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Spain On A Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

Spain is not even in the top 50 of the largest countries in the world by area, but that doesn’t stop tens of millions of people from visiting on a yearly basis. In fact, Spain and the United States tend to bounce back and forth between the number two spot of most visited countries in the world behind France.

With the tourism industry being a massive source of income for Spain, things can get quite pricey for visitors. This has put some people off from visiting Spain because they simply believe that they can’t afford the trip. If you’ve always wanted to visit Spain but don’t think you have the money, it’s still possible to travel there for cheap. Here are five essential tips for visiting Spain on a budget.

Find The Right Flight

Because Spain is one of the countries that are furthest to the west in Europe, there are more options to fly from North America directly. From the United States, you can fly directly to Spain from Philadelphia, Miami, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, and Newark (New Jersey). If you’re not on the east coast already, taking a connecting flight to one of these cities will be rather easy.

As for the cheapest airports to fly into when arriving in Spain, Barcelona is going to be your best bet while Madrid is a close second. Both airports have a long list of flights arriving and departing daily, and the sheer volume helps keep the prices down. Malaga and Palma de Mallorca are also good options, but typically if you’re only flying in from another European country. The cheapest months to visit Spain are from December to March, which are the coldest, but not nearly as cold as Canada and parts of the United States.

Take Advantage of Public Transportation

Outside of Asia, there are a couple of global cities that are world-renowned for their public transportation options. One of them is Santiago, Chile, and the other one is Madrid. We already pointed out that Madrid is the second-cheapest airport to fly into, and you don’t need a taxi to get you around the city. Even if you plan on leaving Madrid, there are plenty of high-speed railroad options to get you around the country.

Because of how well the trains operate in Spain, they can end up being pretty busy when traveling between cities. When you’re in the city, however, it’s a very cheap option that will save you a lot of time and money. If you want a super low-budget trip throughout all of Spain, there are plenty of buses that cost next to nothing. Either way, you can save hundreds by skipping the rental car and using Spain’s transportation options.

Hit The Hostels

Spain has some of the best hotels in the world, but they also happen to be some of the most expensive hotels in the world. While it’s the dream for many of us to stay in a swanky foreign hotel, it might not be doable if you’re on a shoestring budget. If you can’t find a cheap chain hotel (which is possible when events like football matches or fashion shows are happening), then hostels could do the trick.

Cities like Madrid and Barcelona have tons of hostels to pick from, and even ones that are rated four stars and up can cost just $25-50 per night. What makes these hostels even better is that many of them come with free breakfast all while promoting a safe environment. You’ll be shocked to see what you can get for $50 per night in a city like Madrid compared to the United States.

Fill Up On Tapas

Have you ever been to a Mexican restaurant and ended up filling up on chips and salsa so much that you don’t even come close to finishing your entree? That same culture of eating large meals for a long period of time is also found in Spain, and it’s actually taken a few notches further. Restaurants usually don’t even open up until late at night (8:00 pm) and you typically get complimentary tapas just by purchasing a drink.

With that in mind, try to order some of the cheaper entrees and save them for later. You’ll be eating so much tapas in Spain that you might not even get to that entree in the end. With that said, skip the Michelin Star restaurants and hit up small neighborhood dining options.

Stick To Small Cities

Spain has more large cities than you might think. Outside of Madrid and Barcelona, there are cities with over 1 million people including Valencia, Sevilla, Alicante, Murcia, Cadiz, and A Coruna. These cities can get pretty cramped hotel and restaurant-wise, especially if there’s an event in the city.

There are plenty of smaller cities and towns in Spain that have an abundance of natural beauty without the expensive features. The perfect way to spend a vacation could include walking around these towns and soaking it all in rather than going on a shopping spree in Barcelona.

Italy On A Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

Despite being outside of the top 70 in terms of largest countries by land area, Italy is one of the five most-visited countries in the world with more than 50 million annual visitors. There are plenty of reasons why people travel to Italy between the food, people, history, and much more. Because of the high concentration of tourists, Italy can also be one of the more expensive countries to visit.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. If you’ve always wanted to visit Italy but have been afraid about draining your bank account, we’re here to help. Here are five essential tips to follow if you want to visit Italy on a budget.

Pick the Right Airport and Time

If you want to save the most money on your trip to Italy, then there are certain times of the year that will save you hundreds. It can get rather cold in Italy during January and February, and the lack of holidays during these months makes them the cheapest. The good news is that Italy, on average, doesn’t get as cold during the winter months as other parts of the world. The average high during January and February is between 52 and 55 Fahrenheit while the lows are typically around 37 degrees.

