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Let’s get right to the point: we love facts. We think that when you know more about the world, it’s easier to understand how it works and how your actions affect it. And we especially love random facts — those little nuggets of knowledge that come up in conversation, and the immediate reaction they spark is, “Wait, what?”
We’ve been on a mission to dig up the most bizarre, surprising, and interesting facts and things you didn’t know (probably). We’re not going to give you a full history lesson or tell you about the origins of things — these are just fun facts that have nothing but random educational value! And if you’re anything like us, once you learn these fascinating bits of trivia, you’ll want to share them with everyone else. Like, did you know that the inventor of frisbee golf was literally turned into a frisbee after his death? Yeah, crazy.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite cool facts for you here. They’re like a little gift to your brain and provide an excuse to share a tidbit of knowledge that would otherwise be lost. They’re also an excellent way to break the ice when you meet someone new — especially if they’re as nerdy as you are! Some are science-y, some are history-y, and some are just plain fun. But all of them are interesting and totally random in their own unique way!
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#1
Some cats are actually allergic to humans.
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#3
Yoda’s design was based on and inspired by Albert Einstein.
#5
A 70-year-old woman once completed seven marathons in seven days, across all seven continents.
#6
Just as Earth has earthquakes, the Moon has moonquakes.
#7
The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
#8
The Monopoly Man has a proper name - it's Rich Uncle Milburn Pennybags.
Jon Constant 3 years ago
even if he had a ton of bags of pennies, it wouldn’t be worth that much.
#9
The M's in M&Ms stand for "Mars & Murrie".
DennyS (denzoren) 3 years ago
Really? Well damn, I would not have expected that. Also M&M stands for Millie&Moxxie for those Helluva Boss fans out there.
#10
The Australian government banned the word "mate" for a day.
Agfox 3 years ago (edited)
For context, officials in Australia's Federal Parliament in Canberra banned security staff & attendants from addressing Parliamentarians from using the word in August 2005. It was overturned 24 hours later by outraged politicians who had not been consulted & considered the ban to be ridiculous
#15
Dogs can learn to recognize a vocabulary of about 165 words.
#16
Chinese police use geese squads.
#17
Twins are most likely to be born in Nigeria.
#18
A mermaid "documentary" once fooled so many people that the U.S. government had to issue a statement.
Kylie Mountain 3 years ago
Oh, the Animal Planet thing. Yeah, that was a low point for the channel and the country's collective intelligence. Admittedly, those two mermaid films were a master class in the tactics bad actors and conspiracy theorists use to try to make you believe them. The jargony words, the dude in the shadows with the voice changer to 'hide his identity,' the use of actual science at the beginning to ease you in, the explanations that seemed just plausible enough until you remembered it was baloney.
#23
Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of an empty beer glass.
#24
Speed dating was invented by a Rabbi.
#26
Upon going deaf, Beethoven discovered that if he bit onto a metal pole that connected to the piano he was playing, he could hear almost perfectly well.
Tabitha Frost 3 years ago
I suppose that makes sense, the vibrations would travel through the teeth to the skull. But hold on, how did he discover this? XD
#27
No country is allowed to own the Moon.
ArodTheHorrible 3 years ago
Until it is colonized. Then, there will be a declaration of independence followed by a space war LOL
#28
There may be 2,000 active serial killers in the U.S. right now.
#31
For 100 years, maps have shown an island that doesn't exist.
#32
Tornadoes can cause "fish rain".
Livingroom Panda 3 years ago
the fish get lifted out of their body of water and dumped down wherever the tornado decides to go
#33
Some planets produce diamond rain.
#34
The cast of "Friends" still earns around $20 million each year.
ArodTheHorrible 3 years ago
I think some of them earn more than that. You mean only from "Friends" residuals?
#35
Guinea pigs were once sacrificed wearing earrings and necklaces and wrapped like sushi.
Kylie Mountain 3 years ago
They're a very important food source in South America. Not surprised they were used for ritual sacrifices.
#37
The first hot air balloon ride contained a sheep, a duck and a rooster.
#38
Bones of a dozen bodies were once found in Benjamin Franklin's basement.
#39
Sea lions can dance to a beat.
#40
You can always "see" your nose.
#41
There's a textbook written entirely by an artificial intelligence author.
#43
Copper door knobs are self-disinfecting.
