Great Britain is one of the most unusual countries with its own special traditions. We have prepared 25 facts about this country that will surprise you.
10 amusing facts about British history
1. In 18th-century Britain, men and women were forbidden to sunbathe on the same beach.
2. The city where the first fire department appeared was Edinburgh.
3. The first programmer in the world was an Englishwoman — Ada Lovelace.
4. The first subway appeared in London, Britain.
5. The Big Ben Tower got its name not because of the clock, but because of the bell that is located inside.
6. The Society for the Protection of Animals was established in Britain in 1824 and has the status of a royal one.
7. In 1829, the first public zoo was opened in London, Britain.
8. The British Queen has the right to travel without a passport, bypassing customs and baggage screening.
9. In the crown of the British Empireб there are 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. The most famous sapphire of St. Edward is inserted in the upper cross of the crown, while the pediment is adorned by the world-famous diamond Cullinan II.
10. The tradition to celebrate the Day of Kisses appeared in the UK. Then the UN approved it as an international holiday, which is celebrated annually on July 6.
Great Britain and inventions
1. For the first time, an English umbrella was used for protection from rain, before that the umbrella was used for protection from the sun.
2. Raincoat was also invented in Britain by Gregory C. McIntosh. Shortly, the British call the raincoat Mac.
3. Shoelaces were invented by the British in 1790.
4. The World Wide Web was invented by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee.
5. The homeland of golf is Britain. It was mentioned in 1457 for the first time.
6. The first puzzle was invented by English cartographer D. Spilsbury in 1760.
English people and their lifestyle
1. Undoubtedly, tea is the most popular drink in Britain. At 5 p.m. exactly, all Britain sits down to drink tea, this tradition is relevant from the XVIII century. In addition, mostly British people drink packaged tea.
2. In England, a pet can be taken only with the permission of special services.
3. British children study at school for 13 years. Kids go to the 1st grade at the age of 4–5. Also, the uniform color in all British schools is dark blue.
4. In Britain, it is forbidden to smoke in any enclosed premises.
5. Laundry is not included in the household affairs of British people as long as they have got laundries, which, by the way, are numerous in Britain.
6. Visiting an Englishman without an invitation is considered a bad manner; he can simply close the door before you.
7. The British are not very interested in politics.
8. To treat an interlocutor is possible only with his consent, so paying a bill in half on a date is considered normal.
9. In the UK, a melody from an advertisement/movie/series, which gets stuck in your head for a long time is called «earworm».
