I remember learning that most atoms heavier than hydrogen and helium came from supernovas and it blew my mind. It was explained in a book in the college library that I checked out for no reason other than it being fascinating.

It also talked about dendrochronology - the science of dating wooden objects like boats and buildings by the tree rings in the wood. Rings from different trees of known ages have been matched with trees from other eras with partially overlapping patterns, creating timelines that span thousands of years. These can be matched up with wood used by humans, in some cases pinpointing the exact year the wood was cut down.

There was a chapter about how magnetic particles in rocks line up with north when the rocks form. Measuring how far off they are tells us about the movement of the land they're on, helping map continental drift.

I'm just scratching the surface - this book covered a broad range of subjects. The jacket said it was meant to be a textbook for an introductory course in cosmology. This was all way back in the 1970s and for many years I've struggled to find this book again. I even physically looked for it in the library during a college reunion. No idea of the title or authors.