AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING CLXXX

1. The Gray Lady is a nickname for the New York Times. "Gray" refers to the physical appearance of the paper for much of its early existence. The front pages were dominated by unbroken, dense pillars of text and lacked photographs or large headlines. The term also refers to the Times' editorial style, which was historically cautious, sober, and deliberative.

2. A chilango is a native or resident of Mexico City, Mexico. While it used to carry a slightly derogatory meaning, it has evolved into a widely accepted term of pride and cultural identity. 

3. Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. In that state, it is also known as quicksilver.

4. The five pillars of Islam are Faith, Prayer, Alms, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.

5. A bonspiel is the name of a curling competition or tournament. 

6. In animal breeding and pedigree charts, a sire is the male parent (father) and a dam is the female parent (mother). These terms are primarily used for horses, dogs, cattle, and other livestock to clearly trace family lineages and bloodlines. 

7.  The first modern denim was made accidentally by weavers in Nimes, France in the late 17th century. They were trying to replicate the process of producing another popular, heavy-duty fabric called serge. They called the new fabric serge de Nimes - which eventually became shortened to denim.

8. Blue jeans traces its history to Italian textile workers in Genoa, Italy. They produced a fabric similar to denim made with indigo-dyed wool and cotton. It was highly favored by sailors and the working class. Called bleu de Genes, the term jeans evolved from the French translation of Genoa (Genes)

9. In 1853 Levi Strauss traveled form New York to San Francisco to join his brothers in selling durable denim jeans to miners in the California Gold Rush. Although they were sturdy, the jeans could tear at the pockets. In 1873, Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis of Reno, Nev. invented modern blue jeans by securing the stress points with copper rivets - making the jeans virtually indestructible. The famous riveted pants were assigned "501" - preserved to this day as the iconic Levi's 501 Jeans line - with riveted pockets and riveted button fly. 

10. The original Levi's 501s were crafted for miners and railroad workers. In late 2023, a pair of 1873 Levi's jeans discovered in a Nevada mine shaft sold at auction for $100,000 to an anonymous buyer from Thailand.