Origin of Google

Tell me one website that you have used most frequently? Many of you will answer, Google. Yes, Google is the most visited site in the world with million of hits every day. Let’s explore few interesting facts about Google. The first thing is this particular word is a spelling error. Larry page and Sergey Brin are the founders of the site. The actual name they thought was ‘BackRub’ because of the search process of web’s back links. But that did not work so they thought of ‘Googol’ that is basically a mathematical term for 1 followed by 100 zeros. Milton Sirotta a mathematician had coined this term. But finally it turned out to be Google.

Larry page and Sergey Brin started a research project in their early 20s. This project aimed of organizing all the information available on World Wide Web and makes it accessible to millions of users. This project was named as ‘Google’ and the first office was in a garage in California. Many people wonder why the main page of Google is so blank. The reason is quite surprising. Because the founder of Google did not use any HTML tags and rather opted for quick interface. This blank interface caused a weird problem initially. Many users thought page is opening up slowly seeing the blank page and waited for rest of the page to open up completely. But that problem was also sorted out by inserting the Google Copyright message at the end of the page.

Top 10 Languages Spoken In the World

Approximately 277 million people in many parts of the world use Russian as their primary language. It is one of the six languages in the United Nations and spoken in major parts of erstwhile USSR like Belarus, Kazakhstan but also in few parts of USA. A very high population of 392 million people speaks Spanish language. National language of Spain, it is also spoken in Cuba and USA. Most parts of Central America and South America use Spanish as their main language. Many English words have been borrowed from this language like bonanza, enchilada, tornado, taco grande, patio and quesadilla etc to name a few.

Hindustani as a language is spoken by no less than 497 million people. It is the primary language of India. Hindustani has several dialects of which Hindi is the most commonly spoken language. Hindi could have been the most widely spoken language in the world considering the population explosion in India but English has a strong presence in this ancient country. Total 508 millions people speak English as their main language. Official language of numerous countries it is spoken in almost every part of the world. It is official language of more number of countries than any other. Places as far and diverse as England, USA, Hong Kong, Australia, Caribbean, Canada, South Africa etc use this language. Finally the number language in the world is what else but Mandarin. National language of china, Mandarin beats English by astonishing 2 is to 1 ratio. More than 1 billion people speak this language.

List wise top 10 languages in the world are;
Mandarin
English
Hindustani
Spanish
Russian
Arabic
Bengali
Portuguese
Malay
French

Top languages

There are hundreds of languages in the world. Each country and subsequent regions have different languages. If we talk in Indian context then it’s really hard to count the number of languages spoken by regions, tribes and natives. However, let’s have a look at languages spoken worldwide. That way we will also find out the most spoken languages in the world.

French is often termed as the most romantic language in the world. It is spoken by no less than 129 million people across the countries like Belgium, Haiti, Rwanda, Canada, Cameroon and most importantly France. Malay is another widely spoken language. The total number of speakers is 159 million in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. One interesting thing about Malay is it has many dialects based on same roots. Portuguese is spoken by 191 million people in diverse countries and regions like Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Macau and Venezuela. Finding the name of Bengali language is quite surprising but the number is as high as 211 million in Bangladesh and few parts of India. In Bangladesh everyone speaks the same language.

There are several Muslim countries in the world, especially in Middle East Asia. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Egypt, Syria, Jordan etc primarily use Arabic language. Arabic is also one of the oldest languages in the world. Also the fact that the religious book of Islam, Koran is written in Arabic, makes it a widely spoken language. In 1974, United Nations made Arabic the sixth official language.

Interesting History Facts

The year 1848 is also known as the year of revolution in European history.
George VI was the King of England before Queen Elizabeth II. The period was 1936 to 52.
Mrs. Sirimavo Bandara Naike was the first woman prime minister of a country. The country in question was Sri Lanka.
Ever wondered what’s the designation provided to the President of India? – its The Supreme Executive and Forcers Commander of Nation.
History books often mention famous peacock throne that was used by a king. The king was originally Shah Jahan of Mughal Era but later on Na dir Shah got hold of this throne.
Korea is also known by the name ‘the Land of Morning Calm’.
One of the greatest kings of history Alexander the Great died in BC 323 at the young age of just 33. The all conquering king died while returning back from India.
Duke William of Normandy is the name that finished the hundred years of the Anglo Saxon rule in England in 1066
Indian National Congress was the name of the organization founded by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa to agitate for the rights of the Indians there.
Diet House of Representative holds all the aces when it comes to having complete legislative authority in Japan
One of the most famous historical lines “Government of the people, by the people and for the people” was give by- renowned USA president Abraham Lincoln
Hague is the place where International Court of Justice is located.
Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to circumnavigate the world. However many people confuse this fact with the name of Vasco Degama.
May 24th is also known as common wealth day.
Nepal is one of those care countries that do not have a rectangular national flag.
France gifted USA the statue of Liberty in New York. The name of the sculptor was Frederick Augusta Bartholdi.

