In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

• The first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was a woman, Anna Edson Taylor. She made the journey on October 24, 1901, and escaped unhurt.
• Next time you’re sprawled comfortably in a hammock, ponder this: the hanging bed was used by the natives of Brazil for hundreds of years. It was made of nets, suspended between trees, and woven from bark fibers of the “hamack” tree.
• A bootleg refers to the long leather boots worn by cowboys in the Old West. They were used to store all manner of illicit goods, including an extra gun, a bowie knife, or a flask of moonshine.
• James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, stood only five feet four inches tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds.
• Roman statues were made with detachable heads, so that one head could be removed and replaced by another.
• In ancient China people committed suicide by eating a pound of salt.
• 10 percent of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.