Stannous Flouride 3 years ago
I just commented about this on another post. Copper is a natural antibiotic agent. Combine with zinc it and you have brass. Studies have shown that water stored in brass vessels for 3 days are over 99% pure. It eliminates cholera and many other water-born germs.
#45
The word "MacGyvered" is in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Stannous Flouride 3 years ago
The OED is constantly updated and by its nature can never be "complete."
#46
Moonshiners used "cow shoes" to disguise their footprints during Prohibition.
#48
George Washington was a major whiskey distiller.
#49
"Chinese Checkers" was invented in Germany.
Engelhafen 3 years ago
Well who else would call it Chinese Checkers? They would have just called it checkers if invented in China - or German Checkers
#50
Hair and nails grow faster during pregnancy.
Tabitha Frost 3 years ago
Is there a scientific reason why? The people who post these sure are vague. -_-
#51
Water makes different pouring sounds depending on its temperature.
#53
Nutmeg can be fatally poisonous.
doubledutch 3 years ago
It can also alter your...mindset considerably if you take less than the fatal dose (it's still a buttload). It causes hallucinations and can last for days.
#54
Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.
Livingroom Panda 3 years ago
we had them for exploring the red center, where horses were useless.
#55
Crows remember the face of their abductor years after the incident.
#56
Germany uncovers 2,000 tons of unexploded bombs every year.
#57
Detroit undercover cops in a drug ring once fought another group of undercover cops.
#59
The Twitter bird's official name Is Larry.
#60
The longest title of a book consists of 27,978 characters.
Grudge-holding Treefrog 3 years ago
https://guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/358711-longest-title-of-a-book
#61
Some Maryland residents are taxed for the rain.
#62
New York was briefly named "New Orange".
#63
Lobster bladders are in their heads.
#65
Playing the accordion was once required for teachers in North Korea.
#66
Apple Pie isn't actually American.
$cagsy 3 years ago
I would think that if you bake it in America, it's American. I had a Chihuahua once but he was born in England, so he was English. I know this for sure because I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk in Mexican and he just lay there, watching cartoons (Ren & Stimpy, if you're interested). I asked him again in English and he said 'No thanks. I'm watching cartoons'.
#67
One man was once constipated for nearly two months.
#70
Earth won't always have the same North Star.
#71
The majority of your brain is fat.
#72
Sea otters hold hands while they sleep.
#73
Constipation kills people.
#76
Mr. Clean has a first name - it's Veritably.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
As well as Mr Clean, we have a product called Mr Sheen in Australia. When my brother was about 10 he used the music from the jingle and came up with 'I'm Mr Sheen, Mr George WashingmaSheen' and whenever I hear of either Mr Sheen or Mr Clean I can't stop that popping into my head!
#77
Many feet bones don't harden until you're an adult.
#78
You lose up to 30% of your taste buds during flight.
Vix Spiderthrust 3 years ago
Pretty sure you don't. They might stop working, but they don't fall off.
#79
Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.
#80
Pigeons can tell the difference between a painting by Monet and Picasso.
#81
Chewing gum boosts concentration.
#82
Space smells like seared steak.
#83
Abraham Lincoln's bodyguard left his post at Ford's Theatre to go for a drink.
#84
Koalas have fingerprints.
#85
The Silverback gorilla can lift almost a literal ton.
#86
There is an immortal jellyfish.
#87
Baby blue whales grow 200 pounds per day.
DennyS (denzoren) 3 years ago
That means their intake has to be equal or more right? Feed conversion ratios and such.
#88
Maine is the only state that borders just one other state.
Robert B. Brown 3 years ago
Umm, no. It is New Hampshire, not Vermont. New Hampshire to the west, Quebec to the north, New Brunswick to the east and Atlantic Ocean the the south.
#89
You can learn the High Valyrian language from Game of Thrones with an online course.
#91
The U.S. almost went to war with Canada over a pig.
#92
Kentucky has more bourbon than people.
ArodTheHorrible 3 years ago
Ounces? Barrels? Need more info... found it: https://vinepair.com/booze-news/kentucky-more-bourbon-than-people/
#93
A chef's hat has exactly 100 pleats.
#94
Stop signs used to be yellow.
#97
George Washington invented instant coffee.
Vix Spiderthrust 3 years ago
Wrong. Firstly, it's a different George Washington, and secondly, he invented a freezing process. Alphonse Allais invented instant coffee.
#98
Cap'n Crunch isn't a captain. Instead, he is a commander because of the three stripes on his uniform cuffs.
