The Internet is an extremely fascinating place. Every day, we discover new and interesting tidbits of information to add to our arsenal of knowledge. We’ve gathered up 60 of the most intriguing ones to share with you today.
From the discovery of takeout restaurants at the ancient archeological site of Pompeii to the origins of fried chicken in America, this list includes a wide range of compelling facts. They will definitely get the gears in your brain turning, that’s for sure! You might be surprised by just how much you still don’t know about the world.
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pxfuel
1. Soldier rations during WWII included Tootsie Rolls as a source of quick energy.
Many candy companies slowed down their production or halted it during World War II. However, Tootsie Roll production was actually ramped up. The chewy candies became an essential part of every soldier’s rations because of their durability and compact nature.
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Matanya
2. Fried chicken first arrived in America with Scottish immigrants.
It’s one of the most popular dishes in the United States. However, many people don’t realize where it came from. Fried chicken, is not in fact, a southern food item, but a Scottish one.
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Mike DelGaudio
3. Around 37 to 40 million years ago, penguins were 6 feet tall.
Based on bones discovered on Seymour Island, Ecuador, scientists think that penguins from the past may have been much larger than they are now. In addition to their massive height, the animals weighed as much as 250 pounds. They were basically the size of large humans.
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PollyDot
4. Dogs can understand as many as 250 words.
They call dogs “man’s best friend” for a reason. There is a surprising amount of communication that goes on between humans and canines. It’s estimated that your average dog has a level of intelligence on par with a two-year-old.
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teribell04
5. The Chinese government owns almost all of the giant pandas in existence.
If you see a panda in another country’s zoo, it is almost assuredly rented from China. Apparently, it costs $1 million per year to rent a panda and requires a 10-year contract. They are one of the most expensive animals in the world.
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Todorov.petar.p
6. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the exact same day.
They were both major contributors to the signing of The Declaration of Independence. In a strange twist of fate, they both passed away exactly 50 years later on the fourth of July in 1826.
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John Trumbull
7. Artist Salvador Dali saved money by drawing art on the back of his checks.
For every purchase at a restaurant, he always paid by check instead of cash. He found that if he drew a little doodle on the back, most people wouldn’t actually cash the check. They would save it as art, thus saving him tons of money on his bills.
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Tara Halstead
8. The founder of Wendy’s was a high school dropout.
His name was Dave Thomas. After dropping out of high school, he completed a GED class where they voted him “most likely to succeed”. He eventually went on to build one of the biggest fast-food franchises in the world.
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michaelform
9. Avocados only ripen once picked from the tree.
This unique situation allows the farmers to use the tree as storage for their avocado supply. They only pick them once they are ready to be sold. On the tree, the avocados can remain good for seven months.
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sandid
10. The famous Starry Night painting by Vincent Van Gogh is based on a real place.
It captures the view of the landscape as seen from the former Saint-Paul de Mausole monastery in France. In 1605, the monks turned it into a psychiatric asylum. Van Gogh admitted himself to the facility in 1889.
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Ismoon
11. Reindeer’s eyes change colors throughout the year.
It varies from season to season. In the winter, reindeer have blue eyes. However, in the summer, their eyes turn gold.
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danielbil99
12. After Outkast created his song with the lyrics “shake it like a Polaroid picture”, Polaroid made an important announcement.
It turns out, they didn’t like the message he was conveying. The company released a statement afterward adding some clarification on the issue. Apparently, “shaking or waving can actually damage the image”.
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pxhere
13. Lego keeps a temperature controlled vault in Denmark with all of their past offerings.
Every set of Legos ever made is stored in there for historical purposes. They are all held deep underground in the special vault.
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Benjamin Esham
14. Canada’s Northwest Territories once debated changing their name to “Bob”.
It wasn’t that long ago either. It all happened back in the 1990s. “Bob” was the name that gained the most momentum among those in the movement.
