Plant
What is the largest non food plant grown in the world?
Tobacco. Globally, approximately 5.9 million tons of tobacco are produced annually. China is the leading producer, followed by India and Brazil
What are the other two names for hurricanes?
In the United States, they’re known as hurricanes, but in the Northern Pacific and Philippines, they are called typhoons. People in the Indian and South Pacific Ocean regions call them cyclones.
Which part of the empire state build generates the most money, the observation deck or the 85 floors of space?
In 2014, while the building's two observation decks generated $111 million (40% of total revenue), its office space leases netted just $104 million (37% of total revenue).
Bonus fun fact:
More Time Passed Between the Start and End of Construction on the Great Wall of China than Between the Start of Christianity and Today
How many words per minute can an auctioneer speak?
Auctioneers speak very rapidly, often chanting at a rate of 250 to 400 words per minute, using a rhythmic, repetitive style to keep the bidding moving quickly and efficiently.
Who is the tenth president (1841-1845)?
John Tyler
How many species of plants are there?
Scientists estimate there are around 390,900 species of plants known to science, with the majority being flowering plants, and about 2,000 new species discovered or described each year. Approximately 369,400 of these are flowering plants.
What is the minimum temperature of the ocean needed to create hurricanes?
The first condition is that ocean waters must be above 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). Below this threshold temperature, hurricanes will not form or will weaken rapidly once they move over water below this threshold. Ocean temperatures in the tropical East Pacific and the tropical Atlantic routinely surpass this threshold.
The son of this famous architect created Lincoln logs.
Not all iconic Lloyd Wright designs can be attributed to Frank. Lincoln Logs were the brainchild of John Lloyd Wright, son of the legendary architect. An architect in his own right, John was inspired by the interlocking beams of the foundation below Lloyd Wright Senior's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
The first auction in recorded history dates back to 500 BC in the city of Babylon, the ruins of which are found about 55 miles from Baghdad, Iraq. What was auctioned off?
Young women we auctioned off for marriage.
Red Hair
How old is the oldest still living plant in the world that is not clonal?
The oldest known living plant, a Great Basin bristlecone pine named Methuselah, is estimated to be around 4,856 years old, making it the oldest non-clonal organism on Earth
Pando is the world's largest and heaviest tree, a quaking aspen clone located in the Fishlake National Forest in Utah, and it's actually a single, massive organism with an estimated 80,000-year-old root system, not a forest. Pando is estimated to cover 106 acres (43 hectares) and weigh 13 million pounds
How many thunderstorms rain down on the world every minute?
Approximately 2,000 thunderstorms are in progress around the world at any given time.
This translates to roughly 100 lightning strikes hitting the Earth every second.
This US city has the largest never used and now abandoned subway system.
Cincinnati subway, USA In 1928, it was cancelled altogether and there have been no plans to revive it since. Today it is the largest abandoned subway tunnel system in the United States.
The oldest auction house in the world is the Stockholm Auction House, known as Stockholms Auktionsverk, which was established in 1674. It continues to operate today, making it a significant part of auction history.
Which president built a bowling alley in the white house?
Richard Nixon, had a one-lane bowling alley built in an underground workspace below the White House.
What type of flowering plant was the most expensive plant ever sold. The price was justified by the time it took to develop it. Scientists worked for over eight years to create this flower with its green petals and purple heart, which only blooms every five years.
Shenzhen's Nongke orchid became the most expensive plant ever sold in the world. It sold for $224,000 at auction.
What is the name of the scale used to label the severity of the tornados?
The Enhanced Fujita Scale measures tornadoes based on wind speed, giving them a rating called an EF rating. The scale measures the wind speed of a three-second gust of wind. An EF 0 rating is from 65 to 85 mph, while an EF 5, the highest rating, is anything over 200 mph.
Mohammed Atta had degrees in architecture and urban planning. What is he best known for?
He crashed the first plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He considered the construction of high-rises in Cairo and other ancient Middle Eastern cities a shameless embrace of the West that would destroy their character.
This famous artwork was sold at auction for $450.3 million USD in 2017.
Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Salvator Mundi"
Which was the first president born in a hospital?
Jimmy Carter, October 1, 1924
Perhaps the most famously lethal on our list is Atropa belladonna, the aptly named Deadly Nightshade. This toxic plant belongs to the same family as what common house hold foods?
Tomatoes and potatoes
What was the circumference of the largest hailstone in US history?
The largest hailstone ever recorded in the US fell near Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010, measuring 8 inches in diameter and weighing 1.94 pounds and 18.62 inches in circumference
How did the founder of the Ouija board die?
While many designs for Ouija-style boards emerged in the 19th century, the most popular design, and the name, was patented by Kennard Novelty Company. The company's supervisor William Fuld made his fortune selling the boards, and opened up a number of new factories; in 1927 one of these factories, which Fuld claimed the board told him to build, was the scene of the business magnate's death when he fell from its roof.
How much did Star Trek actor William Shatner’s kidney stone, sell for?
$25,000
Why president served Opposum along side turkey on thanksgiving day?
Taft, Thanksgiving 1909, the Taft family served a 26-pound Georgia opossum alongside a 30-pound bird.
The New York Times was not particularly fond of Taft's adventurous appetite, writing, “It is no part of the president's duty to eat strange foods merely to satisfy neighborhood pride. We earnestly beg Mr. Taft to stop with the 'possum.'”