Dutch Is an Official Language, Reflecting Colonial Ties

In Latin, 'trivium' (tri + via = three + road) referred to the junction where three roads met — a crossroads or small public square where people gathered to gossip and exchange minor information. From this, 'trivialis' came to mean 'commonplace, found everywhere'. In the medieval curriculum, 'trivium' also named the three foundational liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, and logic.

In 1995, Pierre Omidyar created 'AuctionWeb' (later renamed eBay) and listed a broken laser pointer as a test. It sold for $14.83. When he contacted the buyer to confirm they understood it was broken, the buyer replied: 'I'm a collector of broken laser pointers.' Omidyar called it the moment he realized there was an online market for everything.

On a standard QWERTY keyboard, all 12 letters of 'stewardesses' (S-T-E-W-A-R-D-E-S-S-E-S) are located on the left side. This makes it the longest common English word typeable with the left hand alone. The longest right-hand-only word is 'lollipop' at 8 letters.

The Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations drank cacao for over 3,500 years — but their version was cold, bitter, and spiced with chili and cornmeal, often frothed by pouring between vessels. Europeans added sugar and heat only after the 16th century. The word 'chocolate' comes from the Nahuatl word 'xocolatl'.