The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

On December 15, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed.  It repealed the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition.  Now everyone (21 and over) can drink!

Juan Vucetich was an Argentinian police official who was a pioneer in the science of fingerprinting, making the first positive identification of a criminal based on a bloody fingerprint in 1892. (Interestingly, the murderer was a woman.)

Alabama state constitution

The constitution of the state of Alabama is 340,136 words (including 827 amendments) and is the longest still-operating constitution in the world. This current constitution, adopted in 1901, is the state's sixth.

The island of Bermuda has fast food outlets, but chain restaurants are banned by law.

United States Social Security cards have a blue border. The three parts of a Social Security Number are the area, group, and serial number.

John Paul Stevens

U.S. Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens was known for his bow ties. He was the third-longest-serving justice.

King Ine, the 8th century ruler of Wessex, is known for the code of laws he issued, the first Anglo-Saxon royal laws after King Aetherbert of Kent's earth 7th century law. They were known as the Dooms of King Ine, from the Old English word for judgement.

The Storting is the parliament of Norway, which was first constituted in 1814.

"To take silk" is an expression meaning to become a senior barrister (appointed Queen's Counsel).

The Cadaver Synod, held in Rome in 897, was the posthumous trial of Pope Formosus by his successor, Stephen VI. The dead pope was found guilty, but possibly he lacked adequate representation.

Volstead Act

The Volstead Act was a law passed in 1919 (over Wilson's veto) that defined 'alcoholic beverages' and served as enforcing legislation for the 18th Amendment which declared Prohibition.

The Expedition Act (or Expediting Act) was passed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. It broke up steel, railroad and meat packing industry trusts. What a trustbuster Teddy was!

Mark Geragos is an American criminal defense attorney who has defended Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder (for shoplifting), Congressman Gary Condit, Susan McDougal, and Scott Peterson (for the murder of his wife).

The CITES Treaty, an international agreement adopted in 1973, aimed to reduce harmful trade in animal and animal products, and accorded protection to individual species. CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora.