I bet you didn't know that this thread would have a part 2

Evade

Unmatched numerically today but the post WWII US Navy had over seven thousand ships.

Would ships as large as the treasure fleet with that much crew have been able to do the ocean crossings the European ships did?

KevRossi

The large ships were all over SE Asia, frequent visitors to the Arabian peninsula and went along the African coast as far as Zanzibar. They never ventured east through the Pacific as far as I know.

Gloomtastic!

Grasshoppers predate grass by 180 million years. 🤯

Badly Drunk Boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394364#Comment_122394364

…back when they were only hoppers.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394364#Comment_122394364

Philippe de Girard made the tin can and had it patented in 1810 and by 1813 Queen Charlotte had eaten factory made canned beef.

The first tin opener wasn't designed until the 1860's

Evade

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398323#Comment_122398323

You can use a knife, it's not that hard

PTH2009

What's the snooker version of '180/Hole in one' ?

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122398698#Comment_122398698

147?

Capt'n Midnight

..

its_steve116

Fine Gael has had leaders born in the 1940s, 1950s, 1970s and now even in the 1980s...

...but not the 1960s. Current deputy leader Heather Humphreys, who was born in 1964, is as close as they have come.

KevRossi

There's a good chance there will never be a US President born in the 1950s. They would be 68 at least when running in 2028.

Washington was born in the 1730s. Only the 1810s and 1930s have failed to produce a President so far.

joujoujou

The patent for the first cast iron fire hydrant was lost in the Great Patent Office Fire of 1836. This calamity consumed thousands of patent documents, leaving historians to speculate and manufacturers to claim the title of “first.”

Ironic twist of fate that a device designed to mitigate fires was itself a victim of one.

silliussoddius

I think the headline of this article is a bit hyperbolic, but still I didn't realize they were this big/popular as you tend to hear more about the Beatles, Queen, Rolling Stones etc.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/creedence-clearwater-revival-ccr-chronicle-americas-biggest-band-1235073385/

KevRossi

Betsy Baker, born August 20th 1842 and a British citizen, lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II as she died in 1955, aged 113.

Perfectly feasible that someone from the UK, born in 2022 will live to 120 years of age, thus meaning people will have lived for a span of 300 years, over 4 centuries, who will have had QE2 as their head of state.

Capt'n Midnight

..

KevRossi

Wild stuff when you think about it.

joujoujou

During WWII, there was a Syrian Brown Bear in the Polish Army's 22nd Artillery Supply Company that made it to the rank of corporal, being enlisted soldier with his own paybook, rank, and serial number. He ate cigarettes, drank beer, and carried guns and mortar shells for the soldiers. His name was Wojtek (phonetically spelled Voyteck). After the war he was mustered out of the Polish Army and lived out the rest of his life at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.

FishOnABike

and there's a statue of him in Princes Street Gardens in the center of Edinburgh.

its_steve116

Two of the Strokes - Julian Casablancas (son of Elite Model Management founder John) and Albert Hammond Jnr (son of musician/songwriter Albert Hammond) - met in Switzerland at the exclusive Institut le Rosey boarding school (where Julian's father also went). Considered the most expensive school in the world, its alumni include royalty, children of multi-millionaire celebrities, etc, and its fees as of 2011/12 were CHF 125,000 (approximately US$133,000), without extra fees such as those for sports, etc.

Nikolai Fraiture, the band's bass player? He grew up with his five siblings in a two-bedroom apartment in Yorkville, a rather, erm, affordable neighbourhood of Manhattan. His dad was a security guard in Macy's department store.

Kat1170

So, he pulled a Stroke or two as they say 🤔😂

bonzodog2

Herb Alpert co-founded A&M Records  in 1962

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122601302#Comment_122601302

….

Gloomtastic!

The Guinness family made more money by marrying very well than they did from selling stout.