Meet the World's Tallest Man

Plus, imaginary numbers, those strange holes in electrical prongs and perfect watermelon wedges.

Happy Saturday Juneteenth was first observed, unofficially, in Texas in 1866. It wasn't officially recognized as a holiday in any state until Texas did so in 1979. Check out our article to learn more about Juneteenth. At 8'11," Robert Wadlow Was the World's Tallest Man Most boys stop growing around age 16, give or take. But Robert Wadlow, the tallest person in history, kept going until the day he died. By that time, he had reached the astounding height of 8 feet, 11.1 inches (2.7 meters tall) tall, as well as a bodyweight of 439 pounds (199 kilograms). Read more >> Electric Heat Pumps: Existing Tech for Energy-efficient Future Did we mention that they're three to four times more efficient than furnaces? Read more >> How to Cut a Watermelon We'll show you how easy it is to get the perfect wedge of this summertime staple. Read more >> Why Do Electrical Prongs Have Holes in Them? Can you guess? We'll give you a hint: It has to do with the fit in the socket. Read more >> What Are Imaginary Numbers? They really are a thing in mathematics, first discovered back in the 1400s and 1500s as a way to solve certain bedevilling equations. Read more >> Fannie Lou Hamer: From Sharecropper to Civil and Voting Rights Icon Get to know this indefatigable figther for civil and voting rights. Read more >> Test Your Knowledge   If you've been reading our emails this week, you might get these questions right! By the time Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history, was 18 months old, how much did he weigh? (Hint: 24 pounds or 11 kilograms is the average for that age) a) 15 pounds (7 kilograms) b) 24 pounds (11 kilograms) c) 41 pounds (19 kilograms) d) 62 pounds (28 kilograms) True or false: The vast majority of appliances have plugs that have a hole in each prong. Where does the name WD-40 come from? a) It was the 40th version of the formula that worked. b) It was reported to have 40 uses at the time. c) There are 40 ingredients in the formula. d) The founder considered 40 to be his lucky number. Which country is more likely to use metal chopsticks than bamboo? a) China b) Japan c) South Korea True or false: Newer vehicles with keyless (push button) ignitions are impossible to hot-wire. Check Your Answers Copyright © 2021 HowStuffWorks, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website howstuffworks.com Our mailing address is: HowStuffWorks 1401 Main Street Venice, CA 90291 Want to change how you receive these promotional emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list