The term “banana republic” was coined by O. Henry, who’d fled to Honduras in 1896 to escape embezzlement charges by a Texas bank.
The Year of the Horse is being celebrated in China with a new plushie toy of a sad-looking red horse, sewn by accident with an upside-down smile.
In a TikTok video, Dr. Nicole LePera, who touts herself as a holistic psychologist, said daydreaming might be harmful because “it is a form of dissociation where your brain is imagining alternate realities to cope with how scary your actual reality is.”
The first mercury thermometer was invented by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit.
Mesothrombium is a stunning velvet mite – a fuzzy, bright red arachnid found in Australia and New Caledonia. Although plush-looking adults are well known from photos, their larval stage remains a complete mystery to science.
The above is information that Mr. Smarty Pants read in a book, magazine, or newspaper; heard on the radio; saw on television; or overheard at a party. Got facts? Write to Mr. Smarty Pants. Why not visit mrsmartypants.com?
This article appears in February 6 • 2026.