Certain airports are also cheaper to fly to than others. If you’re adamant about having a direct flight from the United States to Italy, the only airports that can get you there nonstop are JFK (New York City), Newark (New Jersey), and Hartsfield-Jackson (Atlanta). You can save money by taking a flight that has a connector, with Bologna and Milan being the cheapest airports to fly into.

Ride the Rails

If you’re a big fan of public transportation that works incredibly well, then you’ll be in awe of how efficient it is in Italy. With over 15,000 miles of rail in Italy, no city is going to be difficult or expensive to get to no matter which airport you fly into. Eurail and InterRail offer services throughout Italy, and you don’t have to get the international pass that’s offered by the services.

Instead, you can opt for a much cheaper option that allows you to travel throughout Italy, and it’s best to get a prepaid pass that allows you unlimited rides for a certain amount of days. City-to-city tickets are also available, which end up being the cheapest option if you have a very specific itinerary in mind. For the cheapest rides, you can expect to pay less than 10 Euros to get from one city to another.

Take The Walking Tours

One of the biggest reasons that many of us want to visit Italy is because of the historical architecture and beautiful cities. You can see the best of what Italy has to offer without spending a dime thanks to the walking tours available. Sure, you could walk around cities like Rome or Venice for free, but you could end up getting lost or wasting time by not seeing the best sites of the cities.

Instead, try to book one of the free guided walking tours that are available. Many of these tours are led by those with college degrees in Italian history and architecture, allowing you to get the full experience. To really capitalize on the tours, try to brush up on some Italian so that you can understand what the tour guide is saying while also making sure that you’re getting a legitimate tour.

Stick To Smaller Areas

With Italy being one of the most-visited countries in the world, many of the tourists that make their way to the country settle in large cities like Rome, Milan, Naples, and Turin. With that said, there are plenty of other great small cities and towns to visit that are going to be much cheaper, especially if you use Airbnb or VRBO to rent a home.

Some of the historical and gorgeous smaller areas to visit in Italy include Taormina, Brisighella, Sienna, and Alberobello. There isn’t really a bad place in Italy to visit if you’re trying to take in the history and culture while experiencing some of the best views in the world. In fact, the largest cities are the most dangerous, so you’re also staying safe while saving money.

Avoid Sit-Down Restaurants

If you want to save a few dollars (or Euros) here and there in Italy, try to avoid the sit-down restaurants and instead pick up your food to-go or from a grocery store. That’s because there are tacked-on fees when you sit down to eat. You won’t be expected to tip, which is good, but there are additional fees including paying for tap water.

One charge that you’ll be shocked to see if you’re from out of the country is the coperto. This is typically a 1-5 Euro fee, with some restaurants charging up to 20 Euros per person. This is simply a fee for sitting down and eating in the restaurant, and there is no maximum.

Germany On A Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

Germany is one of the most popular countries for visitors to travel to in the world with an average of around 40 million people per year, and there are a lot of reasons why. Germany has plenty of historic places for people to visit, some of the best infrastructure in the world, and some of the best culture, too.

Germany is also one of the more affordable countries to visit and is easily accessible. Many people have put off a trip to Germany because they think it can be quite pricey, but there are plenty of ways to save if you have ever wanted to visit Deutschland. Here are five essential tips to follow if you want to visit Germany on a budget.

Pick The Right Airport

If you’re flying in from another country, there are certain airports that are going to be cheaper than others. Frankfurt is the fifth cheapest with an average round-trip cost from the United States of just over $1,000. Those that fall into the three-figure category include Hamburg, Berlin Tegel, and Dusseldorf. If you want the cheapest round-trip flight to Berlin, though, then make your way to Berlin-Schonefeld.

It’s much smaller than some of the other airports, as Frankfurt and Berlin-Brandenburg are far and away the largest. However, there are plenty of destinations that offer cheap flights to SXF. There aren’t any direct flights from the United States, but plenty of connecting flights from places like London, Barcelona, and Istanbul. If you want to fly nonstop, though, there are a few cities in the United States that fly direct to Germany including Atlanta, Detroit, New York City, and even Denver.

Visit in Winter

There are certain places that lose their charm during the winter and make people not want to visit, but Germany isn’t one of them. Perhaps it’s because Germany isn’t really known for exotic beaches or a tropical atmosphere, but Germany in the winter is just as fun as Germany in the winter. There is a major price difference between the winter and summer months, so traveling during those months are going to save you hundreds.

