Cats are the only domestic animals that walk directly on their claws, not on their paws. This method of walking is called "digitigrade". When cats scratch furniture, it isn't an act of malice. They are actually tearing off...Read More

While the term gargoyle is most often applied to medieval work, buildings have always required a means of throwing the water off roofs, at least when not conveyed in gutters. In Egypt gargoyles ejected the water used in ...Read More

King Charles VIII of France, who ascended to the throne in 1483, was obsessed with the idea of being poisoned. As his phobia grew, the monarch ate so little that he died of malnutrition circa 1498.

Badminton was once known as battledore and shuttlecock. The game as we know it today took its name from Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England - home of the Duke of Beaufort.

A highly coveted necktie is the Battle of Britain tie, which was designed by and is still sold at Gieves and Hawkes. Only British airmen who fought in the battle are entitled to wear this dark blue tie, which bears the ...Read More

American Margot Fraser "discovered" Birkenstock sandals while on a holiday in Germany in 1966. She gained relief from a foot condition, and founded a trading company called Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc. in Novato, ...Read More