Crossword
The first crossword, published in 1913, was diamond-shaped and called a ‘Word-Cross’.
Venice
Venice is built on millions of wooden piles driven into the mud, many of them centuries old.
Tulip mania
In 1637 some Dutch tulip bulbs reportedly sold for as much as a house, then prices suddenly collapsed.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls stopped in 1848 when ice blocked the river, and in 1969 engineers turned part of it off.
Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa became world-famous after it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911.
Moai
The famous ‘Easter Island heads’ have bodies; many are simply buried up to the shoulders.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is not golden but ‘International Orange’, a colour that began as its primer.
Tug of war
Tug of war was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920, and in 1908 British police teams won every medal.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge was sold at auction in 1915 for £6,600, and the buyer gave it to the nation three years later.
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was originally shiny copper-brown and took about 30 years to turn green.