The word “literature” derives from the Latin littera, meaning “letter.” Though it originally described written work, the term today extends to oral traditions that were eventually set down in writing. Literature serves purposes well beyond entertainment, functioning as a vessel for knowledge, cultural memory, and historical record. The oldest recognized major work of world literature…
Category: Fun Facts
Fun Facts and Trivia About Emperor Augustus
Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus in 63 BC, the man who would become the Emperor Augustus came from a family of comfortable means but no particular political distinction. His path to prominence began with loss. His father died when he was four years old, and he was raised primarily by his mother and his grandmother, who…
Fun Facts and Trivia About The Chemical Element Terbium
Terbium is a chemical element with the symbol Tb and atomic number 65. It is a silvery-white rare earth metal that is both malleable and ductile. As the ninth member of the lanthanide series, terbium is a fairly electropositive metal that reacts with water, releasing hydrogen gas in the process. It never occurs in nature…
Fun Facts and Trivia About The Swiss Franc
The Swiss franc became Switzerland’s first unified national currency in the year 1850, replacing a disorganized collection of local coins that individual cantons and cities had each been issuing on their own. Before that change, every region could produce its own money, which made commerce and everyday payments across the country needlessly complicated. The federal…
Fun Facts and Trivia About Dr. Strangelove (1964 Film)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, most commonly referred to simply as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 political black comedy co-written, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The film draws loosely from Peter George’s 1958 thriller novel Red Alert, with the screenplay developed by George, Kubrick, and Terry…