December and January are exceptionally cheap, with February being the cheapest month to travel. If you’re from the northern United States, you won’t feel out of place visiting Germany in the winter, either. In fact, on average, Germany is actually a little bit warmer than certain states with an average low of 23 at its coldest and an average high of 41 (Fahrenheit). Sure, it’s not the most ideal situation, but it’s by far the cheapest way to see Germany.

Take Advantage of Public Transit

All of the major cities within Germany have great public transportation systems, and Berlin in particular is among the best. Berlin has consistently ranked in the top 10 of best public transportation cities thanks in large part to the Berlin U-Bahn. This rapid transit system is similar to that of New York for those who are more familiar with the United States, and it can turn into a party.

On weekend nights, you might find yourself swept away into the middle of a party while on the U-Bahn. As for the cost, you can get a reduced rate that’s lower than two Euros per trip. At most, you’ll still be paying less than four Euros per trip, and that’s if you’re taking the longest route possible. If you want to see everything, then a 24-hour ticket can get you anywhere you want to go for just 10 Euros with unlimited rides.

Skip The Hotels

There are going to be plenty of hotel options throughout Germany, but those are usually going to be the go-to for business travelers only. For tourists who want the full German experience without having to break the bank, there are other fantastic options. House and apartment rentals are available through sites like Airbnb and VRBO while there are also top-end hostels where you can meet other travelers.

A good hostel in Germany will only cost about 30 Euros per night. Also, Germany is consistently ranked toward the top by tourists for having some of the best hostels in the world. Between large houses and even castles, German hostels are a sight to behold compared to even some other developed countries. 

Street Food

When you’re on vacation in Germany and want to worry about making sure that your wallet doesn’t get too thin, you have to not worry about keeping yourself thin. The cheapest dining options in Germany are going to be the endless street food vendors who charge a fraction of what it will cost at a sit-down restaurant.

Fans of bratwurst will find countless options that are all competing to be the lowest price, while other great foods like kumpir and pretzels are just the tip of the iceberg of what to expect. The carbs might make you feel weighed down, but the cost will be worth it.

France On A Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

If you were to ask people from any nation around the world what their number one country would be that they want to visit, there’s a good chance that it’s going to be France. France, known for its fantastic history, great scenery, and safety for tourists, is a prime destination during all parts of the year.

On the other hand, the French know that tourism plays a massive role in the industry, and as such, are able to nickel and dime visitors. That’s where we come in, though. If you have wanted to visit France but have been put off because of the massive prices that can come with a visit, here are five essential tips for traveling to France on a budget.

Fly into Paris

There isn’t really a wrong place to fly into in France, but there are some airports that stand above the rest for international travelers. Nice Cote d’Azur Airport and Lyon Saint Exupery Airport are fine options, but if you really want to save money, it makes sense to fly to the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The largest city in France also has the largest airport and by far the most options.

Because of the multitude of options, flying into de Gaulle is fairly cheap. There are about 20 United States cities that fly directly to Paris, ranging from New York to Detroit to Los Angeles. No matter where you are in the country, there should be an airport within driving distance that can take you directly to de Gaulle without needing to stop in New York City, Montreal, or London along the way, all while saving you money.

Avoid the Toll Roads

Here in the United States, we’re used to toll roads which are mostly owned by private companies and offer the fastest way to get across large states on roads that are maintained frequently. We tend to think of other countries not relying on toll roads, but that isn’t the case. France is one of those countries that has a massive amount of toll roads, and they can add up quickly when driving around.

Thankfully, there are plenty of other roads throughout France where you can avoid these tolls. Though you’ll have to drive a few more miles (or kilometers, if you will), you’ll avoid the massive tolls and get more of the French scenery. If there are routes where it would make more sense so that you can save on gas, then it’s best to prepay for a toll pass as the cost will be a fraction of paying at the gate.

In Fact, Skip the Car

The toll roads can be unavoidable if you want to see all of France, but even then, you can skip them completely if you don’t drive at all. One thing that we Americans aren’t really used to is having access to railroads which will quickly take you from one major city to another. Sure, we have railroads, but they can be incredibly expensive and slow. That’s not the case in France where all major cities can be scene cheaply and easily.

Trains are running on a daily basis, and you’ll be shocked at how cheap they are. Paris and Nice are nearly 500 miles away from each other, so you might think that trip would cost over $100. However, it’s barely above $20 and the trip is just under six hours long. That type of value for travel can’t be beaten, so feel free to see all of France for just a few bucks.

