26Harry Fusao O’Hara
Harry Fusao O’Hara, a Japanese expat, volunteered to fight for Britain during World War 1. He was wounded nearly 70 times and received multiple medals for bravery. He remains the only known Japanese national to serve in the RAF.
27. Blade Runner and The Thing both came out on the same day, received mixed critical reception, and were considered box office flops, and are both now considered masterclasses in their genres.
28. The United States Postal Service has about 1,700 employees in Utah who read anything that the automated systems can't read like illegible addresses. About 5 million pieces of mail are read at this location daily. Seasoned employees generally average about 1,600 addresses read per hour.
29. The reason why NASA (and later the Russians) use a specialized space pen instead of the pencil in space is because the graphite of pencils is conductive and can cause short circuits and even fires. The pens have been used since the Apollo era and are still being used right now on the ISS.
30. A New York University study found that people with easier-to-pronounce names have higher-status positions at work.
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31Muppets
The Muppets’ first big break was on The Jimmy Dean Show (the sausage guy) from 1963-66. Rowlf the dog had a 7-10 minute spot with Jimmy every episode. Jim Henson was so grateful he offered Dean 40% of the Muppets, but he turned it down saying he didn't earn it.
32. Paul McCartney started the recording of "Hey Jude" unaware that Ringo wasn't there and sitting on the toilet. Ringo tiptoed his way back into the studio just in time for the drums to start.
33. Pink Floyd played a concert with no audience at the amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy in 1971. It became the first performance to have taken place there since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in ancient Rome in 79 A.D.
34. If microwaves had clear glass windows you would be exposed to the harmful microwaves they emit. The metal mesh screen over the windows have large enough holes for our eyes to see inside, but small enough to block the harmful microwaves that would otherwise be emitted.
35. Martin Luther King Jr. started a pillow fight in the hotel room with other civil rights leaders in the hour before he was assassinated.
