After a sperm whale became beached on the coast of Taiwan, researchers decided to perform an autopsy on the creature to determine its cause of death—later found to have been a collision with a ship. It took three cranes half a day to load the whale onto a truck, during which time gas continued to build up in the decomposing carcass. While passing through Tainan on the way to a wildlife preserve, the whale exploded, spattering onlookers and nearby cars with gore. Where else have whales exploded? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This day marks the events of January 26, 1986, when the 
Born in Austria and orphaned at a young age, Maria Kutschera planned to become a nun in Salzburg. Instead, she met Baron Georg von Trapp while tutoring one of his seven children. They were married in 1927 and had three children together. After financial trouble, the family began to sing professionally, then fled Nazi Europe for the US. Today, the family operates a lodge in Vermont. Maria’s 1949 memoir was adapted into The Sound of Music. What became of the family’s home in Austria? 
Royal jelly is a substance secreted by the pharyngeal glands of worker bees. Although it is fed to all young larvae in a colony, only those destined to be queens get to consume it exclusively and in large quantities. This rapid, early feeding triggers the development of reproductive structures unique to queen bees. Royal jelly is found in various beauty products and is also marketed as a dietary supplement that may provide certain health benefits because it contains what substances? 
Around 1901, dentist Frederick McKay began to research why many Colorado residents’ teeth were stained brown yet were also cavity-free. The culprit, as it turned out, was fluoride. Though it can discolor teeth in large doses, fluoride also prevents decay. Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first US city to experiment with adding fluoride to its water supply. The rate of cavities plummeted, and fluoridation became a national health policy. What do conspiracy theorists allege about fluoridation? 
In Hindu mythology 
Upon her father’s death in 1488, Anne became the sovereign duchess of Brittany—and her hand in marriage became very valuable. When she was forced to become queen of France by marrying Charles VIII at age 14, her marriage contract stipulated that whichever spouse survived the longest could keep Brittany. Charles died first, but Anne was then forced to marry his successor. Until her death, she fought in vain to preserve Brittany’s autonomy within France. Who was technically her first husband? 
In Norse mythology, the valkyries are maidens sent by Odin to select worthy warriors slain in battle. Valkyries, whose name is derived from an Old Norse word meaning “choosers of the slain,” are said to have the power to cause the death of warriors they dislike or guard the lives of those they favor. According to various myths, they are either deities or mortals with supernatural powers. Where do the valkyries bring the warriors they deem worthy?