38 Surprising Random Facts You Had No Idea About – 18

Russell Crowe was once contacted by the FBI about Al Qaeda wanting to kidnap him to take "iconographic Americans out of the picture as a sort of cultural-destabilization plan." Russel Crowe isn't American though. He's originally from New Zealand.

27. In 1862, Japan four British merchants met a procession of a feudal lord's regent while traveling. The merchants did not dismount and show respect, and the samurai cut them down. Britain's claims for compensation were unanswered, which led to the naval bombardment of Kagoshima city by the Royal Navy.

28. Howard Hughes bought the Silver Slipper casino so he could turn off the flashing slipper sign so he didn't have to see it anymore from his penthouse across the street

29. The human brain remains half awake when sleeping in a new environment for the first time.

30. The Soviet Union unknowingly sold Titanium to CIA dummy companies that were used in the creation of the A-12 Cygnus (Predecessor to the SR71 Black Bird) that was being built to spy on the Soviet Union

Orcas Island, famous for its resident pods of orcas, was actually named after Horcasitas, the Viceroy of Mexico, who sponsored an expedition there in 1791. Whereas the animal name "orca" originated in Ancient Rome. So "Orcas Island" is probably the most coincidental place name on Earth.

32. Gregory Peck was offered the role of Grandpa Joe in the 2005 remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He passed away while the movie was still in development

33. The Spanish Inquisition lasted 356 years, more than 100 years longer than the United States has been an independent nation (241)

34. El Chapo was popular in his hometown and the inhabitants protested his arrest in 2014. He is popular because he used his wealth to renovate his hometown, which created lots of job opportunities.

35. A species of snail from Queensland, Australia, is called Crikey steveirwini after Steve Irwin.

The ancient Babylonians worked out that there are solar eclipses that occur 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours apart. This period, 223 lunar cycles, is called the Saros cycle. The 1999 eclipse is Saros cycle solar eclipses.

37. In 2008, a group of Australian teenagers beat up the world's oldest flamingo

38. Nestlé has produced over 300 limited-edition Kit Kat flavors in Japan, one of the most popular being, "soy sauce."