According to food scholar Oretta Zanini De Vita, when Marco Polo came back, they had been eating pasta in Italy for 200 years.

The Spix’s Macaw is the world’s rarest bird. Most of the survivors are on the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar. It is owned by Sheikh Saoud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al Thani, and he is working to breed and protect them and other species.

Edward Paul Abbey, the late author known for environmental issues, named his home “Fort Llatikcuf” (spell it backward).

Juggalos (males) and Juggalettes (females) are the names that fans of Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, or any other acts who record on Psychopathic Records call themselves.

In chess, the rook originally represented a chariot. The Persian word rokh means “chariot.”

This article appears in October 23 • 2009.

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