Did you know that the red, yellow and blue uniform worn by the Swiss guard at the Vatican was designed by Michelangelo?  Yes, it’s one of several costumes worn by the guards but the only one that’s a true Michelangelo original. You should check out his spring collection.

Did you know that John Paul Jones, the famous American patriot, also served as a rear admiral in the Russian navy?  It’s true, He won several naval victories in Russian encounters with the Turks in 1788. Here are some other interesting facts about him: His original name was John Paul. He flogged a crewman who had later died from his injuries but was found innocent after the resulting trial. He had also killed the leader of a mutinous crew in 1773 and, rather than wait in prison to be tried, he escaped. After his escape, he was considered by the British to be a pirate and a fugitive of justice. He then adopted the surname Jones in order to conceal his identity. He later claimed that it was a one armed man that had actually killed the crewman.

Did you know that the 5-day 40-hour work week originated in the steel industry?  It was adopted in 1923 by the steel industry and three years later by Henry Ford. But I’m not exactly sure where the gathering around the water-cooler to gossip was first adopted.

Did you know that more damage resulted from fire rather than from the direct effects of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906?  The quake would have measured 7.9 on the current Richter scale. The damage it yielded initially paled in comparison to the resulting fire that burned for three days and leveled twenty-eight thousand buildings-1/3 of the city-across almost five square miles. It’s sort of similar to how Bill Clinton got into more trouble by lying about Monica than for what he actually had done with her.

Did you know that Herman and Lily Munster were the first TV sitcom couple to share a double bed?  That’s right, the TV couple, played by Fred Gwynne and Yvonne De Carlo, was the first sitcom couple to do so, during the 1964-65 season. But who was the first sitcom character to wet the bed?

Do you know why Franklin D Roosevelt was bestowed the honor of being portrayed on the U.S. dime in 1945?  He was being honored for his work with the March of Dimes and his struggle with polio. Maybe we should honor Dan Quayle by putting him on the penny. Since they’re both considered worthless by most people.

Did you know that England’s Queen Anne inspired a furniture style? 
Yes it’s true. Unfortunately it was her bowlegs that had inspired the style.

Did you know that a set of George Washington’s false teeth was stolen from the Smithsonian Institution in 1981?  They weren’t made of wood either. The uppers were made of gold and hippopotamus teeth and the lowers were made of elephant and hippopotamus teeth. Which meant that somewhere, during the 1700s, there were some elephants and hippos going around gumming vegetation.

Did you know that the last battle of the War of 1812 actually took place after the war had officially ended? It’s true, by the time word of the treaty had actually reached the battlefield, the Battle of New Orleans had already ended. Maybe they should have gone with UPS or Federal Express.

Did you know that the infamous Black Plague wiped out one-third of Europe’s population in just two years? As it’s now known, the bubonic plague was transmitted by fleas carried on rats but it was quickly followed by pneumonic plague-a related form of the dreaded disease-which was spread through the air. Most people died within three days of showing the first symptoms. In fact, It’s about the only thing that could thin out a crowd quicker than an extended version of Meatloaf’s "I would do anything for love."