Interesting Facts - Page 30

146

Coney Island, in New York City, is no longer an island. The water separating it from the mainland was filled in, making it a peninsula.

147

The Roman emperor Commodus renamed the city of Rome to "Colonia Commodiana". He also renamed all the months of the year in his own honor. Unsurprisingly, the name changes didn't stick.

148

During the French Revolution, the government of France instituted a new calendar and time system. All the months were renamed, a week had 10 days, a day had 10 hours, an hour had 100 minutes, and each minute had 100 seconds. The changes didn't stick.

149

Trepanning is the practice of drilling a hole in the skull for medical purposes. While ineffective, it was practiced in many different societies throughout history.

150

Tigers in the Sundarbans region of India and Bangladesh have been known to hunt and kill humans. Until recently, it is estimated that these tigers got 3% of their calories from eating humans.

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Level 66

Oct 21, 2018

Also, during the radical phase of the French revolution, they got rid of Sunday.

Level 59

Nov 14, 2018

That doesn’t sound too radical...

+13

Level 59

Feb 10, 2019

Yes but imagine how Christians felt! No Church...

Level 55

Oct 22, 2018

I'm liking the interesting facts!

Level 29

Nov 21, 2018

What about Australia, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, etc.

+10

Level 74

Dec 1, 2018

What about them?

Level 46

Sep 29, 2019

turns out you read them incorrectly my dude

Level 76

Jun 27, 2021

i think you meant to comment this on the quiz you just took, not this interesting facts page

Level 47

Dec 20, 2018

Trepanning is not ineffective. It is still performed today as a means to relieve dangerously raised intercranial pressure due to haemorrhages around the brain. Not very nice, but in fact extremely effective.

Level 72

Feb 25, 2019

The one thing still named after commodus is the commode, though I don't think that was one that he wanted.

Level 25

Sep 23, 2019

In french we have the word "commode" thats means "handy" or "convenient", used mostly by old people.

Level 68

Jun 2, 2020

Is that word even named after him?

Level 60

Aug 6, 2023

@vazilega: That's funny you mention it since commode is from that French word.

That French word is from a Latin word commodus, which is simply com- and -modus. So unfortunately, Commodus doesn't even get his own word. Or maybe fortunately.

Level 73

Jun 6, 2020

I made a quick calculation, and in order for that French system to have synchronized with our current calender year there would have had to be roughly 315 or 316 "days" in a year, alternating each year (or 31.5 "weeks" instead of 52). Each "day" would have 100,000 seconds, compared to a normal day which has 86,400. Needless to say, the sunrise/sunset times would shift drastically every "day", resetting roughly every 6.05 "days", which would be equivalent to one of our weeks.

Level 72

Oct 12, 2020

They had changed also the definition of hour, minute and second, so no.

Still 365 days a year, and midnight every day after 9:99.

Very rational, but also unpractical. On the other hand, there were different ways (non-sexagesimal) to count time around the world, before the European colonised most of the world and standardised the clock.

Level 82

Oct 22, 2020

But we still call toilets "the commode", so, Commodus' legacy lives on.

Level 71

Jan 14, 2021

Who's we?

Level 79

May 28, 2021

I know there are some drawers called commodes.

Level 60

Aug 6, 2023

That's actually independent too, see above.