Did You Know ... ? In 1849, novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky was led to a public square for execution, but the tsar reprieved him (and others). St. Petersburg encompasses 42 islands in the Neva River delta. The Nazi’s World War II siege of St. Petersburg lasted the better part of 29
Did You Know? The walls of Diocletian’s Palace encircled about 7.4 acres. The nearby Roman town Salona was named for the area’s salt works, sal meaning salt in Latin. The grounds of Diocletian’s Palace are home to about 3,000 of Split’s residents. Diocletian’s mausoleum became part of St. Doimus church,
Did You Know? Soufriere, founded in 1746, was St. Lucia’s first town. There are other Caribbean volcanoes called Soufriere — on Guadeloupe, Montserrat and St. Vincent. St. Lucia boasts Soufriere is the world's only drive-through volcanic crater. A working guillotine was installed in the town square during the French Revolution.
Did You Know? Speakers of Cantonese, Mandarin and Shanghainese cannot understand one another. China’s Communist party held its first national congress in Shanghai, in secret (1921). The verb shanghai, meaning kidnap, recalls a time when men were kidnapped to be sailors on ships to the Orient. Shanghai was first to
Did You Know? The name tapa (lid) refers to the custom of serving wine in a glass topped with bread and meat. Christopher Columbus planned his expeditions in a Seville monastery. The fictitious Don Juan character of literature and opera originated in Seville. The painter Diego Velazquez was born in
Did You Know? Sao Paulo is capital of a state that generates almost half Brazil’s gross domestic product. The city boasts the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. The architecture of the Banespa Building was inspired by New York’s Empire State Building. More than 100 bird species live in the
Did You Know? Santo Domingo claims the New World’s first cathedral, hospital, monastery and university. Vasco de Balboa, Hernando Cortes and Ponce de Leon started their history-making journeys from Santo Domingo. The city boasts the hemisphere’s oldest street (1502), called the Walk of the Ladies. Francis Ford Coppola shot scenes
Did You Know? Santiago was the first permanent Spanish settlement in Chile (1541). There are three wineries within the Santiago city limits. Telefonica CTC built its headquarters in the shape of a 35-story cell phone, a 1996 model. The leader of Chile’s 19th century liberation fight was a fellow named
Did You Know...? San Juan is the oldest European-built city on U.S. territory (1521). The pina colada cocktail was born in San Juan. Originally, the city was Puerto Rico (Rich Port) and the island was San Juan. La Fortaleza, built in 1533, is the oldest executive mansion in the Western
Did You Know...? For a short time in the 19th century, Costa Rica rotated its capital among four cities including San Jose. San Jose's residents call their city Chepe, which is the local nickname for anyone named Jose. San Jose’s addresses utilize landmarks or nearby street junctions, rather than street
