We are the world's second-largest silk producer (after China) and third-largest cotton grower. With such a rich history and abundance, it's only natural that the majority of our clothing incorporates these materials.

The British Museum is the world’s oldest national public museum. Founded in 1753, it opened its doors in 1759, 17 years before the Declaration of Independence. It was free to all ‘studious and curious persons, and it’s still free today (but a few other things have changed).

We see T'Challa and his Wakandan clan conversing in their native dialect in Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther. One of the most intriguing hidden allusions in Black Panther is how the words spoken are a variant of Xhosa, a genuine language spoken heavily in Zimbabwe and South Africa, which are near to where Wakanda is located in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So, why do we call the core of a pencil "lead"? Graphite was initially thought to be a type of lead when it was discovered. Today's pencils are made of graphite and clay, a combination first introduced by Conté in 1795.

Long before it was used on New Year's Eve, a ball dropped from the top of England's Royal Observatory in Greenwich at 1 p.m. every day (beginning in 1833) to assist ship commanders in coordinating their navigation equipment. Similar balls have been installed in coastal places across the world.

If you or someone you know has ever quit smoking with nicotine gum, you can thank Sweden. Nicorette, the first product, was created by Leo AB in Helsingborg. It was inspired by the fact that while on duty, smoking Swedish submariners would switch from tobacco to chewing tobacco or snus to get their nicotine fix. Nicorette wasn't the first time nicotine was placed in chewing gum, but they did design a polymer that regulated the flow of nicotine into the bloodstream, allowing for a continuous release and a gradual withdrawal, allowing millions of people to stop for good.

This interesting fact about cats is guaranteed to wow at your next dinner party. Did you know that originally it was thought that Egyptians domesticated the cat? But in 2004, French archaeologists discovered a 9,500-year-old cat grave in Cyprus. This makes this the oldest known pet cat and it predates Egyptian art about cats by over 4,000 years!

Japan paid a million yen to a team of scientists who claimed to develop a "death ray" that would use wave electric power to kill persons standing kilometres away, based on Nikola Tesla's ideas. The Japanese got as far as developing a prototype that could kill from half a mile away—but the victim had to stay motionless for 10 minutes for it to operate.

Unfortunately, they are poor breeders, making it difficult for them to rebound from their falling position. Females reach sexual maturity at seven or eight but do not normally begin breeding until a couple of years later. Males reach sexual maturity at a much later age.

On June 19, 1905, the Nickelodeon theatre opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Within a few months, the owner, vaudeville promoter Harry Davis, opened more than a dozen Nickelodeon theatres in Pittsburgh. Within two years, more than 8,000 cinemas sprouted up.

After the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, many believed the Egyptian Pharaoh cursed all who entered it. Aside from the curse of the pharaohs—which is a belief that anyone, thief or archeologist, who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian person will be cursed—an expedition led by Howard Carter furthered the mysticism. During the expedition, a canary that led Carter to the tomb died, Carter’s financial backer, George Herbert, died after a mosquito bite grew infected, and numerous other deaths became associated with the decade-long dig.

Indonesia has 165 million people under the age of 30, with only 8% of the Indonesian population being above the age of 60. Despite the implementation of a relatively effective family planning program in Indonesia in 1964, Indonesia's population growth is anticipated to exceed that of the United States if nothing changes.

Because the fish at Niagara Falls have adapted to resist the intense pressure from the falls, around 90% of fish that go down Niagara Falls survive. The falls' white foam cushions fish as they journey down and flow with the waters, which are rich in oxygen and minerals that help fish grow. The only unique fauna at Niagara Falls is the fish. Niagara Falls State Park spans over 400 acres and is home to a diverse terrain as well as fauna such as wintering gulls and waterfowl species.

Various people believe that chickens have poor vision and are colorblind. Still, they actually have greater color vision than humans, thanks to a well-organized eye with five different types of light receptors that allow them to see many colors in any given portion of the retina.

The Komodo Dragon is the world's largest lizard, and this 3 metre long, aggressive, scaly beast can only be found on five Indonesian islands: Padar, Gili Motang, Flores, Rinca, and, of course, Komodo. With their deadly bites, massive height, and carnivorous habits, these animals are extremely fearsome. They hunt and kill animals much larger than themselves, even humans.

Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973, at the Nirmal Nursing Home in Dadar, Bombay, to a Maharashtrian family. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a well-known Marathi novelist and poet, and his mother, Rajni, worked in the insurance industry. Tendulkar was named after Ramesh's favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman.

Approximately 17 breakfast dishes originated here. If you enjoy breakfast, the South has many options for you. We counted more than 17 breakfast dishes that originated here, including the all-time favorites idly, dosa, uttapam, upma, and many others.

The Taj Mahal is almost perfectly symmetrical, in keeping with Persian and Islamic architectural principles. The minarets (towers), walls, rooms, and even gardens are all symmetrical. The Taj Mahal, one of the world's most perfectly symmetrical structures, is known for its white beauty and sheen. The placement of Shah Jahan's cenotaph — and his grave — are possibly the only elements of the Taj that do not adhere to perfect geometric proportions and symmetrical precision.

There are several historical highlights at Niagara Falls. One of the oldest United States flags still in existence, seized by the British during the War of 1812, is on display at Old Fort Niagara. Lewiston was the site of the opening fight of the War of 1812 and the final terminus for the Underground Railroad, a network of hidden passageways for escaping slaves. The original Flight of Five Locks, a mechanism for elevating and lowering boats, was completed in 1815 and is still operational on the Erie Canal near Lockport, giving the largest lift in the shortest distance on all U.S.-made canals.

Literary heritage seems to be a major theme in Plath's life. The last apartment Plath lived in had been previously owned by the renowned poet W.B. Yeats. (It was here where she died by suicide in 1963.) You can find the apartment at 3 Fitzroy Road in London.

Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at the Institute of Neurology in London showed that people who see a better future are more likely to be able to make that future a reality. Of course, this is exactly what the Law of Attraction says. It claims that vivid mental representations of a better life serve to attract that life to us on a daily basis. The neurologists said in their paper that "the ability to construct a hypothetical scenario in one's imagination prior to it really occurring may give more accuracy in anticipating its final consequence."

Tulsi contains camphene, cineole, and eugenol, which help alleviate colds and congestion in the chest. Tulsi leaf juice combined with honey and ginger is excellent for bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough, and cold.