Spouting useful or useless information without being asked for it is a very bad habit. Unfortunately it has been one of my trademarks since I was seated in my elementary school classroom. Recently due to e-mail and the Internet I have come into possession of some interesting facts that I will share with my dear readership.

The true history behind the four kings in the player-cards deck of 52.

The King of Clubs is named for that great Macedonian King - Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.). He conquered much of the ancient world from Greece to India. He died when he was only 32 of malaria. He was a pupil of Aristotle who inspired his great love for literature.

The King of Hearts is Charlemagne (742-814 AD) (Charles the Great). He was king of the Franks and the Romans. He was the first ruler to assume the title of emperor. He revived the Roman Empire and his influence lasted 1,000 years.

The King of Diamonds - Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), one of the great military leaders of all time. Roman general and statesman, he had many great victories in Gaul and in Britain. Famous words "I came, I saw, I conquered." (Veni, Vidi, Vici)

The King of Spades - King David (1000 BC) was the second king of Israel. Humble shepherd of Bethlehem who killed Goliath the Philistene. He built an empire in Judah that lasted 400 years. He founded Jerusalem.

There you have it! The four kings and a bit of their lives. Can you ever pick up a deck of cards and not recognize the historical aspects of these men?

Next, the seven wonders of the modern world. They are:

1. The Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. These three were built in 2600 BC as burial chambers of the pharaohs by thousands of slaves.

2. The Taj Mahal of Agra, India. Built in 1631-1653 by an Indian Shah in memory of his favorite wife.

3. Grand Canyon of Arizona, USA - covers 670,000 acres. Colorful rocks millions of years old were cut into and eroded by the Colorado River, discovered in 1540 by the Spaniard, de Coronado.

4. Panama Canal - early 1900s. It ranks as one of man's greatest engineering achievements, 50 miles long it joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through a series of locks.

5. Empire State Building - opened on May 1, 1931. It is 102 stories, located at 350 5th Avenue in New York City. It is no longer the tallest building.

6. St. Peter's Basilica (1500 AD) - in Vatican City is the largest Christian church in the world; stands above the crypt of St. Peter, the first pope; magnificent dome designed by Michelangelo (400 feet high).

7. The Great Wall of China (built 221-200 BC) - longest fortified line ever built, stretches 1500 miles in Northern China and was built to keep out invading Tartars.

Put down your pens and pencils! The lessons are over for today. I hope you enjoy these facts as much as I do. It was fun looking up this data in the encyclopedia.

There will be no quiz on this information!