STRANGE BUT TRUE

It was noted 20th-century Frenchswiss film director, screenwriter and critic Jean-luc Godard who made the following sage observation: “A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order.”

Those who study such things say that Roman emperor Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus was more than 8 feet tall.

If you’ve ever seen the flashing green or yellow lights of those beetles we call fireflies you might be surprised to learn that different species have different coloured lights. For instance, the Paraguayan railway beetle can show both green and red lights (like a railway lantern; hence, the name).

According to the US Census Bureau, there are currently more than 1500 American residents named “Seven”.

The Taj Mahal, widely known as “the jewel of Muslim art in India” (pictured), was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who wanted the tomb of his favourite wife to be housed in splendour. After construction was complete, Jahan wanted to ensure that this architectural wonder would never have a rival, so he had the chief architect and main artisans put to death. The stone masons who had done the best work on the structure had their hands amputated, and the artists responsible for the delicate inlay work were blinded.

In some parts of colonial America it was illegal to kiss your spouse in public.

Thought for the Day:

“The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton