37 Refreshing Random Facts You Never Knew – Part 51

In 1940, 75% of Americans dreamt almost always in black and white, and today over 12% of people still dream in only black and white.

27. The Chinese takeout box was an American invention originally designed to hold oysters and is rarely used for food in Asian countries.

28. In former US President Gerald Ford's senior year as a football player at the University of Michigan, when Georgia Tech refused to play if a black player named Willis Ward (and Ford's best friend on the team) took the field, Ford threatened to quit the team in response.

29. “The Compton Cowboys” is a group of young African-American men that have found peace and turned their backs on gang violence through the care and riding of horses in urban Los Angeles.

30. Egypt has compulsory military service for males, but only if they have a brother. If they have no siblings or only a sister, they are exempt.

Actress Roseanne Barr was hit by a car at age of 16, and the hood ornament went into her brain and through her skull. Her behavior changed so radically that she was institutionalized for 8 months at Utah State Hospital, where she had a baby, which she gave up for adoption.

32. The ancient Chinese used natural gas for lighting purposes around 500 B.C., using bamboo pipelines to transport the gas for miles.

33. Seattle-caught salmon has been found to contain cocaine, antidepressants and pain relievers.

34. A French man named Frédéric Bourdin was able to successfully impersonate an American family's lost son for 3 and a half months before being caught and deported back to France.

35. The term Checkmate is, according to the Barnhart Etymological Dictionary, an alteration of the Persian phrase "shāh māt" (شاه مات) which means, literally, "the King is helpless".

Bill Cosby's legal fees are being paid by his home insurance since he has a policy that covers anything that might defame him.

37. The Beatles were signed to EMI (Electrical and Musical Industries) in 1962 and with their insane success, the label funded the research that lead to the CT scanner, which EMI released in 1972.