkid's birthday or a valentine day surprise, gift baskets rule.
Now, till April 30, Gift Baskets.com is discounting shipping on overnight Gift Basket Emergency delivery!
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It To Beaver".
In 1963, baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." On July 20, 1969, a few hours after Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, Gaylord Perry hit his first of six home runs.
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was the first cartoon built around a line of toys.
the first movie theaters were called nickelodeons
There are 3 classifications of burns. a) First degree burn only involves the outer layer of skin. b) Second degree burn involves several layers of the skin tha become blistered. c) Third degree burn is all layers of the skin,underlying tissue and organs. Nerves are damaged and sometimes destoyed.
A mild burn, run under cold tap water for 10 minutes, (do not use ice). A first degree burn, leave alone 24 hours, do not cover and avoid any product application. A second degree burn, apply antibiotic ointment and cover with sterile dressing. If blisters break open clean with tap water. A third degree burn, needs immediate medical attention. Have person lie down, and cover burn with clean sheet, until medical professional arrives.
Initial public offering (IPO) — The first time a company sells stock to the public. An IPO is a type of a primary offering, which occurs whenever a company sells new stock, and differs from a secondary offering, which is the public sale of previously issued securities, usually held by insiders. Some people say IPO stands for "Immediate Profit Opportunities." More cynicIt's Probably Overpriced."
The first test-tube baby was born in Britain in 1978
In 1862, to support the Civil War, Congress enacted the nation's first income tax law. Congress eliminated the income tax in 1872 and it had a short-lived revival in 1894 and 1895.
In 1913 the income tax was brought back and became a permanent part of American life. It provided a seemingly unlimited source of funds to finance ever-growing government, and it gave the government an excuse to pry into every aspect of your life.
On July 20, 1969 the first manned spacecraft landed on the moon. The Moon was first visited by Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959. It is the only extraterrestrial body to have been visited by humans. The last time the moon was visited by man was in December of 1972.
During the second half of the 18th century, Ben Franklin was the one who began the scientific study of lightning. He designed an experiment which conclusively proved the electrical nature of lightning. The experiment revealed that clouds are electrically charged so began his journey into lightning. Learn more here.