The following information comes from these sources:

#1

In 1916, the famous Russian mystic Rasputin survived 3 distinct attempts to kill him in quick succession. Assassins had tried to poison him first, then shot him, then finally stabbed him. Somehow Rasputin was still alive. This was short lived, however, as the assassins finally wrapped him in a blanket and tossed him in a river.

#2

In Chinese culture, smaller feet were considered to be more attractive and feminine, so the Chinese took to binding women’s feet together at a young age.

#3

Between 1890 and 1910, Bayer’s heroine was available in almost every drug store you walked in. It was sold as a non-addictive substitute for heroine and it was also used to cure children’s coughs.

#4

At first glance, these men look like twins or like the same person. These men had the same name, were sentenced to the same prison, and look nearly identical. They are not in any way related and never met each other prior to prison. They are also the reason fingerprints are now used in the criminal justice system.

#5

There was a form of torture called “The Spanish Donkey”. This was a painful and gruesome form of torture where weights were chained to a naked victim straddling a wood beam. This became such a science that the pain was able to be fine tuned by adjusting the amount of weight.

#6

The Catholic church believed that certain saints were “incorruptible”. While it seems silly in modern science, Saint Cecilia is proving modern science wrong. Saint Cecilia was martyred in 177 A.D., and her body has remained the same in the 1,843 years since. This defies the natural order and 5 of the 8 stages of death.

#7

The horrifies looks on the Guanajuato Mummies are considered by experts to be the most terrifying mummies in existence. Their horrified faces lead many to believe they were buried alive.

#8

“In February of 1948, dozens of ships near Indonesia started receiving distress calls from the Dutch ship SS Ourang Medan.  The messages read “All officers including captain are dead lying in the chart room and bridge. Possibly whole crew dead.”  This was followed by a series of indecipherable Morse Code messages, and then one final one, “I die”.  When the ship was later discovered however, the messages paled in comparison to the bodies of the crew.  Everyone on the ship was dead, and every body was frozen in place looking up at the sun, with arms outstretched and a contorted, almost anguished look on their faces.  And maybe the most strange of all, there were no signs of injuries on any of the bodies.”

#9

Joseph Stalin is one of the most brutal dictators the world has ever known. While he had no problem cutting people out of existence, this dictator did it in his paintings, too. When someone who was in the same painting as him was killed, he would cut them out by retouching the painting.

#10

This is not disturbing but it should be here anyway. This monkey became a hero in WW1, given a ribbon, and promoted to the rank of corporal.

#11

There might be fecal matter in your office coffee mug.

#12

A chicken once survived 18 months without a head.

#13

There’s a type of predatory fish that can walk on land.

#14

You shed about a pound and a half of skin a year.

#15

Peanut butter can contain rat hairs.

#16

There’s a species of lizard that shoots blood from its eyes.

#17

Parts of Albert Einstein’s brain is on display at a museum.

#18

Horses can’t vomit

#19

In 7 hours an elephant produces enough poop to outweigh an adult human.

#20

There used to be real human remains on Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

#21

The Romans used crushed mouse brains as toothpaste.

#22

When Eskimo babies have colds, the mothers suck the snot out of their nose.

#23

The FDA regulations allow 10 insects and 35 fruit fly eggs per 8 oz. of raisins.

#24

The FDA regulations also allow 1 pound of peanut butter to contain 150 bug fragments and 5 rodent hairs.

#25

Butterflies have been known to drink blood.

#26

Your desk, kitchen sink, grocery cart, cellphone, restaurant menu, and ATM all have more bacteria than your toilet bowl.

#27

From London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 16% of cell phones have poop on them.

#28

Koalas actually eat their mom’s poop

#29

According to the FDA, the average person consumes up to a pound of insects per year, mostly mixed into other foods.

#30

If you smell something, the molecules of that object are sticking to the inside of your nose.

#31

The chance of dying to get your lottery ticket is greater than your chance of winning.

#32

Most of what we know about the stages of hypothermia came from Nazi human experiments.

#33

Male chicks are often tossed into a grinder because roosters aren’t as tasty as hens.