Science Facts

The sun is the nearest star.
Between the two, Gold and Silver, gold is the heavier one.
H20 also refers to water
A butterfly has six legs.
The planet Neptune has a moon named Triton.
Photosynthesis is the name of the process for which plants need CO2, water and sunlight.
Stephen Hawking is credited to have written the famous book, ‘A Brief History of Time’
The symbol Zn symbolizes chemical element Zinc.
The brain contains the elemnt cerebrum.
Ornithology refers to study of birds.
Sir J J Thomson discovered electron.
Thigh bone is the longest bone in the human body.
At – 40 c temperature both the Centigrade and Fahrenheit show the same reading, i.e., (-) 40c equals (-) 40 F
Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocal lens.
Ever wondered why we never feel pain while cutting our nails? Because nails are not connected with blood vessels.
Swiss bio- chemist Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA in 1868.
Llama is found in only one continent, Antarctica.
Quasar is the name of the brightest object discovered in the universe.
Tungsten is the name of the element that is used in electric lamp filaments.
Adrenaline is the name of hormone that contains blood pressure in the human body.
A nucleus of carbon contains six number of protons and neutrons each.
Pluto revolves most slowly around the sun.
Argon gas is filled in electric bulbs.
The fear of death is called Bath phobia.
Max Plaock gave us Quantum theory.
Dimitri Mendeleeva formulated periodic table of elements.
Charles Robert Darwin is considered as the father of modern Biology.

The Silver Ghost and First Bank Notes

The name Rolls Royce symbolizes class and elegance. One of the best known cars in the world with fanatic fan following, it was created by Charles rolls and Henry Royce. First time made in 1906, for long Rolls Royce was known as the best car in the world. The superior quality of the craftsmanship gave the car phenomenal fame. The car is renowned as ‘Silver Ghost’ because of its glittery aluminum body and quietness resembling to ghosts. The mascot of the car is quite famous as ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’. Silver ghost was the first car to have hand brake and folding windscreen especially designed for rear seat passengers.

The story behind invention of bank notes is quite interesting. The story goes back to 10th century when coins used for trade and business used to be very heavy. So people instead of carrying these heavy coins, preferred to take handwritten receipts from the merchants in exchange of coins. To solve the problem, Chinese government started printing notes that had fixed values. That is said to be the origin of bank notes. In 17th century, European nations also got hold of the idea and world’s first printed notes took place in Sweden in 1961. Since then, it has been a memorable journey for printed notes. Later on many governments kept introducing new things in printed notes.

First Females-

Sirivamo Bandaranaike became world’s first female prime minister in 1960. She was elected in tiny island nation of Sri Lanka. Isabel Peron has the honor of being the first woman president when she was selected for the post in 1974 in the Latin American country Argentina. Saudi Arabia and Monaco has the dubious distinction of not having any female members in the sub-ministerial positions of national government whereas Scandinavian country Sweden was the first ever country of having more female ministers than men in 1999. The number was of 11 female ministers to the 9 men ministers.

Talking about females, Marie Curie was the first female to receive Nobel Prize in 1903. She got it for her amazing contribution on subject of radiation phenomenon in Physics. She also won Nobel award in chemistry in the year 1911. She got the award for her great work in discovery of polonium and radium elements. She managed to achieve the distinction after much effort and hard work. In a way, she initiated the trend of women getting the world’s most prestigious award. Since then, quite a good number of females have won the prestigious award. The concept of Nobel Prize was founded by Alfred Nobel. One interesting fact is, Nobel Prize for peace was started much later but the idea of it was given by a female named Bertha Von Suttner. Women have won awards in all the categories except economics. But that exception won’t remain for long.

Origin of Tennis

Lawn tennis is one of the most popular as well as glamorous sports in world. It is also renowned as a rich sport because of astronomical prize sums. The origin of tennis is still not ascertained because of conflicting theories. There are different versions about its origin. Some say, it came from ancient ball games played in Egypt. Some other find it originating from Greeks and Romans. Harpastum was an ncient roman game which was later adopted in the basque country and renamed as ‘jeu do paume’. The new name took place because of the nature of the game in which ball was being used to hit by hands on a wall. Then in France it was named as ‘paume’ but the rules and format had changed. The racket was invented by Italians in fourteenth century. Soon, introduction of rubber ball took place and game again changed and played as it is being played today.

Like lawn tennis, the origin of table tennis is also not sure. However, one thing is sure and that is its young age compared to its illustrious peer. The first trace of table tennis can be found in early 1880s when British officers in India and other parts of the Asia used to play this game differently. The game was called indoor tennis and lids from cigar boxes and rounded corks from wine bottles were used as paddles and balls. In Britain, the same game was initially called as gossima and whiff whaff during 1890s. Parker brothers were the first to manufacture complete indoor tennis kit that included portable net, paddles and balls. James Gibb introduced new balls in the game and named it ping pong.