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Natstradamus
15. On a single day in April in 1930, the BBC claimed there was no news to report and played piano music all day.
Instead of the typical broadcast, they opted to serenade the public with beautiful piano music instead. There was simply nothing newsworthy going on at the time.
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christoph_mschrd
16. The creators of Ben & Jerry learned how to make ice cream through a $5 course.
The course was offered by Pennsylvania State University. Although, even $5 was too pricey for them. The two men split the course 50-50, then went on to make millions with their ice cream business.
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Opacitatic
17. Humans bite each other significantly more than sharks bite people.
Here’s a statistic that will blow your mind. In New York City alone, the number of annual reports of humans biting other humans is ten times more than the number of worldwide annual shark bites.
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skeeze
18. In Hollywood, Frank Sinatra has three separate stars on the Walk of Fame.
There is a separate star for each of the industries he impacted— television, film, and music. He made major achievements in all three mediums, and for that, he will be remembered three times as often as other entertainers.
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Willem van Bergen
19. Outer space has its own unique smell.
Most people imagine that space smells like nothing. After all, we mainly view it as a vast and empty void. However, people who have actually been there described the scent as a mix of barbecue, gunpowder, and diesel fumes. It’s thought to be the smell created from dying stars.
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qimono
20. Every year, Finland hosts the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships.
There are a number of ways to train for the event. However, one phone thrower described his method of preparation as “mainly drinking”. Alcohol might be the real secret to why the event is so successful.
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husin.sani
21. Double rainbows occur when sunlight is reflected twice off of a raindrop.
How can we confirm this fact? It turns out, if you look closely at the two rainbows, you will notice that their colors are arranged in opposite orders of each other.
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Emphyrio
22. Russian cosmonauts used to carry shotguns with them on their missions in order to fend off bears.
It was in case they had to perform an emergency landing in Siberia on one of their space missions. The vast wilderness area is much more dangerous if you don’t have some sort of protection against the ferocious animal life.
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Takisha Rappold
23. Elephants provide emotional support to each other with their trunks.
The elephants comfort each other by brushing the other elephants with their trunks. When two elephants intertwine their trunks, it is similar to humans giving each other hugs. They also emit small audible chirping sounds while they do it.
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nickharder
24. There is a part of Route 66 in New Mexico that plays the song “America The Beautiful” using rumble strips.
If you drive down the stretch of highway at the speed limit of 45 miles per hour, you will clearly hear the song vibrate through the vehicle. All the while, the rumble strips also continue to help prevent sleepy drivers from passing out at the wheel.
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Marcin Wichary
25. The Library of Congress commonly gets requests for books that aren’t actually real.
Most of them have to do with books people have heard about in movies. For example, one common request is for the President’s Book of Secrets that was featured in the movie National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The movie starred Nicolas Cage and was very exciting. The book, however, doesn’t really exist.
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Kirk W
26. Neil Armstrong almost missed the deadline for astronaut applications.
In fact, he submitted his form a week after the deadline had already passed. Luckily for him, a friend of his slipped his late application in with the rest of the ones that had arrived on time. Eventually, he became the first man to walk on the moon.
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WikiImages
27. A bloodhound dog finished a half marathon in Alabama in 2016.
The pup’s name was Ludivine. She finished the race in 7th place after running 13 miles, all the way to the finish line. She wasn’t an official entrant, but she saw the others running by and immediately decided to join in.
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e2grafikwerkstatt
28. Portland, Oregon was originally named by the flip of a coin.
It was either heads or tails. If the coin had landed on the opposite side, Portland would have been named Boston, Oregon instead.
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Visitor7
29. The frozen margarita machine was invented in 1971.
The inventor’s name was Mariano Martinez. He got his inspiration for the invention after seeing a Slurpee machine at a 7-Eleven. It was a logical progression for the 26-year-old.
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pxfuel
30. In some cultures, black cats are actually lucky.
A black cat crossing your path is something that no one wants to happen… that is unless you live in Great Britain or Japan. Newlyweds in the English Midlands are sometimes given black cats to bless their marriage. In Japan, black cats represent luck!
