Joseph Priestly is credited with discovering oxygen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride, sulphur dioxide, and nitrous oxide. He was also the first to isolate chlorine.

Joseph Swan invented the light bulb in 1879, one year before Thomas Edison did. However, Swan didn't patent the idea and was widely accused of copying Edison who did patent the idea and was therefore recognized as its inventor. Swan continued to be denied recognition until some time later when it was shown that both light bulbs were produced using different processes. Edison and Swan later formed a joint company using the best of both technologies.

Judy Scheindlin ("Judge Judy") has a $25,000,000 salary, while Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg has a $190,100 salary.

Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte both suffered from epilepsy.

Julius Caesar was the first to encode communications, using what has become known as the Caesar Cipher.

Julius Caesar, Martin Luther and Jonathan Swift all suffered from Ménièr's disease. It is a disorder of the hearing and balance senses causing hissing, roaring or whistling sounds to be perceived.

Julius Caesar's autograph is worth about $2,000,000.

Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets. Although it has a circumference of 280,000 miles compared with Earth's 25,000 Jupiter manages to make one turn in 9 hours and 55 minutes.

Jupiter's moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, and is larger than the planets Mercury and Pluto.

Just twenty seconds worth of fuel remained when Apollo 11's lunar module landed on the moon.

Kangaroos and emus cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason.

Kansas state law requires pedestrians crossing the highways at night to wear tail lights.

Ketchup was once sold as a patented medicine. In the 1830s it was marketed in the United States as Dr. Miles's Compound Extract of Tomato.

Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.

Key West, Florida is the southernmost point in the continental United States. South Point, Hawaii is the country's southernmost point overall.

Kikkoman soy sauce was originated in 1630 in Japan.

Killer whales (Orcas) kill sharks by torpedoeing up into the shark;s stomach from underneath causing the shark to explode.

Kim Basinger fears large crowds. She even locked herself in her house for 4 months, because of this fear.

King Henry III of France, Louis XIV of France, and Napoleon all suffered from ailurophobia the fear of cats.

Kirkland, Illinois, law forbids bees to fly over the village or through any of its streets.

Kitsap County, Washington, was originally called Slaughter County, nicely: the first hotel there was called The Slaughter House.

Kiwi birds are blind, they hunt only by smell.

Koala bears also have finger prints that are almost identical to ours

Koala bears have fingerprints so similar to humans that they could be confused at a crime scene.

Koalas have twin thumbs

Kodak is the first chain store to open in Antarctica.

Korea's poshintang dog meat soup is a popular item on summertime menus, despite outcry from other nations. The soup is believed to cure summer heat ailments, improve male virility, and improve women's complexions.

Kotex was first manufactured as bandages, during W.W.I.

Kuwait is about 60% male (highest in the world). Latvia is about 54% female (highest in the world).

L.L. Cool J is the only rap star to have performed at a presidential inaugural concert. He performed at Bill Clinton's gala in 1993.

La Pax, Bolivia is a virtually fireproof city. At an altitude of about 12,000 feet above sea level, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere is barely able to support fire.

La Paz, Bolivia is the highest capital city in the world.

Lab tests can detect traces of alcohol in urine six to 12 hours after a person has stopped drinking.

Lacrosse was invented by American Indians.

Lady Godiva's horse was named Aethenoth.

Laid end-to-end, the arteries, capillaries and veins would stretch for about 60,000 miles in the average child and would be about 100,000 miles in an adult - enough to wrap around the world nearly four times.

Laika the dog, was the first living thing which was sent to space.

Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes located entirely within the United States.

Lake Nicaragua boasts the only fresh-water sharks in the entire world.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway at New Orleans, Louisiana, is the world's largest bridge. It is almost 24 miles (about 38 kilometers) long.

Large doses of coffee can be lethal. Ten grams, or 100 cups over 4 hours, can kill the average human.

Large kangaroos cover more than 30 feet with each jump.

Larger Stingrays have the power to drive their stingers or tail-spines through the hulls of wooden boats

Las Vegas means "The Meadows" in Spanish.

Laser stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." Developed 1950s 1960s.

Lassie was played by a group of male dogs; the main one was named Pal.

Lassie was played by several male dogs, despite the female name, because male collies were thought to look better on camera. The main "actor" was named Pal.

Lassie, the TV collie, first appeared in a 1930s short novel titled Lassie Come-Home written by Eric Mowbray Knight. The dog in the novel was based on Knight's real life collie, Toots.