Focus on Lunch

Dinnertime is huge for the French, and restaurant prices reflect that. While most of us are used to lunch and dinner prices being about the same for any restaurant picked at random, French dinner prices can be nearly triple the cost. If you want to visit France’s finest restaurants, going in the middle of the day could save you hundreds.

As for the smaller local restaurants, you can spend next to nothing for lunch depending on what you get. If you go for the plats du jour, you’ll get a dish that’s only a few bucks. Other cheap options are the formules and menus, which are two and three-course meals. If you plan on staying, fresh groceries can be bought at markets for cheap, too.

Visit the Vineyards

Let’s face it, one of the reasons why many of us want to visit France is because of the world-class wine. France is home to some of the best wines in the world, and buying them can be a lot of money when purchased on the shelves.

However, if you visit one of the wineries directly, you can save a lot. Even if you aren’t going for the top-rated wine in the world, there are plenty of fantastic vineyards to visit where you can get fine wine without breaking the bank.

The Rise and Fall of 5 Celebrities: A Look at Their Careers and What Led to Their Demise

Posted on by scatty

One day, someone can be on top of the world; known and beloved by all with millions of dollars in the bank. Then, suddenly, it seems that that person disappeared for one reason or another. The roles stopped coming without any public explanation and the average person was no longer interested in their careers.

Not everyone can stay at the top for decades in the same way that actors or musicians like Tom Hanks, Paul McCartney, or a handful of others. Today we’ll focus on those that had a sudden rise to the A-list only to see themselves fade into obscurity or burn out completely. Here are the rises and falls of five celebrities and a look at their careers.

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was destined to become a star when she was a child, appearing in commercials left and right while modeling for several notable companies. Her acting career really took off in 1998 when she starred as both twins in the film “The Parent Trap”. She went on to star in massive hit films like “Freaky Friday”, “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”, and “Mean Girls”.

Lohan began focusing on more mature roles, but the height of her career was met with a long list of legal issues including multiple DUIs. She had been subject to substance abuse for years, and many major film studios were afraid to work with her. Though she has had small roles in film and television, Lohan is nowhere near the star she once was.

Amanda Bynes

The story of Amanda Bynes is similar to the one of Lindsay Lohan. Both had been child stars, with Bynes appearing on Nickelodeon. She was on “All That” and got her own series, “The Amanda Show”, before briefly becoming a major movie star. Some of her biggest roles included “Easy A” and “She’s the Man”, but after 2010, she disappeared from acting, mostly due to personal issues.

Bynes was slapped with multiple arrests, including a DUI in 2012 that started off her long list of troubles. Bynes had said that she was the victim of abuse but backtracked on those statements. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after more arrests including starting a fire and more issues on the road. Bynes noted that she became addicted to drugs, and any attempts at an acting return have been halted.

Macaulay Culkin

Another child star to make the list, Macaulay Culkin became one of the highest-grossing actors in the world during the early 1990s thanks to a pair of “Home Alone” movies to go along with films such as “My Girl”, “The Good Son”, and “Richie Rich”. By the middle of the decade, though, Culkin was gone. He was 15 years old and said he was tired of acting, and wanted to do music instead.

Because his music career didn’t take off, many assumed that Culkin had gone off the rails. While he did appear to be partying a bit hard at times, it wasn’t anything out-of-the-ordinary for someone in their late teens or early 20s. Things turned out fine for Culkin, who has two children with actress Brenda Song.

Brendan Fraser

It didn’t take long for Brendan Fraser to become a star thanks to his role in “Encino Man”, which led him to take on top billing for movies like “Airheads”, “George of the Jungle”, and “Bedazzled”. However, it was his starring role in “The Mummy” that made him a megastar, but by the time the sequel was released, he was seemingly gone from the public eye and it wouldn’t be until the 2020s that he truly made his big return, winning an Oscar for “The Whale”.

Fraser had gone through a divorce at the height of his career that saw him get slammed with unaffordable alimony payments. He also required multiple surgeries due to physically demanding acting roles and said that he was blacklisted from Hollywood because he spoke out against HFPA head Philip Berk sexually assaulting him. Thankfully, Fraser got back into the spotlight after telling his story. 

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Not all stories have to have a sad ending, thankfully. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was all that young people could talk about during the 1990s thanks to his role on the television series “Home Improvement” as well as his movie roles in “The Lion King”, “Man of the House”, and “Tom and Huck” to name a few. After having a couple of TV movies to start the 2000s, though, “JTT” left acting.

So why did the former child star suddenly vanish in adulthood? Don’t worry, he didn’t run into a long list of personal problems. Instead, he decided he would rather go to college, receiving degrees from both Harvard and Columbia Universities. Thankfully, he has made a couple of brief cameos in acting since then, but he’s mostly focused on academics and is on the board of the SAG-AFTRA Union.

