Though the word Cappuccino sounds like a take-off on the word coffeCappuccino’s origin: an ancient religious order? e, it actually derives from the Italian word… Read More »Cappuccino’s origin: a monastic order?
While toady cornrows are just another cool hairstyle, not so long ago they played a major part in the struggle for freedom and even… Read More »Cornrows hairdo: a secret communication channel?
Do you enjoy a good casino? How about sandwiches? How about both, together? Lord John Montagu, the Fourth Earl Sandwich (1718-1792) was an avid… Read More »Which dish was developed to serve poker players?
Throughout history, Scotsmen have gone to war led by a Pipe Major playing his Great Bagpipe. His job was to help his unit mates… Read More »What was the bagpiper’s role in battle?
For the hundreds of years till the mid-19th century, vessel speed at sea was measured using a chip log. The chip log was a… Read More »Why is the speed at sea measured in knots?
Pineapple’s exotic appearance and sweet flavor made it very desirable for Europe’s high society in the 16th-18th century. However, this South-American native fruit is… Read More »Why did people use to rent pineapples?
The largest Empire by area was the British Empire which in 1920 spanned over 26.35% of the world’s land. The largest Empire by contiguous… Read More »Which empire ruled 44% of the world’s population?
The industrial revolution – as its name suggests – revolutionized humanity’s way of life in many ways. One particular aspect was that workers had… Read More »How did people wake up on time, before the alarm clock?
As the story goes, the word ‘Bistro’ entered the French language after the Battle of Paris (1814), when hungry Russian officers – who had… Read More »‘Bistro’: a French legacy of humiliation?!
On the contrary, the French Emperor was not born French but Corsican. In Fact, while in his mother’s womb both his parents fought against… Read More »Was Napoleon always pro-France?