Theoretical Empiricist 3 years ago
In the Navy, "captain" is both a rank and a role. One can "captain" a ship, regardless of rank.
#100
The first potato chip flavor was Cheese & Onion.
ArodTheHorrible 3 years ago
Seems more likely that it was "burnt potato grease"... the first commercially available one, though...
#102
More human twins are being born now than ever before.
#103
The world wastes about 1 billion metric tons of food each year.
DennyS (denzoren) 3 years ago
Very sad given that the same amount probably goes hungry each year also.
#104
Only two mammals like spicy food: humans and the tree shrew.
#105
Rabbits can't puke.
#107
Bees sometimes sting other bees.
#108
The healthiest place to live in the world is in Panama.
#110
Dolphins have been trained to be used in wars.
Hatchet 3 years ago
I think they were trained to attatch magnetic mines to the hulls of enemy ships. Dogs were trained go under tanks, although this failed badly as the dogs recognised the shape of the tanks they were trained with and not the enemy. Russian and Germany can't remember which way round
#111
Humans are just one of the estimated 8.7 million species on Earth.
#112
A tick bite can make you allergic to red meat.
Kylie Mountain 3 years ago
Only the Lone Star tick. Deer ticks give you Lyme Disease, not meat allergies.
#113
The fire hydrant patent was lost in a fire.
#114
In Germany, people help toads cross the road.
Tom Murphy 3 years ago
Yeah? And? There are no Germans that run them over? There are no other countries where people are helpful to road-going amphibians?
#115
Cheetahs don’t roar.
#116
France has a dozen time zones.
#117
Danes once bred a pig to look like the flag.
#118
America's first bank robber deposited the money back into the same bank.
#119
There's a device that creates energy from snowfall.
#121
Scientists were able to take a picture of an atom's shadow.
#122
Allergy season is getting longer and more intense each year.
#123
The inventor of Frisbee Golf was turned into a Frisbee.
Ron Baker 3 years ago
Disc Golf, and Ed Headrick is the inventor (Father) of the sport. As per Ed Headrick’s wishes, his ashes were incorporated into a limited number of discs. The discs were given to friends and family and the limited remaining discs are for sale with all proceeds going to a 501 c(3) nonprofit to fund the “Steady” Ed Memorial Disc Golf Museum at the PDGA International Disc Golf Center in Columbia County, Georgia.
#124
PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint.
#126
Brown bottles are better for beer.
#128
The heads on Easter Island have bodies.
#129
The longest wedding veil was the same length as 63.5 football fields.
#130
Kids ask around 300 questions a day.
#133
A restaurant in New York employs grandmas as chefs.
#134
Shaq only ever made one three-pointer.
#135
Every time you shuffle a deck of cards, you get a combination that's most likely never existed.
#138
The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 2 billion Kelvin.
#139
It takes 364 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
#141
Vegetables can make you tan.
#142
Bananas make great water filters.
#144
Goosebumps are meant to ward off predators.
Katie Lutesinger 3 years ago
It's an evolutionary leftover. Your skin is trying to make your fur stand on end so you'll look bigger.
#146
The hottest spot on the planet is in Libya.
Chocolate llama 3 years ago
I guess it's supposed to be "the hottest spot to live in"? Pretty sure you can have a lava spot somewhere that would be hotter? I feel like this list is super vague
#147
Your nostrils work one at a time.
#148
Some people have an extra bone in their knee (and it's getting more common).
#150
Hitler had a flatulence problem.
#151
Astronauts in space are exposed to the same amount of radiation as 150 to 6,000 chest x-rays.
$cagsy 3 years ago (edited)
That's spectacularly vague. It's like saying that a man once lived who was as tall as... well... somewhere between a large pea and a spaceship. Also, as I write this, this entry has amassed 10 points. I need to meet the 10 Pandas who entered this thread with such low expectations that they upvoted this! Good grief. I'm going for a lie down.
#152
Beaver bum goo is occasionally used to enhance vanilla flavorings.
Kylie Mountain 3 years ago
Not their actual feces, the musk from their a**l glands. Close to the butt, not the actual butt.
#153
The bowler hat was invented as safety measure.
#154
There's no such thing as "pear cider".
#157
Women are attracted to the scent of Good & Plenty licorice candy and cucumber.
#159
Coffee pioneer was buried in a coffee pot.
#162
Studies indicate that garlic possibly attracts vampires.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
This study indicates no such thing. What it does indicate is that garlic possibly attracts leeches.
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