The cappa (cloak) of St. Martin of Tours is a holy relic, cared for by priests called “capellani,” from which the term “chaplain” is derived.
As the only child of the Dallas secretary who invented Wite-Out, Michael Nesmith of the Monkees inherited $25 million in 1980. In today’s dollars, that fortune would be worth $72 million.
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), who was strongly influenced by Indian culture, used a swastika as his personal emblem on the covers of many editions of his books. The symbol has been found worldwide, but is especially common in India. A version in which the arms are bent clockwise was used as a charm to bring good fortune.
Alfred Hitchcock was so afraid of police that he gave up driving out of fear of being pulled over by an officer.
Snow Dome, a peak in Canada, is the world’s only triple continental divide (water flowing to the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic oceans).
This article appears in August 22 • 2014.