26The Bondwoman's Narrative
In 1857, a woman named Hannah Crafts escaped her owner by dressing up as a man and pretending to be white. She later wrote a book called The Bondwoman's Narrative but didn't publish it. It was found years later in a New Jersey attic and was finally authenticated and published in 2002.
27. In the Philippines, the legal term for car-theft is "carnapping." This is because when cars used to be very rare in the country and were prized status-items, thieves would steal and hold them for ransom like in a kidnapping. Now the term is used for both car-theft and carjacking cases.
28. The phrase "the customer is always right" was coined by an indigent Prussian migrant named George C. Boldt who worked in the hotel industry, invented room service, became a multi-millionaire, bought an island, and built a castle for his beloved wife. His wife died before completion, and he never set foot on the island again.
29. After Joseph Stalin's death, his successor embarked on a program of 'De-Stalinization' - systematically reversing most of Stalin's policies while in office, to end the "era of the cult of personality."
30. Dolphins have learned to use rudimentary tools. For example, mother dolphins teach their young to cover their snouts with sponges while foraging on the ocean floor. This prevents them from being stung by venomous creatures.
