22 Mesmerizing Facts About Everything #3

Brian May's dad helped him build his famous guitar but was upset when Brian abandoned his Ph.D. program to join Queen. Brian went on to write "We Will Rock You", "Fat Bottomed Girls"—and eventually "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud", the thesis he finished 36 years later.

2. Abraham Lincoln was an elite wrestler in his days before politics. He once challenged a crowd, saying, "I’m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.” The challenge went unanswered.

3. The term "Taco Tuesday" is legally owned by Taco John's and they have issued hundreds of cease and desist letters demanding companies stop holding Taco Tuesdays.

4. Jamie Hyneman designed Blendo, a combat robot that was deemed too hazardous for Robot Wars after repeatedly throwing pieces of its opponents over arena walls. It received co-championship status in exchange for withdrawing from the competition.

5. Termites are being researched as a possible renewable energy source as they can produce up to 2 liters of hydrogen from ingesting a single sheet of paper, making them one of the planet's most efficient bioreactors.

Rationing in the United Kingdom during WWII actually increased life expectancy in the country and decreased infant mortality. This was because all people were required to consume a varied diet.

7. In the NHL, if a team's starting and backup goalie are injured during a game, rule 5.3 allows almost anybody to suit up in net as a replacement (including from the crowd). Examples have included a team video producer and an embroidery shop owner (who dressed but did not play).

8. In the 1st episode of 30 Rock, after Jack discusses how he developed the Trivection oven, GE ran an ad during the commercial break to make sure the audience knew it was a real product, not something writers made up as a joke for the show.

9. The Yao tribe in Africa uses the Greater Honeyguide bird to help them find bees. They have learned how to communicate with the birds, with a "Brrr-Hm" grunt, that the birds know to mean "let's go find honey"

10. When Aaron Sorkin was asked why Tom Cruise and Demi Moore don't sleep together in 'A Few Good Men', Sorkin responded: "Women have purposes other than to sleep with Tom Cruise."

Steve McQueen's infidelity saved his life. He was supposed to attend the dinner party where the Manson family murdered Sharon Tate and others, but skipped it after he "ran into a chickie".

12. Frank Sinatra always carried 10 dimes after once fearing he would run out of change while talking on a payphone with his son's kidnappers. He was even buried with them in his pocket.

13. Part of the reason why the Allied secret services could fool the nazis many times is that the deputy head of the German Abwehr, Hans Oster, actively sabotaged the nazi war effort.

14. The United States consumes 80% of the world's opioids

15. 65-85% of all white cats born with two blue eyes are deaf, and if a cat is born with just one blue eye, only the hearing on that side is impaired.

A man bought a golden Faberge egg for $13,000 dollars at a sale; turns out it was worth over $33 million.

17. Kindergartners in Siberia run outside in their underwears and dump freezing water over themselves to strengthen their immune systems.

18. In the original story, Pinocchio squished the cricket to shut it up. It continued nagging him as a ghost.

19. A cave in France contains the footprints of a young child alongside the paw prints of a dog, left 26,000 years ago. The oldest evidence of human-canine relationships ever found

20. Only 18% of Americans can drive a stick

The heir to the Baskin-Robbins family fortune turned down his inheritance, moved to a small cabin, and swore off dairy after both co-founders died from diseases he believed were connected to their ice cream consumption

22. Kim Jong Il ordered the kidnap of South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his wife to make movies for North Korea. They gained Kim's trust and allowed them to travel to Vienna, where they sought asylum in US Embassy. Feared about their credibility, they secretly taped Kim's voice prior.