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150: Marilyn vos Savant
Today is the birthday of the person who held the world record for highest IQ. Here are some things you may not have known about Marilyn vos Savant. First, Savant is an author, columnist and lecturer who was born on August 11, 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. At the age of 10 she said she…
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149: Louvre and Smithsonian
Today is the anniversary of two of the world’s great museums, the Louvre and the Smithsonian Institution. First, the Louvre opened in Paris on this date in 1793. The building was originally constructed as a fortress in the 12th century by Phillip the Second. The museum opened one year after the fall of the French…
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148: Mata Hari
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, better known by her stage name of Mata Hari. Here are some things you may not have known about the dancer and German spy during World War One. She was born in 1876 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. At the age of 13, her father went…
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147: Lucille Ball
American comedian Lucille Ball was born on this date in 1911. Here are some things you may not have known about the star of “I Love Lucy.” First, despite claiming several times to have been born in Montana, Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown, New York. Her father was a telephone lineman who moved around…
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146: Harry Houdini
On this date in 1926, escape artist Harry Houdini performed what might have been his greatest feat, surviving 90 minutes in a sealed coffin submerged in a swimming pool. Here are a few things you may not have known about Houdini. First, Houdini was born Erick Weisz on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary. In…
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145: Maurice Richard and “The Sweater”
Today is the 94th anniversary of the birth of hockey hall of famer Maurice Richard. Here are a few things you may not have known about the player they called The Rocket. First, Richard was born in Montreal and went on to play 18 years for the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first player to…
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144: Theme Parks
On August 3, 1946, the first theme park, Santa Claus Land, opened in Santa Claus, Indiana. Here are some things you may not know about theme parks. First, there’s a difference between an amusement park and a theme park. Theme parks are amusement parks built around a particular theme. Santa Claus Land was built by…
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143: End of the Daily Tot
July 31 marks the 45th anniversary of the end of the daily rum ration in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. Here are a few facts about what was known as the daily tot. First, the ration was originally one gallon of beer per day. Eventually it was changed to pint of wine or…
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142: Medicare and Medicaid Signed into Law
50 years ago today, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Social Security Act of 1965 into law. Here are a few things you may not know about the act. First, it established Medicare and Medicaid, the first public health insurance programs in the United States. Medicare covers seniors age 65 and older, while Medicaid covers…
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141: Arc de Triomphe
On this date in 1836, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was dedicated. Here are a few things you may not have known about the monument. First, it is a memorial to those who fought and died in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. It is also the site of France’s Tomb of the Unknown…