The Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (just north of the Golden Gate Bridge) is a nonprofit veterinary research hospital and educational center dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of ill and injured marine mammals – primarily elephant seals, harbor seals, and California sea lions. In their work they use a version of the Zodiac brand inflatable boats.
The Monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, survive in the platypus and four species of echidna, all native to Australia or New Guinea.
Australia has had three prime ministers in the past two years: Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.
Mackenzie King served three non-consecutive periods as prime minister of Canada: from 1921 to mid 1926; from late 1926 to 1930; and from 1935 to 1948.
In the early formative years of the Commonwealth, both Alfred Deakin and Andrew Fisher served three non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Australia.
Until the mid-1990’s, GM cars all had an emblem reading “Body by Fisher” on their front door sills. Fisher Body is still formally a GM operating division. At its peak, it used more wood, carpet, tacks, and thread than any other manufacturer in the world.
McDonald’s is the world’s largest user of beef, potatoes and Granny Smith apples. And minimum wage employees.
In the movie Time after Time, a time-traveling H.G. Wells stumbles into a San Francisco McDonald’s, expecting to find Scottish cuisine. He does get some tea, though.
The feast of Saint Francis of Assisi is celebrated on 4 October.
British astronomer Fred Hoyle formulated the theory of stellar nucelosynthesis and also wrote science fiction novels, including The Black Cloud and October the First is Too Late.
Edmond Hoyle was an English writer, best known for his works on the rules and play of card games. The phrase “according to Hoyle” refers to him.
Early historical decks of playing cards consisted of four suits - cups, swords, coins and polo sticks - and there were no female faces in the game, the royalty consisting of a king and two viceroys. It was mid-15th-century France, where card fever really took hold, that invented the suits and court cards that most countries use today.
The name of the sport polo is supposedly derived from the Tibetan word ‘pulu’, meaning ball.
Winston Churchill was an avid polo player in his youth, helping his regiment, the 4th Hussars, win a major tournament amongst the British and Indian army regiments. Churchill played with an injury which made it difficult for him to take a shot. He nonetheless scored several goals.
During half-time in polo matches, spectators are encouraged to participate in “divot stomping” to repair the playing surface of the field.
Royce Gracie is the only fighter in the history of no-holds-barred matches to successfully defeat four opponents in one night.
The Latin word for night is nox (genitive singular noctis), from which the English word nocturnal is derived.
Rocket pioneer Robert Goddard suggested nitrous oxide and gasoline as possible propellants for a liquid-fuelled rocket. Nitrous oxide is non-toxic, and is stable at room temperature so it is relatively safe to carry on a flight. As a secondary benefit it can be readily decomposed to form breathing air.
In 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn King Robert I (Robert the Bruce) defeated the English armies and confirmed Scotland as an independent kingdom.
The origin of the name of Scotland Yard comes in part from the courtyard behind the house where two early commissioners, Charles Rowan and Richard Mayne, lived. The house, at 4 Whitehall Place, also abutted a street called Great Scotland Yard. Rowan and Mayne were charged with redesigning London’s police force in the middle 1800s.