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April 25, 2022


HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED…?

At Britannica we answer lots of interesting questions. Here are just a few.
Was Napoleon short?
English cartoonists of the day often portrayed him as vertically challenged.
Were they right?
What did Cleopatra look like?
Discover if media depictions of her as the ravishingly seductive proto-femme
fatale are accurate.
Did Marie Antoinette really say “Let them eat cake”?
We take a closer look at one of the most famous quotes in history.
What have we left on the Moon?
Litterbugs aren’t just on Earth.
Who were the Assassins?
Outlandish tales about a sect known as the Assassins were a staple of European
lore about the Middle Ages. But were they true?
Why is marijuana illegal in the U.S.?
The short answer is racism.


IT’S A TWISTER!

The United States has more tornadoes than any other country on Earth, averaging
roughly 1,200 yearly. Meteorologists have predicted that the 2022 tornado season
will likely be more active than average. The traditional boundaries of “Tornado
Alley” appear to be expanding to include more of the densely populated
southeastern states due to persistent drought conditions in the Southwest and a
shifting jet stream.
How Do Tornadoes Form?
Demystified / Science
Mike Coniglio—National Severe Storms Laboratory/NOAA
How Are Tornadoes Classified?
website
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Deadliest Tornado in U.S. History
article / World History
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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LISTS

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TRENDING QUIZZES

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names of 195 countries, and you’ll need...
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Women have been political leaders for centuries. Test what you know about their
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This quiz will show you two countries. Pick the one that’s bigger, as measured
by total area. The statistics come from
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Test your bond with the periodic table of elements in this quiz on all 118
chemical elements and their symbols. You may be...
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U.S. State Capitals Quiz
Do you know the capitals of the 50 states? In this quiz, you’ll be given a
state, and you’ll need to select its capital city—all...
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The American Revolution
Spurred by Great Britain’s taxation without fair representation, this political
uprising led to the formation of the United...
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European Capitals Quiz
How well do you know your European capitals? This quiz will show you the name of
a country on the continent of Europe, and...
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Women’s History: Famous Firsts
Women have accomplished some fantastic feats in the course of history. Test your
knowledge of some famous firsts for women.
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Presidents of the United States Quiz
Which two U.S. presidents died on the same day? Who was the first president to
serve two terms in office? Test the knowledge...
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FEATURED VIDEOS

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Learn about the fight for clean drinking water with Gitanjali Rao
VIDEO
Explore climate change with Bill McKibben
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Remembering Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim
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Learn about the life and career of labour activist Cesar Chavez
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If Thomas Edison didn't invent the lightbulb, who did?
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PODCASTS

See All Shows And Podcasts
Botanize!
Botanize!, hosted by Melissa Petruzzello, is a podcast that will introduce you
to some of the world’s most remarkable plants, fungi, and algae. These
overlooked organisms have fascinating evolutionary stories to tell about
survival, exploitation, adaptation, and general scrappiness, and every episode
will pique your curiosity. From parasitic plants to kelp forests, Botanize! aims
to showcase some of Earth’s finest nonanimal life-forms and their brilliant
ecologies.
Listen Now: Episode 1
Postcards from the 6th Mass Extinction
So far there have been five notable mass extinctions on Earth. A growing number
of scientists argue that we’re now in the midst of a sixth. Postcards from the
6th Mass Extinction is a podcast hosted by John P. Rafferty that attempts to
personalize extinction, emphasizing the survival challenges that familiar forms
of life currently face, while at the same time considering the pivotal roles
they play in their own ecosystems.
Listen Now: Episode 1
On This Day
Hear the stories that propelled us to the present day through insights that lend
perspective to our world with a nod to our own humanity. Britannica media editor
Kurt Heintz, together with Emily Goldstein and Meg Matthias, is on a mission to
spotlight poignant and noteworthy events for every day of the year.
Listen Now: Episode 1


NEW ON BRITANNICA

southern white rhinoceros

The largest rhinoceros group in terms of population, the southern white
rhinoceros is found almost exclusively in southern Africa from Angola and
Namibia eastward through Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, and
Mozambique, with smaller populations made up of introduced animals in Kenya and
southern Zambia. Southern white rhinoceroses also reside in zoos and private
nature reserves worldwide.

Al-Aqṣā Mosque

According to Islamic sources, the Prophet Muhammad was miraculously transported
one night from Mecca to this site in Jerusalem, where he led Abraham, Moses,
Jesus, and other messengers of God in ritual prayer. The term Al-Aqṣā Mosque is
often extended to denote the entirety of the plaza on which the mosque and the
Dome of the Rock stand, although that area is known formally as Al-Ḥaram
al-Sharīf (“the Noble Sanctuary”).

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Entertainment & Pop Culture
Entertainment and leisure activities have been a part of culture in one form or
another since the ancient times. Dance performances, live music, and
storytelling have a long tradition throughout history, even as the styles and
available methods of delivery have shifted dramatically.
Featured
 * African theatre
   art
 * What’s the Difference Between Whiskey and Whisky? What About Scotch, Bourbon,
   and Rye?
   Well, when whiskey, or whisky, or Scotch, or bourbon,...
 * Baking and Baked Goods
   You may have a sweet tooth, but how much do you know...

Geography & Travel
Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which
are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one
might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling
tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna,
and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or
caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling
the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and
countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human
migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from
that of centuries ago.
Featured
 * canals and inland waterways
   waterway
 * How Do Deserts Form?
   What weather conditions cause deserts to form?
 * San Francisco: 9 Claims to Fame
   We left our hearts in San Francisco.

