Ten Random Facts

The celebration of Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire.
Holidays

A boy's voice breaks during puberty because his vocal cords are lengthening. Up until that point, girl's and boy's vocal cords are the same length.
People

Bel paese, caciocavallo, gjetost, herkimer, liederkranz, liptaur, mysost, sapsago, and trappist are all varieties of cheese.
Food and Drink

29% of us are virgins when we marry.
Surveys

Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past contains almost 1.5 million words.
Miscellaneous

During a 2000 May Day gardening protest, 600 environmental activists dug up and planted seeds in Britain's Parliament Square, the small park near the Commons, which later sprouted healthy carrots, onions, marigolds, and. . . marijuana. Surprised Royal Parks police said they would clear the marijuana plants away.
Environment

In Germany, shaking hands with the other hand in a pocket is considered impolite. In Mali, men shake hands with women only if women offer their hand first. The handshake is often done with the left hand touching the other person's elbow as well.
Laws and Customs » Strange Rules and Laws

Southern charm likely accounts for Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas, being cited the best U.S. cities for friendliness in a 1997 Gallup poll.
Statistics

New Zealand has an estimated population of 3,800,000, which is nearly a million less than the much smaller U.S. state of Arizona, with a 1997 estimated population of 4,595,000.
Statistics

Crocodile eggs which are incubated below 85º F (29.5º C) hatch into females, while those incubated above 95º F (35º C) hatch into males.
Animals

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