The first umbrella was designed to provide shade from the sun and not protection from the rain.  The word "umbrella" comes from the Latin root word "umbra", meaning shade or shadow. Not until the 16th century did the umbrella become popular in the rainy weather of northern Europe as an accessory for cloudy days rather than sunny ones. When identifying victims of disasters, such as plane and train crashes, approximately 93 percent of identifications are made on the basis of dental records. Teeth can withstand extreme temperatures (up to 1600 degrees Celcius), and therefore can still be used even when bodies are destroyed beyond recognition.

The bark of the giant redwood tree is fireproof. In fact, redwoods depend on fire to clear room for their growth, and to enrich the forest soil for seeds

Czechoslovakia was the first country to require seat belts in the car in 1969.

Ferdinand Porsche, who later went on to build sports cars bearing hisown name, designed the original 1936 Volkswagen.