Battle Of Lundy's Lane

The Battle of Lundy's Lane was the bloodiest battle of the War of 1813.  It took place a mile west of Niagara Falls in 1814.  Neither side won a decisive victory, but the Americans' advance into Canada was and they had to retreat to Ft. Erie.  The American general Winfield Scott was wounded.  There is a memorial in Drummond Hill Cemetery, Ontario.

Coronation Street

On December 9, 1960, the first episode of "Coronation Street," a soap opera based in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester, was broadcast. Coronation Street is the longest running TV soap opera in the world.  The show premiered its 10,000th episode on 7 February 2020, and celebrated its 60th anniversary later that year.

Tallest statue in the world

The tallest statue in the world is the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, India, which is 182 meters, or 597 feet tall.  It depicts Indian statesman and independence activist Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first deputy prime minister and home minister of independent India and an adherent of Mahatma Gandhi.

Jack Nicklaus majors wins

Jack Nicklaus has won the most major championships in golf, with 18.  (Tiger Woods is second with 14.)  Possibly interesting facts: He has technically won 20 majors, but they retroactively took away two because they were amateur majors.

The Shard

The thing I learned today is that Europe's tallest building as of June, 2014, is called the Shard, named for its resemblance to a shard of glass. Completed in November, 2012, it is located in London and is commercial real estate. 

The Caspian Sea

The thing I learned today is that the Caspian Sea is not technically a sea, because it does not connect to the ocean, but is considered the world's largest lake (by surface area).  However, note that Lake Baikal is the world's largest lake by volume.

The Underwood Company's devil logo (for its deviled ham) was introduced in 1870 and is the oldest food trademark still in use in the United States. Although a jolly fellow in a jacket now, originally he was rather more demonic in appearance.

Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, is known in the Gikuyu language as Kirinyaga, which means 'God's resting place.' It is a volcanic peak.

Imhotep was an engineer, architect, and physician who lived in the 26th century BC. He is credited as the first doctor and architect we known by name. He designed the Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest pyramid in the world.

United States' oldest national park

Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the U.S., established by Ulysses S. Grant in 1872.  It is located in Wyoming and encompasses 3,400 square miles.

Cheddar Man

Cheddar Man lived around 10,000 years ago and is the oldest almost complete skeleton of our species, Homo sapiens, ever found in Britain. It was found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England.  He lived in the 9th century BCE, the Mesolithic period.

Mount Thor

Mount Thor, or Thor Peak, is a 5,495-foot-tall mountain located on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. It features Earth's greatest vertical drop of 4,100 feet, with the cliff overhanging at an average angle of 105 degrees.  Despite its remoteness, this feature makes the mountain a popular rock climbing site.

Trango Towers

The Trango Towers are a family of rock towers situated in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, in the northern part of Pakistan. The Towers have some of the world's largest cliffs and offer some of the most challenging big wall climbing opportunities.  The highest point within the group is the summit of Great Trango Tower at 20,623 feet, the east face of which features the world's greatest nearly vertical drop.

Kiritimati is the Gilbertese cognate for Christmas Island, which is the largest coral atoll int he world. It was claimed and named by Captain Cook on December 24, 1777.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby, a race for three-year-old horses taking place in Churchill Downs, Louisville, was inaugurated in 1875. It is one of the oldest (but apparently not the oldest) continuously-run sporting event in the U.S. In comparison, the Boston Marathon was begun in 1897; and the World Series is generally said to have begun in 1903, as the 19th century playoff games are considered not part of a continuous line of championships.

The Flamingo is a casino opened in 1946 by gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. It is said he named it after his girlfriend, who had the same nickname due to her long, skinny legs. Currently named The Famingo Las Vegas, it was the third resort opened on the strip and is the oldest continuously operated casino on the strip today (as of 2011).

Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain, located in Louisiana, is the second-largest salt lake in the United States.

Boston Celtics NBA championships

The Boston Celtics have 17 NBA championships, with a record eight straight win in the years 1959-1966 (and two more wins in '68 and '69).

Martin Van Buren has several factoid-related bits. (1) He was the first president to be born an American citizen, born 1782, after the Revolution. (2) He was the first president not of British descent. (3) He was nicknamed "Old Kinderhook," or O.K., from the village where he was born. (4) Along with Thomas Jefferson, he served as Secretary of State, VP, and then president, the 'Triple Crown' of US politics. (5) He was the only president to see both the US Revolution and the Civil War, living from 1782 to 1862.

MacKenzie River

The MacKenzie River is the longest in Canada. Located within the Northwest Territories, it is 1080 miles long. It originates at the Great Slave Lake and was formerly named Disappointment River because it did not lead to Alaska. What cheery names these Canucks have, eh?