43 Curious Random Facts Showing How Little We Know About This World – Part 248

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Super Mario Bros franchise, considers the characters to be actors playing different roles in each game, hence why Bowser will be kidnapping the princess in one appearance and playing sports with Mario in another.

2. A dog (Bamse) was once inducted as an official crew member of a Norwegian fighting ship during World War 2. The canine was known for breaking up fights amongst his crew-mates by putting his paws on their shoulders and calming them down. The much-loved dog was buried with full military honors.

3. People tend to find fewer insects smashed on the windscreens of their cars now compared to a decade or several decades ago. This experience has been termed as windshield phenomenon and it has been attributed to a global decline in insect populations caused by human activity.

4. A stray cat Scarlett risked her life 5 times returning to the burning garage to save her kittens. She touched each of them with her nose to ensure they were all alive as the blisters on her eyes kept her from being able to see them. She collapsed unconscious after assuring they were all safe.

5. The reason that ranchers keep a donkey with their herd animals is that if they see a threat like a coyote, the donkeys will kick the coyote to protect the herd.

For nearly a century, Jimmy Red corn was used by bootleggers to make moonshine whiskey. The variety nearly went extinct in the early 2000s, but two remaining ears of corn were used to revive it.

7. “Stolpersteine” (German for stumbling stones) are small cobblestones that are etched with the names and fates of Nazi Victims. They are placed all over Europe in front of the last free home the victim had before deportation. Their intent is to remind people of the victims of their Nazi past in a manner that does not glorify those events.

8. Mr. Goodbar was created in response to the Great Depression. It was marketed as a "meal replacement bar" for lunch and allowed the Hershey company to be one of the only major companies to not lay off a single employee.

9. Canadian animator Danny Antonucci, who at the time was known for only making adult-themed cartoons, only made Ed Edd n Eddy because he was dared to make kids show by a friend. It went on to become his most successful work.

10. Singapore’s street food is so good that some street vendors are awarded Michelin stars for their food.

Julius Caesar likely had epilepsy, with four documented seizures: 1) in the Senate while being offered the Emperor’s Crown, 2) while listening to an oration by Cicero, and in military campaigns in 3) North Africa and 4) Corduba, Spain. Caesar won both battles despite his seizures.

12. Jimi Hendrix's entire mainstream career lasted merely 4 years, ending abruptly with his death in 1970.

13. Rami Malek watched the YouTube video of Freddie Mercury’s Live Aid performance (1985), over 1500 times in preparation for the film Bohemian Rhapsody.

14. Over a decade ago, Somali Pirates set up an exchange (like a stock market) where people could buy shares in pirate groups to finance their operations. A 22-year-old 'investor' made $75,000 in 38 days after joining the 'company' - after getting a share of ransom money.

15. 4 months after Florida man Ryan Lee Carroll won a Breaking Bad contest to meet the cast, he was charged with running a drug distribution operation when he was found with $1 million in synthetic marijuana. Also seized was a souvenir Hazmat suit signed by the Breaking Bad cast.

A Confederate soldier named John Stith Pemberton got stabbed in the chest in battle and afterward became hooked on morphine. He was working on a cure for his painkiller addiction when he accidentally mixed it with carbonated water and invented Coca-Cola.

17. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, has his own fire department with one fire truck. He originally had two but donated one to the Muir Beach Fire Department. There are 12 firefighters in his department and they protect his land and surrounding areas from wildfires.

18. An Arizona man named Paul Menchaca was charged with multiple counts of sex abuse and fraudulent schemes after he allegedly faked having Down syndrome and hired female caregivers to bathe him and change his diapers. Using an online service, Menchaca posed as his mother to lure alleged victims.

19. In June 1942, Lyndon B. Johnson was supposed to be an observer on the Wabash Cannonball, a B-26 bomber in the South Pacific. Before takeoff, LBJ left the plane to relieve himself. By the time he returned, his seat was taken, so he couldn't get back on. The Wabash wound up crashing, killing everyone on board.

20. When Salvador Dali's body (Spanish artist) was exhumed 28 years after his death, his mustache was still perfectly intact.

In 1898, about 73% of Alabama's entire annual state revenue came from convict leasing.

22. Rags was a stray mutt who was found by a U.S. soldier during World War 1. Rags became the mascot of the 1st Infantry Division after he saved hundreds of lives by running messages under fire. When Rags was injured he was sent to a field hospital with an order from Head Quarters "The dog gets attention the same as soldiers."

23. Married men are healthier than men who were never married or whose marriages ended in divorce or widowhood. Men who have marital partners also live longer than men without spouses.

24. The saying "Irish Goodbye," refers to a person ducking out of a party, social gathering, or very bad date without bidding farewell.

25. The baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker was fixated on the number 3. He wore number 33, was married on November 3 at 3:33 and his phone number had “as many threes as the phone company would allow.” In 1993, he signed a $3 million contract.