Facts galore!!

Hello readers,

Facts are unique in nature. They are articulated to be both fun & fascinating to read as well as to provide general knowledge to the readers. Facts also provide us a peek into the culture of other societies and it also provides us information about our own society which we have not known about. I am a big fan of facts since my childhood as it provided me the urge for exploration while at the same time broadening my knowledge.

Here are a few facts that I read recently,

The red square did not get it's name from the red revolution of 1917. It has been called red (Krasnya) square since the middle ages because it has all along been red and beautiful. 

The bulldog did not get it's name from the fact that it's face looks like a bull. These dogs were used to fight bulls and hence the name!

The Turkish soldiers, defending Acre from Napoleon in 1799 were feeling miserable in the absence of the Hookah, which had been destroyed by cannon fire. They took out pieces of paper used for firing their guns and rolled tobacco in  it. That was the origin of Cigarettes!!

Though Galileo made his own telescope in 1609 and pioneered it's use as an astronomical instrument, he did not invent this instrument. It was invented a year earlier in Holland by Hans Lippershey.

All books usually give the name of Alexander Graham Bell of USA as the inventor of the telephone. He certainly deserves credit for inventing a practicable telephone but Phillip Reis of Germany had invented the telephone 15 years before him!!

On the Isle of Man, cardboard money was used as currency in 1815. That was of course token money but when Roman soldiers fought battles and shed their blood, they were often paid a few measures of salt as remuneration.

Native Americans bartered cattle and horses for beads which Europeans offered them.

Puli, the Hungarian sheep dog is extremely useful to man in herding sheep. It jumps on to the back of straying sheep and brings it back into the flock.

Trained Cormorants swim in water and catch fish for man. The birds are leashed and collared to prevent them from swallowing their catch.

Hope you enjoyed reading these facts. I'll see you next time with more fun facts!!

- Thejas 😉