#34

Approximately 2,500 left handed people die every year from using equipment designed for right handed people.

#35

Ice machines in restaurants are usually not cleaned. They have a part called a slime guard which, if seen on a bad day, you would never get ice again.

#36

During WW2, an American plane crashed on a Japanese island. There were 9 men aboard. 8 of them were captured and eaten. The other person was rescued was George H. W. Bush.

#37

The average mattress doubles in weight over the course of 10 years due to the accumulation of dust mites and dust mite poop.

#38

If a male lion takes over a pride he executes all of the cubs.

#39

There are more vacant houses than homeless people in the United States.

#40

15% of the air you breathe in an average metro station is human skin.

#41

There are over 200 corpses on Mount Everest that are used as waypoints for climbers.

#42

In 2008, 3 Texas teens were arrested for digging up a body and using the skull as a marijuana bong.

#43

Leo, the first ‘MGM Lion’ killed his trainer and 2 assistants a day after the filming of the iconic logo.

#44

More people die from suicide in New York than there are murdered.

#45

There is a gypsy tribe in India which believes that death is the greatest celebration and birth is the greatest grief.

#46

Italian serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli, known as the “Soap- Maker of Correggio,” turned her victims into bars of soap and tea cakes, which she gave to guests.

#47

During the filming of The Exorcist, multiple sets burned down, actors got mysteriously injured, and one of the actors, Jack Mcgowran, even died of influenza. Eventually, a priest was brought in to bless the set.

#48

Salt water takes 10 minutes to drown you.

#49

Bananas are radioactive

#50

Around 17ml of blood can substitute for an egg when baking.

Location

“Piha is a seaside village, west of Auckland, on New Zealand’s North Island. (Google)”

“A laid-back seaside village 45 minutes west of Auckland city, Piha is popular with local kiwis – especially in summertime. The dramatic beach, which is marked at each end by rugged cliffs, is a popular surfing location. The water has strong and often dangerous currents. However, in summer, surf lifesavers patrol an area clearly flagged for swimmers. (https://www.newzealand.com/us/piha/)”

Bordeaux is France’s greatest city, according to some. It is the hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. Public gardens line the curving river quays. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool. Bordeaux is the ninth-most densely populated European Union city. Producing four times as much wine as the second most famous region in France. Bordeaux is a production powerhouse. It has over 250,000 acres of vines and over 20,000 wine producers in the region. Bordeaux is a fairly safe city, but people should use common sense. Avoid wandering alone at night in the Gare St-Jean, Marché des Capucins and place de la Victoire areas. None of these areas are dangerous, but they can attract shady characters and feel unsavoury after dark. An interesting portfolio of art museums embracing all periods and genres is the icing on the cake to it’s magnificent architectural heritage. This city was under Britain’s control for over 300 years. Much information can be found here. Bordeaux is France’s greatest city, according to some. It is the hub of the famed wine-growing region, is a port city on the Garonne River in southwestern France. It’s known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux. Public gardens line the curving river quays. The grand Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool. Bordeaux is the ninth-most densely populated European Union city. Producing four times as much wine as the second most famous region in France. Bordeaux is a production powerhouse. It has over 250,000 acres of vines and over 20,000 wine producers in the region. Bordeaux is a fairly safe city, but people should use common sense. Avoid wandering alone at night in the Gare St-Jean, Marché des Capucins and place de la Victoire areas. None of these areas are dangerous, but they can attract shady characters and feel unsavoury after dark. An interesting portfolio of art museums embracing all periods and genres is the icing on the cake to it’s magnificent architectural heritage. This city was under Britain’s control for over 300 years. Much information can be found Here, but it may be difficult to understand if there is not any translator option on the website.

This island is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean. Only Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus are larger. It lies 105 miles (170 km) from southern France and 56 miles (90 km) from northwestern Italy, and it is separated from Sardinia by the 7-mile (11-km) Strait of Bonifacio. Ajaccio is the capital. Corsica is still commonly described as one of 22 regions of metropolitan France. This island is the birthplace of Napoleon. It is also famous for it’s terrain, natural environment, and the first Corsican constitution, which was drawn up in 1755 for the short-lived Corsican Republic independent from Genoa beginning in 1755 and remained in force until the annexation of Corsica by France in 1769.