The Most Inspiring Celebrity Weight Loss Stories: How They Did It

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Weight is something that many people struggle with around the world, and that even applies to Hollywood. While we think of actors, singers, and entertainers in general being rail-thing, there have been plenty to be overweight or obese like a majority of the American population. Many of these larger celebs, though, have been able to take control of their weight and get back to a healthy range.

Here are five celebrities who inspired millions with their healthy weight losses, allowing them to live longer and happier lives while looking great doing so. We’ll also explain how they dropped all of the extra pounds.

Randy Jackson

In 2002, the reality singing competition “American Idol” made the airwaves for the first time and introduced the world to Randy Jackson, a larger-than-life record executive who also performed with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Journey. Jackson, almost immediately after the first season, underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost over 110 pounds, and has been able to keep all of the weight off ever since.

“(Weight loss surgery is) a great jump starter,” Jackson said. “You lose a bunch of weight really fast, but maintaining’s another thing because you get there and your mind tells you, ‘Okay, phew. I’m here now. I can start to party and bring out the cheesecakes.’” Jackson went on to explain that he still dabbles in sweets every now and then, but he does so very sparingly and avoids binge eating.

Adele

Known as perhaps one of the greatest singers of any generation, Adele is a multi-grammy winner who has produced hit songs including “Rolling in the Deep”, “Hello”, and “Set Fire to the Rain”, just to name a few. For much of her life, though, Adele had a weight problem, much of which she attributed to overindulging in alcohol and snack food.

It’s reported that Adele lost 100 pounds during her remarkable transformation, and she attributes much of it to exercise being her newfound love. “I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night,” she said. Adele explained that exercise also helped her mental health tremendously, helping to relieve her of anxiety attacks as she was able to take control of her whole body.

Kevin Smith

With a small amount of money, New Jersey native Kevin Smith was able to put together the film “Clerks” which ended up being a cult classic. It launched Smith into a career where he earned larger budgets, leading him to direct fan favorites including “Chasing Amy”, “Mallrats”, and “Dogma”. Smith, who had his weight constantly brought up in the films, and he topped out at nearly 330 pounds.

Smith suffered a heart attack that required emergency surgery, and he was told to stop the yo-yo dieting and keep the weight off for good. Smith took that advice seriously and lost 50 pounds almost immediately, then continued to slowly lose the rest of the weight. He adopted a vegan lifestyle, joined Weight Watchers, and cut out all of his other vices to boost his health even further.

Missy Elliott

Known as one of the best rappers of all time, female or male, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott was dubbed the ‘Queen of Rap’ for good reason. Thanks to hits like “Get Ur Freak On”, “Gossip Folks”, and “One Minute Man”, Elliott ascended to the top, but her weight also continued to climb early on in her career. Elliott’s weight became a trademark, but in the early 2000s, she showed up to the scene much lighter and more successful than ever.

While Elliott had yo-yo’d a little bit after her initial weight loss, she showed up slimmer than ever in the late 2010s. Elliott received a health scare when she was diagnosed with Grave’s disease, which affected her thyroid. Elliott said that through diet and exercise, she was able to take control of the disease. This included cutting out soda and bread, and sticking with water for her drinks. It wasn’t easy, but Elliott says it’s worth it.

John Goodman

For much of his career, John Goodman was heralded as the actor in Hollywood you wanted to go to when you needed a heavier-set character who could act circles around anyone else in the room. Because of this, Goodman landed notable roles that included “Roseanne”, “The Flintstones”, and “The Babe”, all of which required a large man.

However, Goodman arrived to work one day much lighter than he had been, and at most had lost 200 pounds in total. While Goodman saw his weight creep back up every now and then, he’d make sure to get back on the right track before getting back to his highest. Cutting out alcohol was a big factor, saying that not drinking beer helped him more than anything.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Timekeeping

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Time is an abstract concept, but almost all of us around the world adhere to that concept. Despite the fact that we’re small specks on a massive sphere that itself is a small speck in the ever-expanding cosmos, everything seems to be a matter of seconds on Earth. If you’re a few seconds too late or early, it can make all of the difference in your life, from avoiding car accidents to being fired from your job and everything else that happens.

Humans haven’t always kept track of time down to the second, though. It took many generations to get to the current way we perceive and track time. Timekeeping has had a lot of interesting moments throughout its history, resulting in these five surprising facts that you may not have known about.

