The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team, part of the National Football League (NFL), based in Texas. They began playing in 1960, and by 2015, Forbes magazine named them the most valuable sports team in the world. They hold a record of 20 straight winning seasons.... Read more
What is Thanksgiving? In the United States and Canada, this holiday celebrates "the harvest and other blessings of the past year." In the U.S., the holiday is linked to a legend of a feast shared by the English colonists and the Wampanoag Native American people in 1621... Read more
Historically, the term squad referred to the smallest military unit, usually of about 12 soldiers. "The colloquial use of the word 'squad' arose from East Coast hip hop culture and describes 'a self-chosen group of people that you want to identify with'."... Read more
Our perception of the American West has largely been shaped by literature and Western films. Stereotypical symbols of the West include vast cactus-clad deserts, cowboys riding a horse into the sunset, and wanted posters on saloon walls... Read more
Humorous cartoons and drawings first rose to fame during the 1840s, and animation abounded from the early 1900s onward. As with literature, the jester archetype found its place in comics, animated films, and cartoon series... Read more
"The swordfish is one of the open ocean’s fastest, strongest predators." Also known as a broadbill, the swordfish can be distinguished from the similar marlin by its flat bill. Swordfish can reach lengths of almost 15 feet (4.6 meters) and weigh more than 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms). Amazingly, baby swordfish are nearly microscopic - yet their sword is visible soon after hatching!... Read more
Humans have been dressing up their pets for a long time. Ancient Egyptian paintings portray domestic animals with collars or ribbons around their necks, and the collar was perhaps the first pet fashion statement. Says one resource: "Collars emerged as tools for training and restraint as well as status symbols at the height of civilization. But they were also beautiful works of art... Read more
The chrysanthemum or mum is a popular garden flower. It is native to Europe and Asia. Its name is derived from the ancient Greek words for "golden flower." Chrysanthemums have many overlapping petals, similar in shape to the dandelion or carnation... Read more
Most of the time, bugs eat plants. But sometimes, the plants eat the bugs! One well-known variety of bug-eating plants is the Venus flytrap. This plant has a "mouth" at the end of its leaves. When small hairs called trichomes are touched by insects, the mouth snaps shut, trapping the insect... Read more
According to National Geographic, "The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable and well-studied butterflies on the planet." It is famous for its epic seasonal migration, in which "millions of monarchs migrate from the United States and Canada south to California and Mexico for the winter." Monarch butterflies also live in Europe, Australia, and several Pacific islands... Read more
Pharmacists, also known as chemists or druggists, are healthcare professionals responsible for preparing or dispensing medications. Like doctors, pharmacists must go to school for many years to learn about medicines, how they affect the body, and how they may interact with each other... Read more
Mosquitoes are insects. As such, they share characteristics with other bugs, like ladybugs, praying mantises,, grasshoppers, bees, and dragonflies. All of these creatures have six legs and thin, transparent wings. There eyes are compound, made up of many lenses. They also have no bones - instead, they have an exoskeleton, which is like a coat of armor on the outside of their bodies... Read more
Have you ever played in a puddle? Most puddles are left behind by rain. They can also form near underground springs, on beaches when the tide goes out, from snow melt, or from man-made sources such as a fire hydrant or backyard watering hose. They may attract small animals that desire to drink the water, or creatures such as frogs and mosquitoes that lay their eggs there.... Read more
Hurricanes are the most violent type of storm seen on planet Earth. They are similar to tornadoes in that they feature strong swirling winds, but hurricanes are much bigger... Read more
Houseplants or potted plants are more popular today than ever before. Caretakers of such foliage often call themselves "plant parents" and "crazy plant ladies." Millennials make up a large proportion of this group. They grow plants as a hobby, to beautify their homes, and to freshen the air... Read more
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "the bath as an institution has a long history." From the Bible to ancient Egyptian architecture, you can find evidence of baths and dedicated bathrooms. In ancient Rome, the baths were more akin to spas, containing not only areas for washing but also for steam treatments and massage. From ancient to medieval times, most baths were public institutes rather than private rooms... Read more
Aurora is the title character of the 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. Aurora was cursed as an infant; it was said she would die by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel before her sixteenth birthday... Read more
The wolf is the largest of the wild dogs. The gray wolf or timber wolf can be found throughout Europe and Americas, and the Ethiopian or Abyssinian wolf lives in Africa... Read more
Beans are the seeds of plants in the legume family. Worldwide, many varieties of beans are cultivated for food. They are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Often, the seeds are dried for later cooking; sometimes the entire seedpod is eaten, as in the case of green beans... Read more
The lion has been called "the king of beasts." This African mammal is one of the largest of the big cats, second only to the tiger... Read more