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Nino Barbieri
31. Chihuahuas have the biggest brain of all dog breeds relative to their body.
They might not be the smartest type of pup, but they do have really big brains for their tiny size. It’s partially responsible for why they are so comical looking. Their heads are basically too big for their bodies.
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a-mblomma
32. Sumo wrestlers in Japan make babies cry on purpose.
If a sumo wrestler can scare a baby to tears, it’s considered a good thing. It’s a symbol of good fortune for the families. The sumos and other individuals involved consider it their duty to make it happen.
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Brinacor
33. Queen Elizabeth II owned over thirty corgis throughout her life.
The queen loved the cute dog breed. She couldn’t get enough of them! There is even a famous statue of Queen Elizabeth II featuring her sitting with some of her beloved pets.
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Charlie Dave
34. In 1908, the Russians showed up twelve days late to the Olympics.
They were using a different calendar than the other countries. The Russians were using the Julian calendar. Meanwhile, in London where the games were held, they were using the Gregorian calendar.
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Chris Beckett
35. There is a syndrome which causes people to speak in a foreign accent.
It’s called Foreign Accent Syndrome. It occurs extremely rarely after a traumatic brain injury. The sufferers end up speaking in their native language using an accent from another country.
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Tessakay
36. It’s estimated that around 1 million US dogs are listed in wills as primary beneficiaries.
Some people in the United States love their pups so much that they are willing to leave their entire estates to them. It’s a dog’s dream come true. Think of how many treats a dog could buy with all of that money!
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AlessandroSquassoni
37. Ronald Reagan was offered a part in the movie Back to the Future III.
After he finished his term in office, they wanted him to play the role of mayor in the fictional town of Hill Valley. Sadly, he denied the offer. Being a fictional mayor was a huge downgrade after working as a real US president.
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WikiImages
38. Some trees in Melbourne, Australia were given postal addresses.
It was done so that residents would be able to report any problems affecting the trees should they arise. Although, it actually resulted in tons of people sending the trees love letters instead.
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PickPik
39. Switzerland law states that it is illegal to own a single guinea pig by itself.
If you want to keep guinea pigs, you have to own at least two. The animal rights law was enacted to prevent specific types of pets from getting lonely. Since guinea pigs are herd animals, they fall under the covered category.
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Sandos
40. Kea parrots sing softly to each other with beautiful melodic chirps.
They do it when they are in a good mood. It makes them the first non-mammal species we know of to communicate in what is essentially a bird form of contagious laughter.
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Barni1
41. Barcelona, Spain maintains hundreds of playgrounds for senior citizens.
The outdoor parks and spaces are meant to provide an outlet for socialization among the elderly. The adult playgrounds are designed to help keep the seniors fit, while also encouraging active socialization.
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pxhere
42. The city of Pompeii used to have takeout restaurants.
The ancient Roman archeological site dates back thousands of years. The city came to an end in 79 CE when Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted. However, before its demise, the city was a bustling hub of economic activity. Archeologists have discovered many takeout eateries in the ruins that resemble those of modern times.
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DUOTONE_
43. Abraham Lincoln was a wrestling champion before he became president.
He wrestled locally in over 300 matches. It is reported that he only ever lost one match. In his county, he was basically a wrestling superstar.
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Library of Congress
44. In Sweden, thank you text messages are sent to blood donors when their blood is used.
It helps encourage people to donate more often when they are provided actual examples of the good they are doing. They know that their blood is actually going to save someone, versus just sitting in a blood bank somewhere.
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Lynn Greyling
45. They call Wisconsin the Badger State because miners used to hole up in hills for the winter.
The lead miners would burrow deep into the ground and wait out the cold weather. It’s exactly what badgers do. They burrow tunnels in the hills and hide out until it gets warm again.
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Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
46. You can navigate through New York’s Central Park by looking at the lampposts.
Each lamppost has four numbers on it. The first two numbers indicate the nearest cross streets. The last two indicate the east and west sides of the park using even or odd numbers.
