Why I Do One Of The World's Most Dangerous Jobs
This bomb disposal unit in Northeastern France are removing unexploded bombs still left behind from World War One. Watch the heroes saving civilians...
History
What is the oldest university in the world?
There are tens of thousands of universities worldwide, and many of them have long and distinguished pasts. But which is the oldest?...
Why do we say “Bless You” when someone sneezes?
Across the English-speaking world, the phrase “bless you” regularly follows a sneeze. It’s instinctive and we deliver it without necessarily knowi...
Susie Dent’s Top 10s: Ten Old-fashioned Profanities
Swearing has come a long way from 'bejabbers' and 'crinkum-crankum'. They're just two of Susie Dent's favourite old-fashioned profanities, in this...
The origin of the Paralympics
With the Paralympic Games in Paris set to get underway next week, we’re looking at the origins of the competition....
The weirdest sports in Olympic history
There are a couple of contentious events at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics, with the introduction of breakdancing the main point of minor...
The milkshake that nearly killed Castro (and other curious assassination attempts)
According to a former Cuban intelligence official, CIA assassination attempts got pretty weird during the Cold War. The target: Fidel Castro. The...
Guang-Bing | The ancient Chinese bagel that helped win a war
This round bread might look like a bagel. It’s even got the trademark hole in the middle. But this is not a bagel. It’s guang-bing, and it’s got a her...
Where did fireworks come from?
Fireworks are synonymous with Independence Day in the United States, but where did these explosions first come from? While gunpowder can be traced to...
Where was the first underground metro system in the world?
In New York, it’s the Subway. In Paris - and many other cities including 40 in China - they call it the Metro. In London, they say “Tube” and in Germa...
The Soviet war hero who drank Coca-Cola disguised as vodka
The Cold War is better remembered for greater disputes, but one of the more intriguing developments to come out of the American-Soviet ideological...
Why is baseball so big in Japan?
Baseball, it’s America’s pastime. There is no sport more historically intertwined with the United States and its identity, and baseball’s popul...