Health & Medicine
The study of the human mind and body, how these function, and how they
interact�not only with each other but also with their environment�has been of
utmost importance in ensuring human well-being. Research on potential treatments
and preventive medicine has expanded greatly with the development of modern
medicine, and a network of disciplines, including such fields as genetics,
psychology, and nutrition, aims to facilitate the betterment of our health.
Featured
 * human ear
   anatomy
 * Why addressing racism against Black women in health care is key to ending the
   US HIV epidemic
   Research has shown how addressing racism against Black...
 * Our emotions and identity can affect how we use grammar
   Researchers have found that our emotions and identity...

Lifestyles & Social Issues
It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain
basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual
and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy
to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all
members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of
years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an
international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms
concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism,
environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.
Featured
 * Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
   German author
 * Why Is Black History Month Celebrated in February?
   How February became Black History Month.
 * Why Do We Give Valentine Cards?
   Freundschaftskarten and Hallmark are among the reasons.

Literature
With the development of language, the human imagination has found a way to
create and communicate through the written word. A literary work can transport
us into a fictional, fantastic new world, describe a fleeting feeling, or simply
give us a picture of the past through novels, poems, tragedies, epic works, and
other genres. Through literature, communication becomes an art, and it can
bridge and bond people and cultures of different languages and backgrounds.
Featured
 * dramatic literature
   
 * 7 Quintessential National-Spelling-Bee-Winning Words
   Can you spell these? (T-h-e-s-e!)
 * 10 Must-“Visit” Fictional Lands
   Maybe if you just wish hard enough...

Philosophy & Religion
Humans have long pondered not only how we came to be but also why we came to be.
The earliest Greek philosophers focused their attention upon the origin and
nature of the physical world; later philosophers have theorized about the nature
of knowledge, truth, good and evil, love, friendship, and much more. Philosophy
involves a methodical assessment of any and all aspects of human existence and
experience. The realms of philosophy and religion have sometimes intersected in
conducting such inquiries as these. As with philosophy, the study of religion
underscores how humankind has long speculated about its origins. The possibility
of a higher being (or beings) to which livings things owe their existence has
long captived human thought. Many religions also offer their own views on the
nature of good and evil, and they may prescribe guidelines and judgment on
different kinds of human behavior.
Featured
 * humanism
   
 * The Qurʾān
   How much do you know about Islam’s holy book?
 * Roman Catholic Saints
   “All you holy men and women pray for us.”

Politics, Law & Government
The world today is divided territorially into more than 190 countries, each of
which possesses a national government that claims to exercise sovereignty and
seeks to compel obedience to its will by its citizens. Governments can be
classified in any number of ways. For example, they might be classified by the
number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a
tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from
government by the many (as in a democracy). Governments can also be classified
by mode of succession; for example, ascension to governmental leadership may
follow the rules of hereditary succession, or it may be determined through
elections or by force. Governments also vary in terms of the laws and rules of
conduct that each political entity follows.
Featured
 * police
   law enforcement
 * What Was Frederick Douglass’s Position on Women’s Rights?
   Find out how Frederick Douglass supported the early...
 * Abraham Lincoln
   How much do you know about the 16th president of the...

Science
How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend
to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can�t I do
the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we
live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to
understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many
centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the
primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing
through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range
of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and
much more.
Featured
 * scientific method
   
 * Crustaceans: Fact or Fiction?
   Can crabs only live in salt water? Do crabs experience...
 * Fish in the Sea: Fact or Fiction?
   Can fish get thirsty? Do sharks use electricity to...

Sports & Recreation
Physical contests and recreational games have long played a part in human
society. In both team and solo sports, the human body has been pushed to its
limits in the name of improving athletic performance and in order to break
record upon record. The ancient Olympic Games are an early example of the
contests in which humans have engaged to showcase physical prowess. In modern
times, sports and games have evolved into a lucrative and competitive industry,
while other leisure activities, such as card and video games, can be competitive
or just serve as a way to unwind or socialize.
Featured
 * chess
   game
 * American Sports Nicknames
   Do you know "The Mailman" from "The Admiral"? Test...
 * Tour de France: Fact or Fiction?
   How much do you know about the Tour de France? Race...

Technology
Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the
development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications
systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and�why
not?�more fun, too. Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many
significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a
difference in our daily lives.
Featured
 * invention
   technology
 * Influential Computer Programming Languages
   Learn how to speak computer.
 * What Is Known (and Not Known) About Area 51
   Area 51 has spawned more conspiracy theories than perhaps...

Visual Arts
These are the arts that meet the eye and evoke an emotion through an expression
of skill and imagination. They include the most ancient forms, such as painting
and drawing, and the arts that were born thanks to the development of
technology, like sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art.
Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art history have
had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly ornamented taste of
the Baroque to the simple utilitarian style of the Prairie School.
Featured
 * sculpture
   
 * 10 Angry Young Men
   Know who the most prominent figures were in the British...
 * Classic Closing Lines
   Some classic movies have memorable last lines. See...

World History
Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those
who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural
record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on
humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.
Featured
 * South African War
   British-South African history
 * Major Events in the Life of Constantine I
   From birth to Constantinople.
 * Timeline of the First Opium War
   Read more about what happened during the First Opium...


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