Latin Americans have two last names.

Latin is a dead language.

Latte is the Italian word for milk. So if you request a latte' in Italy, you'll be served milk.

Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

Laws forbidding the sale of sodas on Sunday prompted William Garwood to invent the ice cream sundae in Evanston, IL, in 1875.

Lee De Forest, the inventor of the radio tube, was tried for fraud in 1913. He was accused of tricking the public into buying stocks in his company, the Radio Telephone Company, by making "absurd and deliberately misleading" claims about the possibility of transmitting the human voice across the Atlantic Ocean.

Lee Harvey Oswald's cadaver tag sold at an auction for $6,600 in 992.

Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot on North America in the year 1000. (No, it wasn't Columbus)

Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.

Leonard da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors, the helicopter, and many other present day items.

Leonardo Divinci made sketches of a tracked armored vehicle to be used as an offensive weapon. It was pedal powered.

Leopards are so stealthy that they can roam around a city like Manhattan with the chances of not being seen!

Leopards were originally called Pard, Pardus and Panther

Let us look at the possible origin of 'banana'. 'ba', in Egyptian mythology is the soul. 'Nana', as we all know, is another word for grandmother. So, is a banana, the grandmother of the soul?

Levi Strauss blue jeans with copper rivets were priced at $13.50 per dozen in 1874.

Levi's 501 jeans got its number from its original stock number in the first Levi's store.

Lice is the plural of louse.

Light travels at the rate of 186,200 miles a second.

Lightning bolts can sometimes be hotter than the sun. (about 50 000º F)

Lightning puts 10,000,000 tons of nitrogen into the earth each year.

Lightning strikes 6,000 times every minute on the entire planet

Lightning strikes the Earth 100 times every second, from the 1,800 thunderstorms in progress at any given moment.

Lightning strikes the earth about 8 million times a day.

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different

Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son.

Linoleum was patented in 1860 by Frank Walton, who also made up the name for his product.

Lions are the only truly social cat species, and usually every female in a pride, ranging from 5 to 30 individuals, is closely related.

Listerine mouthwash can be used as a deoderant. Douse your armpits with it and the smell vanishes within a couple minutes.

Little Jackie Paper was the name of Puff the Magic Dragon's human friend.

Lizards can self-amputate their tails for protection. It grows back after a few months.

'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch' is the actual name of a village in northern Wales

Lloyd's of London began as Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse.

Local calls using a coin-operated phone in the U.S. cost only 5 cents everywhere until 1951.

Lorne Greene had one of his nipples bitten off by an alligator while he was host of "Lorne Greene's Animal Kingdom."

Lou Gehrig earned a total of $316,000 during his 17 year career with the New York Yankees. In 1992, a fan paid $363,000 for a Yankee jersey that Gehrig wore during the 1927 season.

Louis XVI of France was captured at Varennes in June 1791 while trying to flee his country. He was stopped at an inn when he tried to pay with a coin that carried his likeness.

Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, was the first and only foreign-born first lady.

Lovebirds are small parakeets who live in pairs. Male and female lovebirds look alike, but most other male birds have brighter colors than the females.

Lovers in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, should avoid satisfying their lustful urges in a parked car. If the horn accidentally sounds while they are frolicking behind the wheel, the couple can face a jail term.

Luther Crowell invented the paper bag in 1867.

Macaroni, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Emperor are types of penguins.

MacDonalds fries are made with beef flavoring. mmmmmmm.

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, preceded by Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo.

Madonna suffers from garophobia (the fear of thunder).

Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable.

Male bees will try to attract sex partners with orchid fragrance.

Male feral rabbits urinate on the females to state their ownership

Male horseflies can fly over 90mph.

male lions somtimes kill their own kids if they seem a threat or take the attention of their mate.

Male seagulls have red legs.

Males, on average, think about sex every 7 seconds.

Man O' War lost only one race in his career. It happened in 1919 to a horse named Upset.

Manhattan Island from end to end is less than one million inches long.

Manta Rays have no external organs for urination, therefore they release the urine from their pores

Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time.

Many koalas are killed in sanctuaries by cars of visitors. 2. A newborn koala finds its way to the mother's pouch by following a trail of saliva.

Many scholars believe that an earthquake caused the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, referred to in the Bible as "the smoke of the country." Earthquakes produce massive clouds of dust that resemble billowing smoke.