Using Water

Most people are familiar with the fact that the earliest forms of measuring time came via the sundial, but we also used water to measure time. The low and high tides could tell you what time of the day it was, but specific water clocks were also used, with several regions laying claim to the invention. Mesopotamia, India, and China all have water clock origins that date back as far as 4000 BC.

So how does a water clock operate? There are markings on the clock, and with every drip, you would be closer to measuring one hour. There were two types of water clocks, with inflow and outflow both having somewhat similar designs. To the modern eye, they look more like coffee mugs than clocks, but they got the job done.

The Definition of a Second is More Modern Than You Think

Keeping track of time in an hour is pretty easy once you get the hang of it, as most of us master the art by the time we hit five or six years old. There are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute. But what exactly is a second? Most of us simply accepted the second for what it was when it was invented all the way back in 1644 by French mathematician Marin Mersenne.

Mersenne used a pendulum to mark one unit of time, and everyone just adopted it without really asking what it meant. Since then, there have only been a couple of accepted definitions, and the current definition wasn’t defined until 1967. Not 1667…1967. So what is a second? “The time it took the cesium-133 atom to release 9,192,631,770 cycles of microwave radiation when making its ‘hyperfine energy transition.’” Easy enough, right?

The Watch Inventor Killed a Guy

Peter Henlein, a German locksmith, is credited with inventing the portable watch in 1511, changing the world forever as many of us were able to tell the time without needing to rely on a clocktower or the sun (or the cell phone these days). Growing up, Henlein was an apprentice and showed off his new skills as a young adult in the early 16th century.

In 1504, though, Henlein got into an altercation with another locksmith. The locksmith, Georg Glaser, died in the brawl, and Henlein was one of the men accused of his murder. Instead of serving prison time, he was granted asylum, giving him time to focus on creating the portable watch. It turned out that his being granted asylum led to his invention, though poor Glaser isn’t as remembered these days.

12 Hours vs 24 Hours

One thing that all of us can agree on is that there are 24 hours in a day. However, what much of the world is torn on is whether time should be told on a 12-hour basis or a full 24-hour basis. It’s almost right down the middle in terms of which one your country uses. The United States is the largest country that only observes the 12-hour clock while many major nations including Canada, Australia, India, and China observe both clocks.

So why are nations so split between which clock should be used? Simply put, countries that found mechanical clocks easier to use on a 12-hour basis ran with it and made it the standard. Most of these countries are English-speaking or are in North Africa due to the original 24-hour day being set by two 12-hour halves in Egypt. 

On the Same Page

All of us run on the exact same time, no matter what time zone we’re in. It’s important for everyone to have a clock that’s on the exact second, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that this was adopted as Coordinated Universal Time.

You can thank the International Astronomical Union for getting us all set up back in 1928. The first few decades saw a few changes, but on January 1, 1960, every nation linked up times, even staying together during daylight savings and leap years.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Flight

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There are around 100,000 flights that take to the skies every single day. It’s wild to think that within around a century, airplanes went from being a wild new invention to essentially sky buses that could take us across the world in a matter of hours. Very few fields of technology advanced quite as quickly as flight, the history isn’t all that long, but it is fascinating.

While there are some well-documented aspects of flight history, there is also a lot that most people don’t know about. Let’s take a look at some of the more surprising facts about the history of flight and how they shaped aviation as we know it today.

The First Commercial Airline Was Short (and Short-Lived)

The first commercial airline in world history might not have originated where you thought, didn’t last as long as you thought, and had a shorter path than you thought. That line is the SPT Airboat Line, and you can probably guess all of the destinations when you hear the full name: St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line. What was (then) a 20-hour drive by car in 1914 was shortened to just 90 minutes via the SPT Airboat Line.

P.E. Fansler enlisted aviator and manufacturer Thomas W. Benoist to help build and start the fleet that had a grand total of two aircraft. The company opened for business on January 1, 1914, but it didn’t last for long. The company closed on May 5, 1914, but not before more than 1,200 people made their way from St. Petersburg to Tampa (or vice-versa) over the course of 172 flights.

Leaving the Country

There are a lot of hoops you have to jump through to get from one country to another, especially when it comes to air travel. Even then, it took five years to work out the schematics of the first commercial flight that would cross country borders. On August 25, 1919, the first international flight took place with service from London to Paris.

The flight operated by Air Transport & Travel (now British Airways) was a daily trip both ways. Of course, international flights would change dramatically over the following decades. At the height of international travel, there were nearly 3 billion passengers in a single year. 