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pxfuel
47. Truman Show Delusion is a real psychiatric diagnosis.
It is based on the movie The Truman show. It’s a type of delusion that causes people to think that they are the star of a secret reality show. Before reality TV was invented, the rare syndrome simply didn’t exist.
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meineresterampe
48. The word used to describe people who buy books but don’t read them is called Tsundoku.
It’s a Japanese term. It refers to all those people out there who love acquiring new reading material but never actually consume any of it. The books just sit on the shelf taking up space as the person keeps acquiring more of them.
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Heffloaf
49. The patent for the three-point seatbelt was given away by Volvo in the name of safety.
It was too valuable for human lives for the manufacturer to keep it all to themselves. In 1962, they released the patent for the three-point design to everyone. Other companies then quickly incorporated it into their own cars.
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State Farm
50. Lobster used to be served as a regular dish in the American prison system.
In colonial America, lobster was once considered a throwaway meat, only desirable during desperate times. It was plentiful, cheap, and no one really wanted it. For that reason, they gave it to the prisoners.
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pixy
51. Some cats are allergic to people.
In the same way that humans can be allergic to cats, occasionally, cats can be allergic to humans as well. It’s much rarer for a cat to have allergies though, likely because they bathe less often than people.
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Bill Kuffrey
52. Before there was Google’s Gmail, there was a free email service offered by Garfield called G-Mail.
Yes, that’s right, Garfield the cartoon cat had an email service! It was offered on Garfield’s website which was very popular at the time. These days though, G-Mail is just a relic of the past.
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pixy
53. Guinness claims that around 93,000 liters of beer are lost every year in men’s facial hair in the UK.
The beer and foam catch on the men’s beards while they are drinking their pints. It’s only a drop or two from each pint, but over time that adds up. Guinness’s estimate amounts to approximately 164,000 pints of beer, gone forever.
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ArchiveCarrickfergus
54. The voice of Winnie the Pooh, Jim Cummings, calls hospitals and talks to sick kids in the bear’s voice to cheer them up.
It’s a great way of making the kids feel better. No one likes being in the hospital, and as a kid, it’s even worse. The voice actor’s incredible kindness touches so many people’s hearts.
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pxfuel
55. Trash talking has no place in the sport of curling.
The participants are renowned for their good sportsmanship. It’s known as the “Spirit of Curling”. After every match, the players are very polite and congratulate one another. Teams never talk foul of their opponents.
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Jon Oropeza
56. Before R.L Stine became famous for his Goose Bumps book series, he wrote the jokes for Bazooka Joe bubblegum wrappers.
We all remember those cool jokes you could find on Bazooka Joe wrappers. It turns out, Stine was responsible for them. It seems like a really strange jump to go from jokes to writing kid’s horror novels, but that’s exactly what he did.
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Princeton Public Library
57. Chef’s hats have 100 folds representing the 100 ways to cook an egg.
The hats are referred to as toques. It turns out, each one of the folds is there for a reason. Despite what many aspiring chefs might think, it’s not just because they look cool.
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paolabaldacci
58. A group of several pugs is referred to as a grumble.
A group of dogs is called a pack. However, a group of pugs has its own unique term to describe it — grumble. For example, this photo shows a grumble of pugs just hanging out and enjoying life.
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Pikrepo
59. When Mister Rogers fed his fish, he always vocalized it out loud.
It’s because he was once asked to do it by a young blind child. The child was worried about the fish and wanted to make sure that they were doing alright. From that point on, Mister Rogers always announced the action every time he did it on his show.
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KUHT
60. Canned pumpkin isn’t always actual pumpkin.
If you read the ingredients list closely, you’ll notice that it’s not 100% pumpkin as you would expect it to be. There are likely multiple different types of winter squashes included in the puree. It’s already ground up in a can so most people don’t even notice.
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Olichel
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Article Sources:
Mental Floss
Dodge Legal Group
Business Insider
Wikipedia
Animals Australia
Britannica
Popular Science
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