Many scientists believe that birds evolved from reptiles. Both species lay eggs, and they both have egg teeth that serve only one purpose: to help the babies break the egg and enter the world. Egg teeth fall off within hours of birth.

Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind between 1926 and 1929. In her early drafts, the main character was named "Pansy O'Hara" and the O'Hara plantation we know as Tara was called "Fountenoy Hall."

Marie and Irene Curie are the only mother and daughter to win Nobel prizes with their husbands. Marie and Pierre Curie won the Physics prize in 1903. Irene and Frederic Joliot-Curie won in 1935 for chemistry. Incidentally, Marie Curie also won the 1911 Nobel Prize for chemistry.

Marie Curie, the Nobel prize winning scientist who discovered radium, died on July 4, 1934 of radiation poisoning.

Marie Owen was the first policewoman in the United States. She started her career in Detroit in 1893.

Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot.

Marilyn Monroe used to cut down the heel on one of her shoes to achieve her butt-wiggling walk in films.

Marilyn Monroe's real name was Norma Jean.

Mark Twain was the first to have written a novel [Tom Sawyer] on a typewriter.

Marseilles is the oldest city in France. It was settled in about 6,000 B.C. by Ionian Greeks, who called it Massilia.

Martha Washington in the only woman whose portrait has ever appeared on a US currency note. Her portrait was on the face of the $1 silver certificate issues of 1886 and 1891, and on the back of the $1 silver certificate of 1896. Sacagewea and Susan B. Anthony are the only women represented on a US coin. Both were honored on a dollar coin.

Mary Queen of Scots was a skilful billiards player

Massachusetts law declares that peanuts may not be eaten in court.

May and June are the most popular months to get married. January is the least popular.

Mayonnaise is said to be the invention of the French chef of the Duke de Richelieu in 1756. While the Duke was defeating the British at Port Mahon, his chef was creating a victory feast that included a sauce made of cream and eggs. When the chef realized that there was no cream in the kitchen, he improvised, substituting olive oil for the cream. A new culinary masterpiece was born, and the chef named it "Mahonnaise" in honor of the Duke's victory.

McDonald's "Big Mac" slogan, introduced in 1975, is: "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a sesame seed bun."

McDonalds and Burger King sugar-coat their fries so they will turn golden-brown.

Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) hated carrots.

Members of the Nazi SS had their blood type tattooed on their armpits.

men are 6 times more likely to get struck by lightning then women

Men are a lot more streamlined than women for swimming, because the female's mamaries create a lot of drag. Enough, in fact, that racing suits have been developed with tiny pegs above the breasts to cause disturbance, which decreases the drag.

Men are more likely to be left-handed(10%) than females(8%)

Men can read smaller print than women.

Men commit suicide three times more frequently than women do. But women attempt suicide two to three times more often than men.

Men's three pound is the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter known in the universe.

Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.

Mercury is the only planet whose orbit is coplanar with its equator. Venus and Uranus are the only planets that rotate opposite to the direction of their orbit.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is a medication prescribed for individuals (usually children) who have an abnormally high level of activity or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 3 to 5 percent of the general population has the disorder, which is characterized by agitated behavior and an inability to focus on tasks. Methylphenidate also is occasionally prescribed for treating narcolepsy. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It has effects similar to, but more potent than, caffeine and less potent than amphetamines. It has a notably calming effect on hyperactive children and a "focusing" effect on those with ADHD.

Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year because it's built on top of an underground reservoir. Wells are drawing out more and more water for the city's growing population of more than 15 million people.

Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas.

Mexico City sinks ten inches per year.

Mexico once had three presidents in one day.

Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes and man all have seven neck vertebra.

Michael Jordan has more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

Michael Myers, the villain of the Halloween movies, is named after a real person. When Assault on Precinct 13 performed better than expected in England, director John Carpenter decided to thank the English distributor by naming the main character of his next movie after him.

Michelangelo painted only one easel picture.

Michelangelo's Last Judgment, which hangs on the walls of the Sistine Chapel, drew some harsh criticism from one of the Vatican's officials because of the nudity. So Michelangelo made some changes to his work: he painted in the face of the complaining clergyman and added a donkey's ears and a snake's tail.

Mickey Mouse is known as 'Topolino' in Italy.

Midgets and dwarfs almost always have normal-sized children, even if both parents are midgets or dwarfs.

