Most Recent Posts
Does the World’s Tallest Staircase Lead to the Top of a Skyscraper?
No! It leads to the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps. That mountain — Mt. Niesen in Switzerland — is known as…
When Were the First Cigarettes Made?
Cigarettes appear to have had antecedents in Mexico and Central America around the 9th century in the form of reeds and smoking tubes. The…
Why Did Monasteries Have Herb Gardens?
An important feature of all monasteries in the Middle Ages was the infirmary or home for the sick and the aged, and the herb…
What are the Small Hours?
The small hours are the early hours of the morning from midnight until daybreak, or in winter until about 5 o’clock. They are the…
When Was Braille Invented?
The Braille system of reading and writing was invented by a Frenchman named Louis Braille, in about 1829. It is an alphabet consisting of a