Did You Know...

The first book published is thought to be the Epic of Gilgamesh, written at about 3000 BC in cuneiform, an alphabet based on symbols.
The first history book, the Great Universal History, was published by Rashid-Eddin of Persia in 1311
The word "novel" originally derived from the Latin novus, meaning "new."
Auguste Rodin died of frostbite in 1917 when the French government refused him financial aid for a flat, yet they kept his statues warmly housed in museums.
The shortest stage play is Samuel Beckett's "Breath" - 35 seconds of screams and heavy breathing.
Earth is not round; it is slightly pear-shaped. The North Pole radius is 44mm longer than the South Pole radius.
Summer on Uranus lasts for 21 years - but so does winter
Alfredo di Lelio lovingly invented a dish for his wife in his restaurant in 1914. The dish became famous as Fettuccine Alfredo.
A Duke is the highest rank you can achieve without being a king or a prince.
The British royal family changed their surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, the name of their castle, in 1917.

From Persia with Love