January 30, 1835: At the Capitol Building, a house painter named Richard Lawrence aimed two flintlock pistols at President Andrew Jackson, but both misfired, one of them while Lawrence stood within 13 feet (4 m) of Jackson, and the other at point-blank range. Lawrence was apprehended after Jackson beat him down with a cane. Lawrence was found not guilty by reason of insanity and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1861. The odds of two consecutive misfires were estimated at 1 in 1,925,000.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts_and_plots

The symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field. This was originally designed in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. These five rings represent the five (inhabited) continents of the world: Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania (including Australia).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols

Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.

The Color Orange is named after the fruit.

Did the word “golf” originate as an acronym for “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden”? That’s a common old wives’ tale. Or, in this case, more likely an old husband’s tale.

No, “golf” is not an acronym for “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden.” If you’ve ever heard that, forget it immediately. Better yet, find the person who told you and let them know it’s not true.

Like most modern words, the word “golf” derives from older languages and dialects. In this case, the languages in question are medieval Dutch and old Scots.

The medieval Dutch word “kolf” or “kolve” meant “club.” It is believed that word passed to the Scots, whose old Scots dialect transformed the word into “golve,” “gowl” or “gouf.” By the 16th Century, the word “golf” had emerged.

Source: http://golf.about.com/cs/historyofgolf/a/hist_golfword.htm

“Go.” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

The twitching phenomenon that happens in the early stage of sleep is called a hypnagogic massive jerk, or simply a hypnic jerk. It has also been referred to as a sleep start. There has been little research on this topic, but there have been some theories put forth. When the body drifts off into sleep, it undergoes physiological changes related to body temperature, breathing rate and muscular tone. Hypnic jerks may be the result of muscle changes. Another theory suggests that the transition from the waking to the sleeping state signals the body to relax. But the brain may interpret the relaxation as a sign of falling and then signal the arms and legs to wake up. Electroencephalogram studies have shown sleep starts affect almost 10 percent of the population regularly, 80 percent occasionally, and another 10 percent rarely.

Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Human_Physiology/The_Muscular_System

The packaging sounds perfect: barkless, odorless, a convenient size, non-shedding and hypoallergenic,” says Paula Harshberger of Basenji Rescue and Transport, in Safety Harbor, FLA. But that perfect package holds a wild surprise: “The Basenji is closer to a [wild animal] dog than most other breeds.”

Basenji owners already suspected that, but recent DNA evidence has fingered the Basenji as one of the earliest domesticated dogs. African tribesmen have used them to chase game into nets since ancient times. Modern Basenjis are living antiquities that will make your home their jungle, your furniture their monkey bars, and every walk a safari.

Source: http://www.basenjirescue.org/BRAT_Info/dogworld.htm