Interesting Facts for General Knowledge Quiz

Chess is believed to have originated in the Gupta Empire in Eastern India. 1700-1873 is known as ’the Romantic Era in Chess’, as players played more for art than for any kind of expression of logic.
Don’t try and tip at a restaurant in Japan – the waiter will run after you to return your change! Tipping is virtually non-existent in Japan and is actually considered rude in some places.
Cashews actually grow upon a fruit! The cashew apple is also edible, but more difficult to transport.
Bananas are technically the berries. The same holds true for tomatoes, kiwis and blueberries.
North America’s biggest street festival is not in New York, Chicago, or even the United States! Toronto plays host to the Caribana, the colorful celebration of Caribbean culture. It’s also a city with low crime rate, cohesive multiculturalism and a strong connection to the environment with plenty of public parts.
Chickens were domesticated from a subspecies called ‘red junglefowl’. These guys were native to Asia and were a type of pheasant, who had no idea what was in store for them when they were domesticated! They’re now the most ubiquitous bird on the planet.
The world’s largest beaver dam is an astonishing 850 meters deep, situated in the thick wilderness of northern Alberta.
The equator is the imaginary line which runs around the earth at its center. The distance to go around the world where this line would be is just over 40.000 km or 24.902 miles. Walking around the world along the equator would be very difficult with nearly 80% of the surface was being covered by water. The equator divides the northern and southern hemisphere from each other. Certain Navies have a tradition when crossing over the equator by holding a ceremony for the sailors who are crossing the equator on a boat for the first time. This also extends to some cruise ships which also stage ceremonies for their guests regarding crossing the equator.
The Dutch Princesses are known for their identical blonde looks and picture-perfect family photos. They all speak Dutch, English, and Spanish. They have plenty of hobbies including piano, horse-riding, hockey, tennis, ballet, swimming, and judo!
Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder, when he noticed the crazy behavior of his goats. Caffeine is not just a stimulant; it can also make you see things. And kill you. Although, to get a lethal dose you would need to drink around 100 cups. New Yorkers drink seven times more coffee than any other citizens of the USA. However, the largest consumer of coffee per capita is the Netherlands. In ancient Arab culture, to the only legal ground for a woman to divorce her husband was if he didn’t provide enough coffee. In modern-day Italy, Espresso is regulated by the government, as it is considered an essential part of daily life.
Furious driving and road rage were problems long before cars were ubiquitous. Endangering other people by furiously driving a horse must have been an issue, as in 1832 the UK introduced the Stage Carriage Act, which made endangering the safety of a passenger or person by ‘furious driving’ an official offense. When mechanically propelled vehicles entered the road, a series of Locomotive Acts regulated the maximum allowed speed. Initially, the speed limit was 10 mph (16 km/h) until it was reduced to 2 mph (3 km(h) in towns and 4 mph (6 km/h) in rural areas.
There are currently 264 known monkey species of monkeys in the world. They can be divided into two groups, Old World monkeys that live in Africa and Asia, and New World monkeys that live in South America.
The word “cosmetic” originated from the Greek word kosmos which means to adorn, arrange or order. In ancient Egypt, cosmetics were a fundamental part of hygiene, health, and many rituals. It was also the first instance where pills and creams were used to protect against the sun and dry winds. Cosmetic products have long been symbols of not only beauty and cleanliness, but also wealth and prestige. Ancient Roman philosopher Plautus was once quoted claiming that “A woman without paint, is like food without salt”.
There are many types of bridges but the common ones are beam bridges, arch bridges, suspension bridges, cantilever bridges, truss bridges, and cable-stayed bridges.
Research has found that the birds choose which of their next generation they should prioritize by instinct. When the parent birds carry insects or other food back to the nest the starving hatchlings will elongate their necks, tweet loudly and in desperation for food open their mouths as wide as possible, showing the bright red or yellow color of their lips and mouths. All these are strong signals to the parent bird’s feeding instinct.
There is actually a gender difference to lying. According to studies men and women are equally likely to twist the truth, but they are doing it for different reasons. Men are using lies mostly to make themselves look better, like exaggerating one’s height or income, while women are most likely to lie to make someone feel better. In general, you are more likely to lie in a hurry, when you have no time to think about the consequences.