31 Incredible ‘Did You Know’ Random Facts About Everything | Random List #279

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1Kaizen

Kaizen

“Kaizen” is a Japanese work philosophy where people constantly seek to find ways to improve methods instead of just doing it the same way.


2. In 1971, the Robertson family set sail round the world on their boat Lucette. In the middle of the Pacific ocean, a school of killer whales capsized them. They survived by taking enemas of turtle blood and rainwater collected in the bottom of their lifeboat. Drinking the mixture orally would have been poisonous and led to their deaths. They were rescued after 37 days.


3. In the past few years, at the same time that the NFL's "Super Bowl" is being played, the Aquarium of the Pacific (in the Californian city of Long Beach) holds the "Otter Bowl", with the otters playing with footballs made from frozen clams.


4. The Canadian province of Alberta basically has no permanent Norway Rat (a species of rat) population because they have an incredibly aggressive rat control program. It includes a hotline to call if you ever actually see a rat in the province.


5. Actor Sam Elliott -- known for his full mustache, and deep, resonant voice -- voices Smokey the Bear in the iconic character's public service announcements, and that the two share the same birthday: Smokey was first introduced on August 9, 1944, the same day Elliott was born.


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6Women and children first

Women and children first

"Women and children first" when evacuating a sinking ship has never been maritime law. It is more common for men to survive shipwrecks than women, and children have the lowest chances of survival. The Titanic is an exception; 75% of women survived compared to only 17% of men.


7. The great Renaissance artist Michelangelo was also a poet. A great number of his poems were written to another man, Tommaso dei Cavalieri. After his death, his grand-nephew published his poems and changed the pronouns of the person addressed from masculine to feminine.


8. On April Fools Day 1965, the BBC aired an interview with the supposed inventor of "SmelloVision" who cut onions and brewed coffee to prove he could transmit scents through a television screen. Viewers called and confirmed that they had received the smells.


9. The Missouri Bar has produced coloring books to inform children about the functions of the government and the function of lawyers and judges and made them available for free.


10. Wanda Stopa became Chicago’s youngest and first woman assistant U.S. district attorney. Her career was cut short when she tried to shoot her lover's wife but accidentally shot and killed a 65-year old gardener.


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11Peter the Great

Peter the Great

When Peter the Great became Czar as a child, a hole was cut in the back of his throne and the regent hid inside and whispered orders into his ear so it could appear he was coming up with them on his own.


12. Kurt Lee was the first Asian (US) Marine Corps officer. When fighting in the Korean War he used his Mandarin language skills to confuse the enemy soldiers and infiltrate their positions during the battles around Inchon.


13. The Song “It’s Raining Men” was rejected by Donna Summer, Barbara Streisand, Cher and Diana Ross. Backing singers Martha Wash and Izora Armstead then recorded it, with the duo now named ‘The Weather Girls.’


14. There were two pandemics running together during World War 1. ”Encephalitis Lethargica” affected 5 million and killed over 1.5 million. The patients were conscious – yet not fully awake; they would sit motionless, totally lacking initiative, affect, or desire. They registered the inputs with profound indifference.


15. When Clint Malarchuk, a goalie in the NHL, had his throat accidentally slit by another player's skates, his main thought was to get off the ice as quickly as possible so his mother wouldn't see him die.


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16Pipe organ

Pipe organ

The first pipe organ was made 2200 years ago by Greek engineer Ctesibius of Alexandria, making pipe organs 200 years older than Christianity. They weren't adopted by the church until 1000 years later when Charlemagne requested one for his private chapel.


17. The term "Slapstick Comedy" came from the comedy style known as “Commedia Dell'arte” in 16th-century Italy. The "slapstick" consists of two thin slats of wood, which make a "slap" when striking another actor, with little force needed to make a loud and comical sound.


18. The only place on Earth where both crocodiles and alligators live together is in the United States, in the Florida Everglades.


19. In Japan, the law forbids drivers to use car horns and bicycle bells unless it’s necessary. That’s why city streets are very quiet.


20. William Pitt the Younger was admitted into Cambridge University at the age of 13 and became UK prime minister at the age of 24. He is the youngest prime minister in British history.


21Ashvamedha

Ashvamedha

Ashvamedha was an ancient Indian ritualistic horse sacrifice where a horse was allowed to wander for 1 year protected by the king’s guards. If no rivals managed to kill or steal the horse after a year, it was returned and sacrificed in the city capital, legitimizing the sovereignty of the king.


22. Van Halen refused to make videos for their album 5150, so Warner Bros quickly cobbled together a video for the song "Dreams" by using stock footage of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels. The cheap video became a surprise hit on MTV and the Navy began to use it as part of their recruiting efforts.


23. Single malt scotch is required to be made completely and bottled in Scotland to be labeled as scotch whiskey.


24. Classical "angels" are the lowest tier of God's servants in traditional Christian Angelology. There are actually nine angelic orders, each with distinct responsibilities. The highest orders appear as firey beings with six wings, four-faced creatures covered in eyes, and chariot wheels.


25. Disposable diapers are the third largest individual constituent of municipal solid waste and need at least 500 years to decompose.

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