According to my "Schoolboys Pocketbook" (revised edition (march 1957)) the following are all useful facts:
Space
The new unit of astronomical measurement (the Parsec) is equivilent to 3 and 1 quarter light years.
The Oceans
The Pacific Ocean is more than twice the size of the Atlantic Ocean at 64 million square miles compared to 31.5 million square miles.
Physical Geography
Austrailia is the worlds largest island with an area of 2,974,580 quare miles. The next largest island, Greenland is (only) 827,300 square miles.
Political Geography
Of the worlds 122 countries, 44 are British Territories.
Bridges
The Tay Bridge is the 3rd longest bridge in the world, beaten by the Storsstromsbroen in Denmark and the Zambizi in North Mozambique.
Buildings
The Empire State Building is the tallest building in the world at 1,470 feet over 102 stories.
Cities
London, England has the largest population of any capital city in the world, with a population of 8,346 thousand.
Ancient History
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were:
1)The Pyramids of Egypt
2)The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon
3)The Tomb of Mausolus
4)The Temple Of Diana
5)The Colossus of Rhodes
6)The Statue of Jupiter
and
7)The Pharos of Egypt
Royalty
The Queen of England is Elizabeth II, she has been monarch for 5 years.
Imperial Measurements
12inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
5.5 yards = 1 pole
22 yards = 1 chain
220 yards = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile
Chemistry
There are 101 chemical elements in the Periodic Table.
Sport
The world record for the 100 yards is 9.3 seconds, by D. Sime (USA).
Speed
The world air-speed record is 1,147 miles per hour, set by test pilot Peter Twiss in a research aricraft.
How many of these facts are accurate now? Probably none.
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[hr][s]Duggeh: Master Of Ceremonies[/s]
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