From ancient Egypt to modern times, this compendium presents interesting factoids, tidbits, and trivia from history for every day of the year. With intriguing snippets sure to please any history aficionado, this collection provides the answers to questions such as "What was the first television advertising broadcast and what was advertised?" "When was the first executioner appointed in the United Kingdom and who was on the receiving end of his services? "and "What once caused Big Ben to run four and a half minutes slow?"