‘Barbarian’ was originally a term for someone who didn't speak Greek.
The term was further adapted in meaning as the Greeks began to apply it more frequently to the Northern Europeans. Because they were a nomadic people, the term barbarian also took on the meaning of a ‘wanderer.’ The term ‘barbarian’ also became more derogative because the Northerners raided Greek villages.
The term then meant not only a strange speaker and wanderer, but also a violent and uncivilized population. The fact that these new people could not read classic Greek, only compounded the Greeks' belief that they were uncivilized since they believed the Northerners to be illiterate.
Disney was sued for the defamation of hyenas!
Another controversy involves the similarity of The Lion King to a Japanese show called Kimba the White Lion. Many of the scenes and shots used in The Lion King were very similar to the Japanese show. In the end, the Japanese studio decided not to sue because of the quality of Disney's lawyers, although there was some speculation about Disney paying them to keep quiet.
Interestingly, The Lion King was not expected to do well on the big screen. Many invited to participate in its production rejected the opportunity stating reasons ranging from a poor plot to a preference to work on Pocahontas, which was expected to do considerably better than the Lion King. The Lion King, in spite of initial low expectations for the film, was the most successful animated picture of its time. More importantly, it also holds a place in the heart of many people; it is a part of their childhood.
The world's largest cave contains a jungle.
The cave itself was only discovered twenty years ago and is getting properly explored now. It is the largest known cave and contains caverns large enough to fit streets. The subterranean passage could hold 40-story buildings for a half-mile block. Also notable are the unfamiliar formations of the rocks and walls within the cave.
One part of the cave is characterized by algae-covered, ribbed stone formations as the cave floor. These ribs were formed by water overflowing the floor and reshaping it.
A circus fire killed 168 people. Everybody could have escaped under the sides of the tent.
Sadly, of the 168 people who died, most of them would have been able to escape if they had remembered one simple fact: to escape all they needed to do was duck under the edges of the canvas because they were under a tent. This small bit of common sense could have made a huge difference. This should be a reminder to always try to stay calm and not panic in these types of situations.
Later investigations found Ringling Brothers negligible for not fireproofing the tent, and several executives went to jail. One of the survivors, Charles Nelson Reilly, an actor and director who had been thirteen during the fire, used it as part of his stage show, "The Life of Reilly". Reilly did not attend many plays despite his position as a director because the crowds reminded him of the day of the circus fire.
Mr. Bean saved his family by taking the controls of a plane, preventing it from crashing. He'd never piloted before!
Atkinson had never flown a plane before, but took control in order to save his wife and two kids. The pilot woke up in time to land the plane after Atkinson slapped him several times. The actor himself has made no comment on the event. The incident was reported and the Atkinson family flew back to the UK. Atkinson is no stranger to transportation accidents: in 1999, he survived a car crash unscathed.
