1Viking
Near-perfect ellipsoid lenses have been found among Viking artifacts. Hinting that the Vikings likely made telescopes 1000 years ago, 500 years before Galileo.
2. On average, 4 shipping containers drop into the ocean every day.
3. Antarctica is governed by a treaty of over 50 countries banning all mining, pollution, colonization, or claims from any one country. Only scientific exploration is permitted and visitors must take every trace of themselves with them when they leave.
4. Adrian Carton de Wiart was a British officer who served in 3 wars. He was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. He survived 2 plane crashes, tunneled out of a POW camp, tore off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. After World War 1 he wrote, "Frankly I had enjoyed the war."
5. The scientific name for llamas is Lama glama.
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6Fray Tormenta
Jack Black's eponymous character in the 2006 comedy Nacho Libre is based on a real priest- Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, who wrestled with the ring name "Fray Tormenta" (Friar Storm) in order to support an orphanage he founded.
7. A boat is considered a ship if it weighs 500 tonnes or more. A more general distinction is that ships can carry boats but boats cannot carry ships.
8. The last new enclosed mall in America was built in 2006, and 2007 marked the first time since the 1950s that a new indoor mall was not built in the USA.
9. The dish "Spaghetti and Meatballs" is not at all Italian. It's 100% American.
10. The Japanese sportswear company ASICS is an acronym of the latin phrase "anima sana in corpore sano", which translates to "a healthy soul in a healthy body".
11Fire
Researchers suggest that the discovery of fire influenced human evolution. Fire allowed humans to cook their food, which made food easier to chew and digest—which, in turn, contributed to the reduction of human tooth and gut size.
12. During the closing credits of the South Park episode 'Trapped in the Closet', all names were replaced with either "John Smith" or "Jane Smith". This was done to shield any of the production staff from potential lawsuits.
13. In 2017, 4 inmates snuck out of prison (Holmes-Humphreys County), robbed several stores, and then snuck back into prison.
14. A Fitbit played a role in solving a murder. Using the Wife's Fitbit and analyzing her movements, analysts were able to create a timeline that proved the husband had created a false story.
15. Just as % stands for per cent, ‰ stands for per mille.
16Mole Hill
A town in West Virginia named Mole Hill changed its name to Mountain, so they could literally make a mountain out of a mole hill.
17. In 1921, "Black Wall Street" was the wealthiest Black community in America before being attacked by an angry mob which killed hundreds of Black residents and destroyed 35 city blocks.
18. Hangovers cost an estimated $220 billion loss in productivity per year.
19. If you threw a stone overboard above the Mariana Trench (6.8 miles deep) it would take an hour for it to hit the ocean floor.
20. 92 Russians died for every 1 American in World War 2.
21Run Run Shaw
A Chinese philanthropist named Run Run Shaw (1907-2014) gave $1 billion to fund education, aiding over 6000 construction projects. Because so many buildings (5000+) bear his name, Yifu, it is often confused with a generic name.
22. Almost all cattle are descended from only 80 aurochs tamed in Northern Mesopotamia about 10,000 years ago.
23. Despite its useful properties, the dandelion has grown to be regarded as a weed, as a result of the rise of lawn culture and marketing by pesticide companies.
24. Tryptophan in turkey isn’t what makes us tired after Thanksgiving dinner, it’s the overeating of carbohydrates. Turkey contains no more tryptophan than chicken or beef, and nuts and cheeses actually contain more.
25. The British supermarket chain Iceland has an EU-wide trademark on their name, and takes legal action against Icelandic companies that use it. The Icelandic government has applied to have their trademark invalidated, so far without success.
