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The Great Emu War
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History
The Great Emu War of 1932
In one of history’s most bizarre military conflicts, three Australian soldiers armed with machine guns went to battle against thousands of emus—and lost.
During the Great Depression, struggling farmers in Western Australia faced an unexpected problem: massive flocks of emus migrating through their wheat fields, destroying crops. Desperate, they called on the government for help. The solution? Send in the army.
What Happened?
🗓 November 2, 1932 – Soldiers on foot opened fire on a small group of emus. The birds scattered instantly, making them nearly impossible to hit. Emus win.
🗓 November 4, 1932 – The soldiers mounted a machine gun on a truck, thinking they could chase the emus down. But the rough terrain trapped the vehicle, leaving the emus to escape once again. Emus win.
Why were the emus so hard to defeat?
✔ Speed: They could run up to 50 km/h (31 mph)
✔ Tactics: They moved in small groups and ran in unpredictable zigzag patterns
After weeks of failed attempts and thousands of wasted bullets, the military withdrew. The emus had won their war.
Science
A day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus
Venus takes 243 Earth days to complete one full rotation on its axis (a "day" on Venus). But it only takes 225 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun (a "year" on Venus).
So, technically, if you were standing on Venus (and somehow survived the extreme heat and crushing atmosphere), the Sun would rise only twice in an entire Venusian year!
Even weirder—Venus rotates backward compared to most planets, meaning the Sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the east. 🌅➡️🌄
Tech & Engineering
Where does the word Bluetooth come from?
Bluetooth gets its name from a 10th-century Scandinavian king, Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson. He was known for uniting different regions of Denmark and Norway, and the creators of bluetooth chose his name to symbolise the unifying nature of the technology.
Interestingly, the bluetooth logo is a combination of two Nordic runes representing Harald Bluetooth’s initials:
ᚼ (Hagall) = "H"
ᛒ (Bjarkan) = "B"
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Sport
Extreme Ironing
One of the most bizarre sports that involves people taking their ironing boards and irons to remote or challenging locations.
Nature & Geography
Haiti Earthquake
Was a devastating natural disaster that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, with a magnitude of 7.0. The earthquake's epicenter was near the capital city of Port-au-Prince, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Buildings, homes, and infrastructure were severely damaged or collapsed, leaving millions of people homeless and in urgent need of assistance. The death toll from the earthquake is estimated to be between 230,000 and 300,000, with hundreds of thousands more injured.
* This topic has been previously featured. Spaced repetition improves your learning by helping you retain information for longer.
Business & Politics
Murdoch Family Disputes
The Murdoch family's $43 billion media empire is on shaky ground as internal conflicts and legal battles escalate. Rupert Murdoch’s decision to back his son Lachlan as successor has caused a rift with his other children—James, Elisabeth, and Prudence—fueling uncertainty over the company’s future.
On top of that, a massive $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit from Smartmatic adds even more pressure. With power struggles and legal troubles piling up, the once-unshakable Murdoch dynasty could be heading for collapse.
Arts & Literature
Gaslight
"Gaslight" is a play written by Patrick Hamilton that premiered in London in 1938. The play is a psychological thriller set in Victorian London and revolves around the manipulative tactics used by a husband to convince his wife and others that she is going insane. The term "gaslighting" has since been derived from the play, referring to the act of manipulating someone into doubting their own perceptions, memories, and sanity.
* This topic has been previously featured. Spaced repetition improves your learning by helping you retain information for longer.
Entertainment
When was Home Alone made?
The original Home Alone Christmas family comedy film was released in 1990.
Test your knowledge
If you have been following us for longer then a week, then it is time to find out how much you remember 😄 Answer these multi choice questions below! (Answers below)
For more questions made from our newsletters be sure to follow us on Instagram
Due to thermal expansion the Eiffel Tower grows approximately how much taller each year?
A - 15cm
B - 5cm
C - 25cm
What American pharmacist created Coca-Cola?
A - Joseph Pemberley
B - James Pendleton
C - John Pemberton
How many seasons did ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ run for?
A - 20
B - 23
C - 19
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A (15cm)
C (John Pemberton)
A (20)