1Balloon aprons
During World War 1, London was protected by massive lengths of steel cables suspended from observation balloons to guard against air raids. These "balloon aprons" forced pilots to fly above their range or too low to avoid anti-aircraft fire.
2. Chickens are omnivorous and will eat from grass to insects to large rodents, even each other if they get too hungry.
3. In 1950, Brazil was so sure they would win the World Cup final against Uruguay that the local media hailed them as "future champions" before the match and 22 gold medals had already been made with the names of Brazilian players. They lost 2-1.
4. Many French Bulldogs require artificial insemination to breed because their hips are too slim to allow the male to mount the female. In addition, 80% of their litters are delivered through C-section.
5. On January 1, 2019, all works published in 1923 enter the public domain. This is the first public domain entrance of copyrighted material in 20 years.
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15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
6Plymouth Belvedere
In 1957, Tulsa in Oklahoma buried a Plymouth Belvedere to commemorate Oklahoma’s 50th anniversary. In addition, citizens entered guesses as to what Tulsa’s population would be in 2007 and the person who got closest would win the car. When the vault was opened 50 years later it was filled with water and the car was ruined.
7. In 2002, researcher Andrew Balmford found that eight-year-old British children could identify 80% of Pokémon, but only 50% of common wildlife species.
8. Producers feared that the young actors involved would become unrecognizable, so producers filmed the final scene for How I Met Your Mother and kept it under wraps for 8 years.
9. People in Finland recycle over 90% of their cans and bottles because they get part of their money back from the cost of the product when these items are recycled.
10. When Dwight D. Eisenhower planned to visit Japan in 1960, the government called on Yakuza bosses to lend tens of thousands of their men as security guards.
11No. 492
An African flamingo known only has No. 492 escaped a Kansas zoo in 2005 and has been roaming the U.S. ever since.
12. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell would often be distracted by shiny things, puppies, and balloons while on the mound. He once ran off the field to chase a fire truck on the way to a fire.
13. Roughly 30 years ago, NBA Legend Spencer Haywood chose $100,000 upfront over a 10% stake in Nike. Had he accepted the original offer, his holdings in Nike would be worth a whopping $8.62 billion.
14. After learning of Martin Luther Kings's death, Robert F. Kennedy delivered a speech in the "heart of the African-American Ghetto of Indianapolis," informing the people of his death and attempting to keep the peace, as well. Indianapolis was one of the few cities that did not riot that night, thanks in part to Robert F. Kennedy's speech.
15. The Alaskan town of Glacier View doesn’t get dark enough for fireworks on the July 4th. Instead, they drive cars off a cliff.
16John Cleese
The mom of Monty Python's John Cleese had such a temper that his "Dad, who had fought in the World War 1 for three and a half years, sometimes yearned for the relative tranquility of the trenches."
17. By 1991, the air in Mexico City had become so contaminated with fecal dust from humans that it was possible to contract hepatitis by simply breathing outdoors.
18. Pregnant women that frequently consumed diet beverages with artificial sweeteners were two times more likely to have babies who were overweight or obese at one year after birth. Also, artificial sweeteners weaken the link in our brains between sweetness and calories which can lead to weight gain.
19. The Lion King (originally titled King of the Jungle) resembles the Japanese anime “The Jungle Emperor,” which is about a lion named Kimba and his journey as he matures and becomes a king, but Disney never gave credit to Kimba’s creator. Matthew Broderick thought they were connected when he signed to be the voice of Simba.
20. Scapegoating was an actual practice where a town would place all of their sins on to a goat and then cast it out of the town to die, thus 'removing' the sin from the town's people.
21Will Wright
Game designer Will Wright was inspired to create "The Sims" by the 1991 Oakland firestorm. He lost his home in the fire and wanted to create a game that emulated his experience of rebuilding his life in the aftermath.
22. A day old baby reindeer is faster than an Olympic sprinter.
23. The Vulcan Salute from Star Trek was actually based off of an ancient Jewish hand sign used in the priestly blessing. Leonard Nimoy, a Jewish man, based the iconic gesture off the age-old Jewish tradition.
24. Farbs is a derogatory term used for less-than-authentic Civil War reenactors who half-a*s their look and cosplay. Farbs use sunblock and bug spray, take their iPhones into battle and tend to be overweight (historically inaccurate for the 1860s).
25. There are only 3 original citrus fruits: pomelo, citron, and mandarin. Most other citrus fruits are hybrids of these 3 (eg. orange= pomelo x mandarin).
