Fact of the Week: January 6, 2016

Vampire bats, Desmodus rotundus, have been observed sharing food with fellow roost mates that failed to collect food, or in their case blood. 

Cite: http://m.rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/280/1753/20122573

Fact of the Week: December 29, 2015

Every day about 5,600 people contract HIV in the world. 

Cite: http://kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hivaids-epidemic/ 

Fact of the Week: December 23, 2016

Today would be Sarah Breedlove's, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, 149th birthday. She was a self made business women, often referred to as a millionaire in her later life. Her company, that she started in 1905, is still successful today.

Cite: http://www.indianahistory.org/teachers-students/hoosier-facts-fun/famous-hoosiers/madame-c.j.-walker#.VkOr7mSrQy4

Fact of the Week: December 17, 2015

Avatar currently holds the Box Office record for the largest domestic and worldwide grossing film; grossing $749,766,139 and $2.7 billion respectively.

Cite: Box Office

From Google images

Fact of the Week: December 11, 2016

Indiana became a state on Dec. 11, 1816, when President James Madison signed the congressional resolution admitting Indiana to the Union. Happy 200th Birthday Indiana!

Cite: http://www.indianahistory.org/teachers-students/hoosier-facts-fun/fun-facts#.VkOq6WSrQy5 

Fact of the Week: December 1, 2015

Compared with non-transgender peers, transgender youth were found to have an elevated risk of being diagnosed with depression (50.6% vs. 20.6%); suffer from anxiety (26.7% vs. 10%); had attempted suicide (17.2% vs. 6.1%); and had engaged in self-harming activities without lethal intent (16.7% vs. 4.4%).

Cite: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/transgender-youth-at-risk-for-depression-suicide/

Fact of the Week: November 23, 2015

The word Hoosiers, which refers to an Indiana resident, has unknown origin. One of the first uses of it in print was in the 1830's when John Finley, of Richmond, wrote a poem: "The Hoosier's Nest."

Cite: Indiana University 

Fact of the Week: November 18, 2015

Jane Addams was the second woman, and first American woman to receive a nobel peace prize. She worked to help the poor and to stop the use of children as industrial laborers. She ran Hull House in Chicago, a center which helped immigrants in particular. She also founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1919.

Cite: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1931/addams-facts.html

Fact of the Week: November 11, 2015

In 1919, Armistice Day was created by President Wilson to remember the end of WWI. Later in 1934, an Act approved on May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day dedicated to the cause of world peace. After WWII, in 1954, Armistice was replaced with Veteran, to honor those who had served. 

Cite: VA

Fact of the Week: Novemeber 5, 2015

October is national pizza month in the United States.  Yes pizza month!

http://pizza.com/national-pizza-month

Fact of the Week: November 1, 2015

Until 2006, only 10 counties in Indiana observed Daylight Saving Time. Then a law was passed for the whole state to observe the time change. 

Cite: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/daylightsaving.html

Fact of the Week: October 21, 2015

Ukulele means jumping flea in Hawaiian.  

Cite: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/ukulele-history

Fact of the Week: October 13, 2015

82% of sexual assaults are perpetrated by a non-stranger, someone the victim knows: a friend of a friend, acquaintance, a date, relative or someone else they have encountered before.

https://rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders

Fact of the Week: October 6, 2015

The ukulele is a redesign of the Portuguese machete de braga, commonly referred to as machete. The machete was brought to Hawaii when Portuguese labors came to Hawaii to work sugar cane fields.

https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/ukulele-history

Fact of the Week: September 29, 2015

New findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars! They have been looking for evidence of ancient water and they now have new evidence that supports there is current water flowing on the planet.

cite: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1858

Fact of the Week: September 21, 2015

Today is Bill Murray's 65th Birthday! Happy Birthday Murray!!
http://www.biography.com/people/bill-murray-9542510

Fact of the Week: September 16, 2015

The kestrel is the smallest, most familiar and widespread falcon in North America. In open country it is commonly seen perched on roadside wires, or hovering low over a field on rapidly beating wings, waiting to pounce on a grasshopper.

Cite:
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-kestrel

Fact of the Week: September 3, 2015

Scientists theorizes that there is the same amount of water on Earth now as there was when the Earth formed, about 4.5 billion years ago.
 

Cite:
http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/waterfactsoflife.cfm

Fact of the Week: August 28, 2015

The pony express only lasted for 18 months total; from April 1860 to October 1861.
Cite: http://www.nps.gov/poex/learn/historyculture/index.htm

Fact of the Week: August 10, 2015

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, that overcame legal barriers which were preventing African-American's from voting.
Cite: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act