Ask Mr Brain...all will be explained
Who was the first criminal caught using fingerprints? Although the study of fingerprints started in 1684, when anatomist Dr Nehemiah Grew published a paper on the subject, it was not until 1860 that fingerprints were used as a means of identification.
In 1900, Britain established a committee to investigate methods of identifying criminals by their fingerprints. In July the following year, London's New Scotland Yard - the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police - created the Fingerprint Branch.
According to the Metropolitan Police, one of the earliest cases involving fingerprint evidence was in 1905. A thumb print was left on a cash box at the scene of the murder of London shopkeepers Mr and Mrs Farrow.
The print matched that of Alfred Stratton. As a result of this evidence, Stratton and his brother were hanged for the murders.
In the United States, it took a surprising case of criminal doubles to convince the Government of the value of fingerprints.
For many years, the US had used detailed records of physical measurements to identify criminals - known as the Bertillon system. In 1903, prison staff at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, Kansas were surprised by the arrival of a new inmate - Will West.
West had the same Bertillon measurements and looked identical to another inmate whose name was even similar, one William West who was serving life for murder.
The two were unrelated, but the coincidence convinced the authorities of the value of fingerprints.
Who invented the parachute? The parachute is an umbrella-like device designed to slow the descent of a falling body by creating drag as it passes through the air.
The development of modern aircraft has led to many experiments in the aerodynamic problems of parachute design, making today's parachutes highly efficient.
A French aeronaut, Jean Pierre Blanchard, claimed the invention of the parachute in 1785, and the first successful parachute descent from a great height was made in 1797 by the French aeronaut Jacques Garnerin, who dropped 920 metres from a balloon.
The names of those who made the earlier, unsuccessful, attempts have been lost to history.
One of the most important uses of parachutes is as an escape system for people aboard aircraft unable to land safely.
Modern military jets are provided with ejection seats that use explosives to shoot the pilot free of his craft and automatically release a parachute when the pilot is at a safe altitude.
Parachutes are also used as a brake to slow down rockets on their return to earth.
Parachute jumping for sport, known as skydiving, is also very popular.
