How Did Mahjong Get Its Name?
How Did Mahjong Get Its Name? Mahjong is probably of 19th Century origin. It is a Western version of a Chinese game and is played with 136 to 144 pieces or tiles,...
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Who First Used Keys?
Who First Used Keys? The first known form of lock and key was used by the Assyrians in the Middle East about 4,000 years ago. This was revealed by the discovery of such...
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Why India Wants to Color-code Its Passports?
Why India Wants to Color-code Its Passports? In India, the rich and poor inhabit vastly different worlds. Now, many fear, new government rules will deepen that divide...
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How Do Passport Covers Get Their Colors?
How Do Passport Covers Get Their Colors? It’s often assumed that passport covers can only be made in shades of blue, black, green, and red. And generally speaking, it’s...
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Why Do We Need Passports?
Why Do We Need Passports? Passports have been used for centuries as a means of identifying and protecting people traveling in foreign countries in times of both peace...
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What Is the Tennessee Valley Authority?
What Is the Tennessee Valley Authority? The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a United States government agency established in 1933 to control floods, improve...
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Does the World’s Tallest Staircase Lead to the Top of a Skyscraper?
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...
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When Were the First Cigarettes Made?
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...
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Why Did Monasteries Have Herb Gardens?
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...
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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 time when most people are asleep. But...
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