Attendance Was Light For The First Flight

When you think about monumental moments in human history, one of the first that comes to mind is the Wright Flyer making the 120-foot trip in Kittyhawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. That 12-second flight was just the start of what humans could accomplish with aviation, but you would think that the crowd for something like that would be huge, even if it was just a 12-second flight.

However, there were only 10 people believed to have been there outside of the Wright Brothers. It’s unclear who those people were or if they were just simply walking by and wanted to see what the brothers were up to. Either way, the first flight that would help launch an industry that has taken hundreds of millions around the world was seen by just 10 people.

The Busiest Airline Route

If you think about the most frequently flown routes in the world, you might think of something like New York City-Los Angeles, Beijing-Shanghai, or something along those lines. Instead, the busiest route in the world belongs to two cities that are in the same country, and that country is rather small. Jeju International Airport on the southern island of South Korea is the second largest airport in the country.

The largest, of course, is Seoul Gimpo. More than 1 million people make the trip between the two airports each month, with Sapporo and Tokyo coming in second place. The main reason, of course, is that Jeju Island is a massive hub for South Korean business, and the fastest (and cheapest) way to get there is to fly from Seoul.

The New Safety Standard

At the start of commercial aviation, the number of fatalities and plane crashes was through the roof. You could expect more than 4,000 fatalities and over 600 crashes, but those days are long gone. The 1960s saw a huge drop, but things started creeping back up in the 1970s. New regulations were put into place around the start of the 1980s, and airplanes have only gotten safer with every passing year.

It was only a matter of time before the world saw the amount of airplane-related fatalities drop below 400. In 2017, it finally happened, with only 399 recorded deaths. There were also 101 reported incidents, which meant it was nearly the first year with under 100. The first time there were under 100 air incidents came in 2020, but that has an asterisk due to the stoppage of air travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Television

Posted on by scatty

Around the world, a very small percentage of homes don’t have at least one television. In developed countries, people are almost stunned to find that you don’t have one in the house, even if you don’t use it. The television has come a long way from being a massive and expensive novelty that took up half the living room to a cheap and thin hyper-realistic device that can be mounted to a wall.

In all of those years between, there have been some fascinating things to happen in television history. Let’s take a look at five of the most surprising facts about that history and how they molded TV as we know it.

The First TVs Looked Like Record Players

Before the electronic television was invented in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, mechanical television had been decades in the making. Essentially, the machine looked like a large radio box hooked up to what looked like a record player attached to a blender. A cone would allow people to look into the ‘televisor’ which displayed pictures using the metal disc which received radio signals. 

At 7.5 frames per second, it was revolutionary for its time, but the electronic version was coming along quite quickly. Though mechanical televisions were quite popular at the start of the television era, they were phased out by 1933 when almost every company and network focused on electric TVs. Not everyone was happy as the mechanical TVs of the time allowed for larger videos, but the difficulty and cost of the mechanical television just ended up being too much.

The First Sporting Event Wasn’t Professional

When we think of television in the modern era, the first thing that networks think about is sports. Most cable companies would be in serious trouble if it weren’t for live sports, and there are endless options for fanatics to get their fix. In the early days of television, though, you had to be incredibly lucky to find a sporting event. While leagues like the English Premier League and National Football League dominate airwaves now, the first sports broadcast wasn’t a professional game.

Instead, the first event was a baseball game between Columbia and Princeton Universities on May 17, 1939. NBC was the network that had the idea of broadcasting the game, and it ended up being a huge hit. Other networks would soon follow suit in the coming years, and sports coverage really ramped up following World War II. Now, events like the Super Bowl dominate the airwaves every year.

The Early Flat Screens Were Extremely Expensive

The flat-screen television of today is the standard, and getting one that’s 42 inches or larger costs nearly nothing these days. That was the opposite case back in the late 1990s when they made their debut. The first flat-screen television was released in 1997 by Fujitsu, and it cost $15,000 and weighed over 40 pounds. For that money, you’d think it was massive, but it was only 42 inches.

The first couple of years saw flat-screen televisions increasing in size, but the prices didn’t come down very much. It wasn’t until major electronics companies started to make them much easier and cheaper, allowing them to phase out CRT televisions. By the late 2000s, the same-sized flat-screen that first broke onto the market would only be around $500, and by the end of the 2010s, you could get one for about $200.

Ads Weren’t Always a Thing

After the invention of the television, it took more than a decade for advertising to sink its claws into the market. Earlier, we mentioned how a college baseball game was the first sports broadcast, but it was on a professional baseball broadcast where the first ad appeared. It was right before the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies squared off on July 1, 1941.

