A not-very-sticky adhesive found its perfect use as a removable note.
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Vikings used fermented shark and ice-skates made of bone
History
Bone skates — typically horse or cow metatarsals strapped to the foot — were the primary winter transport across the frozen lakes of medieval Scandinavia.
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The Inca Empire stretched along the Andes for thousands of miles
History
At its peak, the Inca Empire managed an immense Andean territory with elaborate roads and storehouses.
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Cheese was discovered when milk was carried in animal-stomach pouches
Food
Early travelers reportedly stored milk in stomach pouches whose enzymes turned the milk into curds and whey.
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Cuneiform began with accounting
History
Some of the earliest writing grew from practical records of goods, livestock, and trade.
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The crossword puzzle became a newspaper sensation
History
The modern crossword craze began after a puzzle appeared in the New York World in 1913.
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The shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes
History
On 27 August 1896, the Anglo-Zanzibar War ended after roughly 38–45 minutes of British naval bombardment forced the sultan's surrender.
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Chess clocks were not used in early tournaments
Sports
Before the 1860s, players could think for hours; chess clocks were introduced to keep matches finishing in a reasonable time.
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Maya blue stayed bright for centuries
History
Maya blue pigment mixed indigo with clay, making a striking color that resists weathering.
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Coffee houses were called penny universities
History
In early modern England, coffee houses offered news, debate, and conversation for the price of a drink.
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The Roanoke Colony vanished mysteriously in the 1580s
Phenomena
English settlers at Roanoke disappeared between supply runs, leaving the word CROATOAN carved into a post.
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The peace symbol combines semaphore signals
History
The nuclear disarmament symbol uses semaphore forms for the letters N and D.
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Inca records used knots instead of pages
History
Quipu used cords, knots, and colors to store information across the Inca world.
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Medieval manuscripts hid doodles in the margins
History
Scribes sometimes filled book margins with animals, jokes, monsters, and strange little scenes.
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Paris Catacombs are a relocated underground ossuary
History
Bones from overcrowded cemeteries were moved into old quarry tunnels beneath Paris.
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Polynesian navigators read waves and birds
History
Long-distance voyagers used stars, swell patterns, clouds, wildlife, and memory to cross the Pacific.
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Velcro was inspired by burrs
History
Burdock burrs sticking to clothing and dog fur inspired the hook-and-loop fastener.
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Medieval books sometimes threatened thieves
History
Book curses warned that stealing or damaging a manuscript could bring spiritual consequences.
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Bakelite launched the age of synthetic plastics
History
Bakelite was one of the first fully synthetic plastics and could be molded into durable objects.
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The first soft drink to go viral was Pemberton's coca syrup
Food
John Pemberton's Coca-Cola began as a medicinal syrup in 1880s Atlanta before becoming a global beverage.
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Nintendo began with playing cards
History
Nintendo started in 1889 making hanafuda playing cards before moving into toys and video games.
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The Rosetta Stone repeats one decree in three scripts
History
The same ancient text in hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek helped scholars decode Egyptian writing.
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Napoleon was once attacked by a horde of bunnies
History
At an 1807 rabbit hunt staged in his honor, hundreds of (tame) rabbits were released and promptly charged the Emperor, mistaking him for the man who fed them.
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Teflon was discovered by accident
History
A chemist found a gas cylinder had produced a slippery white polymer instead of the expected refrigerant.
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