A Few Places On The Island

Bonifacio

Bonifacio is a medieval town that lies upon a white limestone cliff on the southern coast of Corsica. Other names for this town is the “Mediterranean’s Sentinel” and the “Citadel of Cliffs”. This town is the source of the name for the 11-kilometer-long Strait of Bonifacio. The islands of Sardinia and Corsica were once joined, but were torn apart by volcanic activity, from which granite rock remained in the waters. This water now has multiple pirate ship wrecks and ancient vessels. This has become an attraction for divers. Founded about 828 AD as a defense against pirates, the town was taken from Pisa at the end of the 12th century by the Genoese. Traditionally, it has remained Genoese, the inhabitants speaking Genoese dialect and refusing to adopt such Corsican customs as the vendetta.

Ajaccio

Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica. It was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1769. His ancestral home, Maison Bonaparte, is currently a museum displaying family heirlooms. Musee French, founded by Napoleon’s uncle, houses a large collection of Renaissance art. Ajaccio’s old town is characterized by pastel-colored buildings, palm-lined streets, and chic cafes.

Bastia

In this city, bars and restaurants line the Old Port, with the Church of St. Jean-Baptiste behind it. Terra Nova was built by Genoese rulers. Nearby is the Cathedral of Ste. Marie, filled with paintings and marble statues. The Governor’s Palace houses the Bastia Museum, showcasing the city’s history.

Calvi

Calvi is a town on the northwest coast of Corsica. It is known for it’s beaches and it’s crescent-shaped bay. An old citadel looks over the water from the bay’s western end, and is home to Baroque St-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral and cobbled streets. Restaurants line the harbor on the Quai Landry esplanade. Perched on a high hill a short distance inland, the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Serra has wide views of the area.

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

Samuel Johnson

It is believed that London had started to grow as an important settlement when the Romans arrived in around 43 AD. Before this, there were some smaller settlements that were soon swallowed up by the Roman army. Plenty of unstable times were to get to London, from invasions to power struggles. After the Romans left, the Anglo-Saxons came and were repeatedly attacked by Vikings who came from Scandinavian countries. In Norman times, London became the firm favorite as a center of commerce and a capital city following the construction of Westminster and this was set to stay for good after William the Conqueror built the Tower of London following his victory in 1066. Slaves were brought over to England from Africa during Tudor times, from 1485 – 1603. At the same time, Jews and Muslims as well as Dutch Traders had also begun to arrive and settle in London. These arrivals sowed the seed for London’s diversity that can be seen today. During the 1800’s, the slave trade had been abolished and London’s black communities had grown a lot. More people came from south Asian areas and China. The Jewish population continued to grow as people fled persecution in Eastern Europe. By the time World War II started, even more people came to fill job vacancies from The West Indies, Europe and India. People from the West Indies or the Caribbean were especially in demand and found work on the London Underground railway system. In present day, London has continued to grow in size and diversity. The people of London have a strong reputation for being open-minded and accepting, along with providing a haven who have been ill-treated in their own countries. London has benefitted a lot from having a lot of nationalities, especially after 1945 when there was a shortage of workers after World War 2 ended.

Great Poets of London

Many poets were born in London. In the little list of less than a dozen names, all but two are poets. Those two are Defoe, first and greatest of journalists, and Lamb, most beautiful of essayists and wisest of critics. When we come to the poets there is: Chaucer, Spenser, Milton, Herrick, Cowley, Pope, Gray, Keats and Hood. They were the sons of men carrying on the ordinary trades of her markets. Chaucer’s father was a wine-merchant and tavern-keeper, Milton’s and Gray’s were clerks, Spenser’s a tailor, Pope’s a linen-draper, Keats’s a keeper of a livery-stable, Herrick’s a goldsmith, Cowley’s a stationer, Hood’s a bookseller.