Ask the Editors
Previously Asked Questions
Here are just a few questions we have received so far:
Question:
In tap dancing how many times can a dancer tap per minute?
Answer:
The world record for most taps per minute ever performed by a dancer was 1,440 per minute by Roy Castle on January 14, 1973. 1,440 taps per minute averages out to 24 per second. The record of taps per second stands higher at 35 by Michael Flatley (in 1998). However, Castle's record of taps per minute still stands.
Question:
What animals were the first to go to space?
Answer:
In 1948, Dr. Harry G. Armstrong launched a rhesus monkey named Albert on a V-2 rocket flight from White Sands, New Mexico. But technically , Albert is not considered the first animal in space, probably because his flight did not go beyond the earth's atmosphere. The first animal launched into orbit outside the earth's atmosphere was Laika, a stray dog that rode inside the Sputnik II, a Russian satellite, in 1957.
Question:
How many living Ex-Presidents are there?
Answer:
There are three living Ex-Presidents, they are Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), George Bush Sr. (1989-1993), and Bill Clinton (1993-2001).
Question:
When did The World Almanac for Kids originate?
Answer:
We published the first edition of The World Almanac for Kids in the summer of 1995,and have been publishing revised editions every year since then. (Our general reference almanac, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, is a little older; the first edition was published by the New York World newspaper in 1868.)
Question:
Why is corn yellow?
Answer:
Actually, not all corn is yellow. Native Americans have been cultivating blue, red, and white corn for centuries and, until recently, much of the corn harvested in the U.S. was white. An important nutrient in corn is vitamin A, which comes from beta carotene. If you increase the beta carotene in corn, you get a yellowish color (beta carotene is an orange pigment) because it mixes with the white in the corn. The yellow color has also been preferred by American consumers because it supposedly improves the appearance of the foods traditional served with it, such as meat and potatoes.
Question:
What is the fastest animal on two legs?
Answer:
At a top speed around 35 miles per hour, the ostrich is the fastest animal on two legs.
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