First Earthling to Orbit The Earth

The first Earthling in space wasn't a human, but was Laika, a Soviet space dog. Laika died within hours of the launch due to overheating.

Laika was a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow and was chosen for her even temperament. Before the launch, one of the scientists took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote, "I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."

The first animals in space were fruit flies sent into sub-orbital trajectory by the U.S. in a captured V-2 German rocket in 1947.

Red Barns

Why are most barns painted red?

In the early days of America, most barns weren't painted because using the right sort of wood made painting unnecessary.  It was only later that old school methods of barn planning and building fell by the wayside and farmers started painting their barns to help preserve the wood.  Ferric oxide (rust), a primary component of red paint, is inexpensive and that appealed to the thrifty farmers of New England, where the practice began. (Rust also kills mold and other types of fungi)  Besides being cheaper than other colors, the red served a functionary purpose, in that the darker color absorbed the heat from the sun and kept the barn warmer in winter.

That said, barn colors often are fairly specific to certain regions;  white barns are common on dairy farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Shenandoah Vally and is associated with cleanliness and purity. (and, for a while, whitewash was cheaper than red paint)  In tobacco regions, such as Kentucky and North Carolina, black or brown barns are the norm, where the darker colors helped heat the barn and cure the tobacco.

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Sources:

Mental Floss

Grit

The Old Farmer's Almanac

bel-esprit

bel-esprit [bel-es-pree] noun, plural beaux-esprits [boh-zes-pree] French

1. a person of great wit or intellect.

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Sure wasn't familiar with this word, and it makes me a little sad I don't fit the definition.

OTOH, I'm happy I'm not French!

Sleepwalk - Igor Presnyakov

Another version by The Ventures

Just Don't Thump Me

To see if I'm ripe.

You Are Watermelon

You are adaptable, popular, and very sweet. People always like to have you around. You are simple and genuine. You never need to pretend to be someone that you're not because your personality naturally shines. You are humble and kind. You don't make a big deal about who you are, and you don't look for attention. Your friends love and value you. Everyone knows a good time is in store when you are around.

What Picnic Food Are You?