Cats can have 8 times as many rod cells than humans, allowing them to see much better in low light. They’re elliptical pupils and a structure called “tapetum lucidum” help collect more light back to the retina for better night vision. It’s because of this that cats are some of nature’s best nocturnal hunters!
When your cat gazes at you with its eyes half closed or blinks slowly, it’s a sign of trust! It means they are relaxed and content around you. These slow blinks can be thought of as kitty kisses!
3. The Oldest Known Pet Cat is From 9,500 Years Ago
Most people think the Egyptians domesticated cats, but the oldest record of a pet cat is from 9,500 years ago in Cyprus, Greece. This predates egyptian cats by 4,000 years!
Félicette, also known as “Astro Cat” was the first and only cat to visit outer space. Electrodes wired in her brain sent signals of neurological activity back to earth. Her mission was in 1963 and she made it back safely!
Cats can hear two octaves higher than humans and 1 octave higher than dogs. An article posted on animal planet’s websitesays that cat ears are “like a sophisticated satellite dish turning to pick up a signal.”
In ancient Egypt, the family of a deceased cat would mourn by shaving off their eyebrows and having a burial ceremony. They would mummify the cat along with some mice to keep them company in the afterlife.
7. Cat Brains are More Similar to Human Brains than Dog Brains
Human brains and cat brains have a very similar structure. Cats and humans have identical regions of the brain responsible for emotion. They even have the capacity for short-term and long-term memory, just like humans.
Some cats in hot climates like to cool off by taking a dip. For example, Turkish Vans love to swim and hunt fish. Most cats don’t like water because their fur is not water resistant, but the Turkish Van has a water resistant coat.
Cats don’t have sweat glands all over their body like humans do. Instead, they sweat through their paws. A sweaty cat may leave behind wet paw-prints! Since their paws have very little surface area, they take extra steps to stay cool like finding a shady spot or laying down on cool surfaces.
10. Cats Can’t Taste Sweet Things
Cats are the only known mammals who do not have taste receptors for sweetness. A 2005 Monell Chemical Senses Center study in Philadelphia found that cats lack the amino acids needed to make the sugar detector gene. This is true for all cats- lions, tigers, and leopards included.
The true origins of who held the first Memorial Day celebration is a debated subject.
Approximately 620,000 soldiers on both sides died during the Civil War.
The Grand Army of the Republic was created by the Union Army to honor their dead. After World War I the American Legion took over their duties.
Congress passed a law in 2000 that requires all Americans to stop what they are doing at 3pm on Memorial Day to remember and to honor those who have died serving the United States. President Clinton signed this action.
The flag is supposed to be flown at half-mast until noon, and then raised to full mast until sunset on Memorial Day.
The tradition of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day originated from John McCrae’s 1915 poem In Flanders Fields. In Canada they wear red poppies to honor their soldiers on Remembrance Day in November each year.
Although not as popular today, one tradition was to eat a picnic meal while sitting on the ground of a cemetery. There are still some people in the rural areas of the South that continue to practice this tradition.
It’s common for volunteers to place the American flag on graves in the national cemeteries. Memorial Day is also a popular day for people to visit cemeteries and honor those who have died while serving in the military.
It’s estimated that approximately 32 million people travel by car over Memorial Day weekend.
Memorial Day also marks the beginning of the summer vacation season while Labor Day marks the end.
In some areas of the rural South, they hold annual Decoration Days around this time for certain cemeteries, often in the mountains.
Memorial Day is sometimes confused with Veterans Day. However, Veterans Day honors all United States military veterans, while Memorial Day honors the soldiers who died while serving.
In 1966, President Johnson named Waterloo, New York as the original place of Memorial Day.
There were more American lives lost during the Civil War then the two World Wars combined. Approximately 620,000 died during the Civil War while approximately 116,516 died in World War I and approximately 405,399 died in World War II.
There are more than 300,000 fallen soldiers buried at Arlington Cemetery. On average, there are 28 burials there each day.
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia celebrate Confederate Memorial Day. These are former Confederate states, and they celebrate on various other days ranging from January 19th to June 3rd.
In 2012 there was a movie made called Memorial Day. John and James Cromwell and Jonathan Bennett starred in the film. The story revolves around a 13 year old boy who finds his grandpa’s footlocker from the 2nd World War.
Abraham Lincoln turned down the chance to host elephants
In 1861, the King of Siam offered to gift President Lincoln ‘several pairs of young male and female elephants,’ which were indigenous to his country (today we know it as Thailand). The elephants could be bred to multiply, the king suggested, and the herds could be used as ‘beasts of burden’ that could work alongside the military during the Civil War. The president politely declined the offer, opting to use steam power instead of animal labor.
Gerald Ford modeled on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine
Before he became our nation’s 38th president, Gerald Ford had a side gig as a model. In 1942, shortly after joining the Navy, he landed an uncredited spot on the cover of Cosmopolitan in his uniform. Another fun fact? It was during this time that he met and went on to marry a fellow model, Elizabeth Bloomer. She became known to Americans as First Lady Betty Ford.
John Quincy Adams approved a real-life journey to the center of the Earth
Ever hear of President David Rice Atchison? If the answer is no, that’s probably because he was only ‘president’ for a day. In 1849, the inauguration of Zachary Taylor landed on a Sunday, and the religious incumbent refused to be sworn in on a holy day. He had Atchison stand in for him.
Presidents’ Day is technically called Washington’s Birthday
Presidents’ Day has a more complex history than one would think. After George Washington died in 1799, his supporters recognized his birthday as a day of remembrance. In 1885, his birthday became a federal holiday for the whole country. Later, in 1968, a new bill made certain federal holidays on Mondays and combined birthday celebrations for Washington and Lincoln for a ‘Presidents’ Day.’ According to the United States Code, however, that holiday is technically still called Washington’s Birthday and never officially changed to Presidents’ Day. Federal code permits local governments and private businesses to name federal holidays whatever they want, so most states call it Presidents’ Day.
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