Donald Trump is the richest U.S. president ever, with a net worth of $3.7 billion at his inauguration in 2016, now estimated at $5.5 billion. Most presidents, like John F. Kennedy and George Washington, inherited wealth, while others, such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, accumulated wealth post-presidency through media deals and speaking fees. A 2023 report ranks former presidents by peak personal wealth, adjusted for inflation.
A collection of 22 absolutely fascinating pictures includes a bird resembling Danny DeVito, a 4,500-pound block of cheese, the world's oldest woman, the owner of the world's longest beard in 1922, the winner of the 1924 Miss America pageant, pieces of the moon and Mars, Victorian slang, the most expensive painting by Leonardo da Vinci, the smallest ship in the US Navy, a Twix without chocolate, a one-directional stairwell, a baby platypus, the highest-scoring Scrabble word, 1930s condom testing, differences between cheap and expensive pasta, the Hoba meteorite, X-ray of hammerhead sharks, shrinking water bottles, wind turbine blade interior, childproof doctor's office doorknobs, an Antarctic license plate, and a proposed design for a "female urinal."
Google apologized for its AI chatbot, Gemini, generating inaccurate images of historical figures, portraying them as racially and ethnically diverse. The head of Google's AI division acknowledged the inaccuracies and stated that they are working to fix the issue immediately. This incident has sparked criticism from conservative users, highlighting concerns about the AI model's representation and bias. Google plans to tune the model to account for a more nuanced historical context and has faced previous accusations of stumbling over diversity matters. Gemini, previously known as Google Bard, was launched in March 2023 and renamed to reflect its advanced technology after multiple upgrades.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis misattributed a quote to Winston Churchill in a recent speech, joining a long list of individuals who have erroneously cited the former British prime minister to add weight to their statements. This phenomenon, known as "Churchillian drift," has become increasingly common as internet users seek short, witty phrases. Despite the inaccuracy, Churchill's legacy of resilience and leadership continues to inspire people worldwide.
Researchers at the University of Dundee have used death masks to recreate the face of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the leader of the unsuccessful 18th century Jacobite rebellion. The image reveals a different side to the traditionally heroic figure, portraying him as a normal person with blonde curly hair, wide eyes, and acne. The recreation was made by mapping and photographing the death masks, then using state-of-the-art software to "de-age" the prince. The final result will be included in an exhibition at the University of Dundee.
Former Secretaries of State and friends, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, both lived to be 100 years old. Shultz passed away in 2021, but Kissinger celebrates his centennial on Saturday. Kissinger and Shultz were historically significant figures, and their long lives are a remarkable detail of history.
Researchers have identified a new suspect in the 1871 vandalism of dinosaur models designed for the planned Paleozoic Museum in Central Park, which was cancelled by the Tweed-controlled Central Park board. While historians had previously blamed William “Boss” Tweed, new evidence points to Henry Hilton, a powerful attorney and public parks commissioner who personally ordered the destruction of the models. The researchers argue that correcting the record is important in understanding the history of paleontology and past debates about how dinosaurs looked and lived.