The game was being broadcast on NBC, and just before the first pitch, a 10-second spot for Bulova aired, saying “America runs on Bulova time.” Advertisements these days are injected into every broadcast, and can cost millions for a 30-second spot. However, Bulova paid just $9 for their name to be shown to millions across the United States.

Royals Dominate The Airwaves

When you’re talking about the most-watched broadcasts in television history, there are a few things that have dominated in every country. Sporting events fill up a lot of the most-watched broadcasts, as well as news events like the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, or monumental entertainment moments like Live Aid or Elvis visiting Hawaii.

However, it’s the royal family that has laid claim to some of the most-watched broadcasts in world history. The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 took the new number-one spot with over 5 billion viewers worldwide. Other royal family events in the top 20 include the funeral of Princess Diana, Prince Harry’s wedding, and Prince Charles’s wedding.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Medicine

Posted on by scatty

The world of medicine is a fascinating one and it’s constantly improving. It wasn’t that long ago that we thought that leeches would cure what ailed us and that smoking was good for our health. Because of this, there are a lot of weird and surprising facts about the world of medicine. Let’s take a look at some of those shocking stats which range from the hospitals we use to the fields we study, and even some soft drink science.

The First Physician

Many people know the name Imhotep from Ancient Egypt, but may only know that name from “The Mummy” film series. Not only was Imhotep a real person, but he is credited as being the first-ever recognized physician. While the tales of his life weren’t revealed until hundreds of years after his death. Imhotep was a physician on top of being a sculptor, carpenter, priest, and even a magician.

You can add physician to that list, though, as Imhotep was truly a man of all trades. It’s unclear exactly what his medicinal practices were like, but he was referred to as the God of medicine and healing. Some researchers have said that Imhotep treated a long list of ailments, though, which include appendicitis and gout. We do know that Imhotep performed surgeries, but his success rate is unclear.

Virology Is Not That Old

When we think of viruses, we think of plagues that have haunted humans throughout history, including smallpox, which wiped out millions of people for centuries, including hundreds of thousands per year in the 17th century. With the number of people in human history who have died because of a virus, you’d think that we would have learned about how they work far earlier than the end of the 19th century.

However, it wasn’t until Dmitri Ivanovsky used a filter underneath a microscope to look at a diseased tobacco plant. That was how virology came to be as scientists wanted to study Ivanovsky’s findings even further. What’s even more interesting is that vaccines actually predate virology, so people were aware that diseases could occur, but 

Pepsi Was a Medicine

While the end of the 19th century saw the invention of virology, there were also a ton of medicinal moments which ended up being blunders. Among them was the invention of what we now know as Pepsi, a refreshing cola that we deem to be poor for our health. When it was founded by Caleb Bradham in North Carolina in 1893, though, it was called Brad’s Drink and a cure for stomach ailments.

Bradham sold the drink at his drugstore with the promise of boosting energy and digestion. In fact, the name Pepsi-Cola (which was adopted in 1898, five years after its invention), was in reference to pepsin, an enzyme that promotes digestion. It didn’t take long until we found out that the sugary drink was only for taste, but not until the world was introduced to a delicious beverage.

The Oldest American Hospital is Still Standing

The first hospital on record was established in Baghdad, Iraq in 805 CE. You have to go nearly a millennia into the future to find the first hospital in the United States. Of course, America is a much younger area, and it wasn’t until colonial times that a hospital made its way to the area. That hospital was a two-story brick building in what is now City Hall Park in New York City in 1736 known as Bellevue Hospital.

While most of the hospitals that were built afterward were completely torn down, replaced, or went out of business, that hasn’t been the case for Bellevue. Officially known as NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue these days, Bellevue is still one of the best hospitals in New York City, but in more modern times has the stigma of being for the mentally ill due to a psychiatric ward, but it’s much more than that. The next oldest hospital still running in the United States is 15 years younger than Bellevue.

The History of Alcoholism Treatment

Throughout time, addiction is something that has made people suffer from the highest-ranking nobles to the most common man. Alcoholism is the most common form of addiction in the world, and it has been that way for centuries. Because of this, there have been many different attempts at finding a cure for alcoholism, but we still haven’t found one that’s 100 percent effective.

One of the oldest forms of treatment was the Amanita muscaria mushroom, which is a hallucinogenic that was used as the most common form of treatment for several millenniums. Treatments since then have included opium, lotus flowers, hashish, and even heroin. These days, most treatments come in the form of mental support, but there are some medicines which can help to reduce the symptoms of withdrawals.