Hetherington, an English haberdasher, supposedly caused a riot when he first wore a top hat in public. It's reported that several woman fainted when they first saw the top hat in 1797.
Various observations of distant galaxies have shown that the universe is expanding at an enormous rate. Other data show that it is gradually cooling, leading to the possibility that the universe will end when it freezes.
The tallest bridge the world is the Millau Viaduct, a cable-stayed type bridge, located in Millau, France. The structural height of the Millau Viaduct is 1,104 feet (336.4 meters).
Tumbleweeds originated in Russia and Siberia and they were brought to the United States in the 1870s, hidden among imported flax seeds. It only took 20 years for the plants to spread throughout the western United States and parts of Canada.
Ushi no toki mairi, meaning "Shrine visit at the hour of the ox" is a Japanese method of laying a curse to someone, involving nailing a straw effigy to a tree for seven nights straight!