Origin of Badminton

Games are a very crucial part of our lives. Hardly any person can be found with no interest in any sports. However the choice of game differs from person to person and also from region to region. Indian people are mostly into cricket whereas in USA, golf, baseball is more popular. Similarly in Eastern Europe, gymnastics and athleticism is more popular whereas in south East Asian nations, badminton rules the roost. Games are wonderful medium to have fun and use as recreation. For many it is their profession and source of livelihood. The coming articles will focus on evolution of few of these sports and how they got transformed in their current day form with addition of rules and point system.

Badminton is a very popular sport in many parts of the world especially, Asia and Europe. India is also an upcoming nation in the arena and credited to provide champion players like Prakash Padukone, P.Gopichand and currently Saina Nehwal. The origin of this game is credited to medieval Britain. There was a popular kid’s game known as shuttlecocks or battledores and badminton is considered as a descendant of that sport. India also had a major role to play in development of current day badminton. As the story goes, British army officers in Pune, Maharashtra, forever changed the way badminton is played by adding a net in 19th century. They also started to play it competitively. Interestingly, this game was initially known as Poona because of obvious reasons. Later on some of those officers returned back to England and introduced the same format there. Since then, the game has never looked back. The organized stricture of this game in India took place in 1920s.

Interesting Facts

Bahrain is one of the rarest countries whose National Anthem has only music but no words
Fox theatre,Detroit, (USA) is the largest cinema in the world.
Saudi Arabia does not have any Cinema theatres
Sears Tower,Chicago is the world's tallest office building
Persepolis was the capital of ancient Persian Empire
Paraguay got its independence from Spain in 1811.
Arthur Wynney invented the cross word puzzle
WHO is also known as World Health Organisation
Geneva is the headquarter of WHO
FAO refers to Food and Agriculture Organisation
FAO is located at Rome and London
Montreal in Canada houses International Civil Aviation Organisation
The Angel Falls is located in Venezuela (Latin America)
Thirteen is often regarded as unlucky number but in Italy it is considered as the lucky number
Alurophobia refers to fear of cats and one of the most famous historical personalities suffering from this phobia was Napoleon
Italians(14 Oct.1911) were the first country to use aeroplanes in war. Since then, it has acquired the status of most useful and deadly weapon.
Abraham Lincoln is credited to abolish the curse of slavery in America
Manchester is also known as textile capital of the world.
USA has more than 10,000 golf courses.
Louvre museum,Paris is the proud museum where historical painting `Mona Lisa' is displayed
Tomato was also known as Love apple
King Khalid Int.Airport, Saudi Arabia is the largest airport in the world.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was bestowed with the title of Desert Fox.
Bascilica of St.Peter,Vatican City,Rome is the largest church in the world

Seven Wonders of the World

Seven Wonders of the World was decided by millions of people across the globe. Internet was the medium through which people voted the list of their top seven preferences as wonders of the world. The list is actually the New Seven Wonders of The World. The earlier list was totally modified in the new list. An astonishing number of more than 100 million people voted in this poll. This is also considered as the first ever global poll.

7 July 2007 was the date when list of final wonders was announced. The announcement took place in Lisbon (Portugal). Interestingly, the original seven wonders were continued in their respective positions for more than 2000 years ago. Many people also why the number is limited to seven? The answer is because an average person can remember at most seven things at one time.

From Indian point of view, finding The Taj Mahal in the top seven lists was a great matter of joy and pride. Taj Mahal was always considered as international wonder because of its looks and design. It symbolizes love and richness of Indian culture. Finding Taj in the list is indeed, a matter of great happiness and pride for all the Indians.

The final list reads as:-
The Great Wall, China
Petra, Jordan
Christ Redeemer, Brazil
Machu Picchu, Peru
Chichén Itzá, Mexico
The Roman Colosseum, Italy
The Taj Mahal, India

General Knowledge Facts

Jim Daly Irishman coined the word ‘quiz’
Kent is the place known as the Garden of England
C.N.Tower,Toronto (Canada) is the tallest tower in the world
Manhattan in USA is one famous island located at the mouth of the Hudson River
Leo Hendrik Bakeland founded the hugely important plastic industry
Israel is the only country that has made military service compulsory for women.
Japan is very famous for its fish catch
Farmosa is also known as modern day Taiwan
Montreal is situated on the bank of river Ottawa
Brutus killed the famous king Julius Caesar
Germany is one of the largest beers producing country.
Revival refers to Renaissance
Hudson Bay,Canada is the largest bay in the world.
Arabia is the largest peninsula in the world.
UNIDO is United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
UNIDO is situated at Vienna in Austria
WMO is World Meteorological Organisation
Geneva is the headquarter of WMO
Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world.
Motherland,Volgagra d Russia is the tallest statue in the world
Oshimzu Tunnel,Japan is the largest railway tunnel in the world
Tristan da cunda is the world's loneliest island.
Rhodesia is the place where famous Victoria Falls is located
Gerald Tisyum was the name of the person who discovered Ice Cream
Trick was the original meaning of `Quiz'
Oxford Street is the busiest shopping centre of London.
Buckingham Palace is also known as the residence of the Queen in London.
Austria was the country where notorious Adolf Hitler was born.