Mike Greenwell of the Boston Red Sox holds the major league record for the most RBIs that accounted for all of his team's runs. In 1996, he batted in nine runs in a game against the Seattle Mariners.

Milk as an additive to coffee became popular in the 1680's, when a French physician recommended that cafe au lait be used for medicinal purposes.

Milk is actually considered to be a food and not a beverage.

Millie the White House dog earned more than 4 times as much as Pres. Bush in 99. And, rightfully so.

Mineral deposits in caves: The ones growing upward are stalagmites, the ones growing downward are stalactites.

Minnesotans are forbade from teasing skunks.

Minnows have teeth in their throat.

Minors in Kansas City, Missouri, are not allowed to purchase cap pistols; they may buy shotguns freely, however.

Minus forty degrees Celsius is exactly the same as minus forty degrees Fahrenheit.

Mockingbirds can imitate any sound from a squeaking door to a cat meowing.

Modern coffee brewing methods use approximately 200° water.

Moles are able to tunnel through 300 feet of earth in a day.

Monday is the only day of the week that has an anagram, dynamo.

Monday's Child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child has to work for its living, But a child that's born on the Sabbath Day, Is fair and wise and good and gay.

Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of linen.

Monosodium glutamate can be found in mushrooms thanx liz chell, tomatoes and meat. MSG is safe to consume, and is essentially made of only water, sodium and glutamate. It contains only 1/3 the amount of sodium found in table salt, and can reduce salt intake in recipes.

Montana mountain goats will butt heads so hard their hooves fall off.

Montgomery Ward was the first company in the United States to advertise, “Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.” They did it in 1874, two years after company founder Aaron Montgomery Ward launched his mail-order catalog.

Moon was Buzz Aldrins mothers maiden name. (Buzz Aldrin was the second man on the moon).

More Monopoly is printed yearly than real money throughout the world.

More people are afraid of open spaces (kenophobia) than of tight spaces (claustrophobia).

More than 100 years ago, the felt hat makers of England used mercury to stabilize wool. Most of them eventually became poisoned by the fumes, as demonstrated by the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Breathing mercury's fumes over a long period of time will cause erethism, a disorder characterized by nervousness, irritability, and strange personality changes.

More than 20,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing in action in the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862. This was the bloodiest one-day fight during the Civil War.

More than 25% of the world's forests are in Siberia.

More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

More than 80% of all the world's earthquakes occur in the Pacific basin borders.

More than 92 465 people that did the death test in www.thespark.com claimed they had leprosy.

More than 99.9% of all the animal species that have ever lived on earth were extinct before the coming of man.

More than one million people play a single/multiplayer game called Diablo 2! I`m one of them!

More water flows over Niagara Falls every year than any other falls on earth.

Morphine was given its name in 1803 by the discoverer, a 20 year old German pharmacist named Friedrich Saturner. He named it after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams.

Moses Malone was the first basketball player to go directly from high school to a professional American team.

Mosquito repellents dont really repel mozzies. They actually block the sensory pores and makes the mozzies think they're flying to a colder, dryer, more CO2 free area.

Mosquitoes dislike citronella because it irritates their feet.

Mosquitoes have teeth.

Mosquitoes prefer children to adults, and blondes to brunettes.

Mosquitos usually don't fly in winds more than 10 mph.

Most American car horns honk in the key of F.

Most boat owners name their boats. The most popular boat name is Obsession

most car horns honk in the key of F

Most caucasian babies are born with dark blue eyes, although it normally changes colour after child birth.

Most cows give more milk when they listen to music.

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

Most Eskimos do not live in igloos.

Most gemstones contain several elements; except the diamond, it's all carbon.

Most Greyhounds are universal blood donors and are used to provide extra blood during another dog's surgery.

Most honey bees die after it stings people as our skin is elastic, unsuitable for their stingers which are meant for harder inelastics skins. Their venom glands are also torn out in the process. (So removing the stinger by piching the tip is well, in one word, dumb.jk)

Most household dust is made of dead skin cells.

Most landfilled trash retains its original weight, volume, and form for 40 years.

Most lipstick contains fish scales.

Most marine fish can survive in a tank filled with human blood

Most men have erections every hour to hour and a half during sleep.

Most of the vitamin C in fruits is in the skin.

Most people hear better out of their right ear.

Most people know what pH means, but few people know that it stands for pondus hydrogenii which means potential hydrogen and that each unit is a phidron.