DID YOU KNOW?

RADIOACTIVE RECORDS When historians read the papers of Nobel Prizewinning scientist Marie Curie, they must don protective clothing to guard against poisoning by residual radiation from her pioneering work. STILL LIFE After his term as first president of the US ended in 1797, George Washington enjoyed another successful career – as a whiskey maker. The distillery at his home, Mount Vernon, was huge, producing around 40,000 litres in 1799. CHRISTIAN NAMES English Puritans loved to showcase their piety, even when naming their children. Curious choices included: Fight-the-good-fight-of-faith, Sorry-for-sin, and If-Christhad-not-died-for-theethou-hadst-beendamned. RABBIT RETREAT In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte was reputedly humiliated by a horde of rabbits. Thousands of the furry mammals, rounded up for a hunt, made a dash for the French emperor, forcing him to flee in his carriage.…