Timbits2Toonies

Today in 1980 Terry Fox reached PEI—day 44 of his cross-country Marathon of Hope. The word sudoko translates into English as ‘the digits must remain single’. The bladder can store half a litre of urine comfortably for two to five hours. Atlantic City boasts the world’s largest organ; it boasts 33,114 pipes and weighs 150 tonnes. Dark humour : To kill a one-legged fox,  make him run halfway across Canada. Fez was the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco until 1927. Laughter stimulates the organs, improves the immune system and relieves pain. Today in 1521, Martin Luther was declared to be an enemy of the Holy Roman Empire. Children in Ontario may acquire a snowmobile license at the age of 12. A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused. For 1957, Chrysler Canada billed its entire corporate lineup as ’The Forward Look’. 1958 saw the introduction of the Hula Hoop and the skateboard. 39 million people around the...

Today in 1971 the British Government moved the £ Sterling to the decimal system. Invented by Italian designers, the beanbag chair is 51 years old.  It has never rained in Calama, Chile.  The Douglas Lake Ranch in Alberta is North America’s largest; 20,000 cattle graze on 480,000 acres of grassland. Ranch hands don’t bother to tell cattle jokes to their dogs—they’ve herd them all before.   February of 1865 is the only month in recorded history that did not have a full moon. Astronauts cannot cry in space because there is no gravity and tears can’t flow.  The Maple Leaf Flag was inaugurated today in 1965, in a Parliament Hill Ceremony. Danes obtain 43.4% of their electricity needs from wind power.  The moon is held in place by moonbeams.  Victorian children played Snap-Dragon: raisins were plucked from a bowl of burning brandy. Mail carriers in Russia wear firearms for protection.  A pregnant goldfish is called ...

From Sweden to India to Brazil, children play ’Simon Says’ in 34 different languages.  This is Unity Day for the 272,000 people who live in Vanuatu. According to Polish folklore, a spider wove a blanket for the baby Jesus, to keep him warm.  Because it is sticky, garlic juice is often an ingredient in adhesives and bonding agents.  An auction is where folk get something for nodding.  The weight of a ten-pin bowling ball may not exceed 7.26 kilos. Kentucky Fried Chicken is now the traditional Christmas meal in Japan.  ‘Freebie’ entered the lexicon in 1946. 15% of the world population is differently abled. Chickens chatter because talk is cheep.  Neptune is orbited by 14 moons. 92% of the people on the Solomon Islands are Christian. The first record of the Muffin Man’s residence in Drury Lane is 1820. Nova Scotia is the world’s largest exporter of Christmas trees. This Yuletide season, don’t get your tinsel in a...

Today in 1755, an earthquake and tsunami killed between 60,000 and 90,000 in Lisbon. Laughing fifteen minutes a day adds two days to your life.  Laid end-to-end, all the credit cards on Earth would circle the globe 3.5 times.  The porpoise is the second most intelligent mammal on the planet. Punctuality is the art of knowing how late the other party will be. Suzuki means bell wood or bell tree in Japanese. Cats have scent glands on their faces.  The birthstone for November is topaz.  Mehmed VI, the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, abdicated his throne today, in 1922. Only the mediocre are always at their best. Elephants love bananas and peel them before they eat them. The maximum one can sue for in an Albertan Small Claims Court is $50,000. 40% of all seaborne cargo is oil. Today in 1956, a coal mine explosion in Springhill, Nova Scotia killed 39; 88 were rescued. We grow too soon old and too late smart. ~Dutch proverb ...

There are 196 days until Christmas. Queen Elizabeth is the only woman head-of-state who served as a soldier in World War II. 99 years ago-today-the starting pistol cracked and the grandaddy of auto races roared to life in Indianapolis. 0.6 % of the  36.9 million of us actively wish to abolish the monarchy.  Dogs that attend flea circuses are likely to steal the whole show. Despite visiting 116 nations, Queen Elizabeth has never been issued a passport. Citizens of the Caribbean may pursue higher educations in 16 West Indian universities. A new word enters the English-language dictionary, once every 120 minutes. The 21st most powerful person in the world, Elon Musk holds South African and Canadian citizenship. Hugs make good gifts—once size fits all and they are easy to exchange. Born in 1953, Spud and Yam are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. It became a sin to eat ripe, red tomatoes once the Holy See declared the fruit to be an...

Fun Facts for 18 May 2018 There are two smidgens in a pinch and two pinches in a tad.  In 227 days, the world will ring in 2019—the Year of the Pig in Chinese astrology. Only three countries are not members of the United Nations.  Laughter is proven to increase weight loss. Worrying works. 94% of the things you fuss and fret over will never happen.  90% of Swedish men take paid ‘daddy leave’ to raise newborns, while their spouses work.  Not too late to lift a glass--yesterday was National Bloody Caesar Day across Canada. Folks have been diagramming sentences on the ‘parse tree’ since 1877. In the fifty United States, this is National Cheese Soufflé Day. The best way to keep your dreams alive is to hit the ‘snooze’ button.  Three to one is the ratio of sheep to humans in Wales. Today in 1974, India joined the nuclear club with the USA, the USSR, the UK, China and France. The Great Lakes are dotted with more th...