50 Random Facts List #127

Attacking parachutists from an aircraft in distress is a war crime.

27. 1/3 of all internet traffic from the U.S. to Asia passes through a single skyscraper (One Wilshire) in Downtown Los Angeles, where 260 ISPs lease space for interconnected networks.

28. Pablo Picasso demanded his mistresses to be submissive and shorter than him. He thought women were "either goddesses or doormats". Dora Maar, one of his lovers, called him "an extraordinary artist but morally worthless".

29. The Muslim majority country of Albania saved countless Jewish lives during World War 2. Under the oath of “Besa”, a uniquely Albanian code of honor, a guest in one's home must be protected at all costs, even if it means laying down your life for your guest.

30. Because almost all cheetahs were wiped out by the last ice age, modern cheetahs are all practically genetic clones of each other.

The iconic surf motto “Eddie would go” was inspired by Hawaiian legend and lifeguard Eddie Aikau who was famous for surfing and saving people from big waves on the north shore. When no one would Eddie would go.

32. Running a mile only burns 105 net calories (about 7 Doritos.)

33. The CPU from the original PlayStation guided a space probe (New Horizons) to Pluto.

34. The high opera note in Bohemian Rhapsody was not sung by Freddie Mercury, but drummer Roger Taylor.

35. The Arlington Ladies are a group of volunteers that attend funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery to ensure that no Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Coast Guardsman is buried alone.

There is a temple named Karni Mata Temple in India where approximately 25,000 black rats live and are revered. Eating the food that has been nibbled on by the rats is considered to be a 'high honor' and few white rats among the black rats are considered especially holy.

37. Gregor Mendel, the founder of modern genetics, may have falsified data in his famous pea experiment in order to better correspond with his expectations.

38. Plants can “hear” the sound of running water through pipes in the ground. They will actually grow towards the pipe, eventually bursting through it.

39. The Misericorde or ‘Mercy Knife’ was a long narrow dagger that was used for killing wounded soldiers at the end of a battle. It was considered better than dying in pain from infection or from wounds which were not instantly fatal.

40. In 1993, a 5-year-old set his house on fire, killing his 2-year-old sister. The mother blamed American sitcom Beavis and Butt-head for making fire seem "cool". As a result, MTV removed all references of fire from their past and future episodes (not the 2011 run) and rescheduled it for 10:30pm instead of 7:00pm.

The legal reason Champagne is only produced in Champagne, France is due to the Treaty of Versailles, which reaffirmed that rule among the nations that signed it.

42. In some high schools in Japan the students need to hatch and raise chickens before killing and eating them.

43. Former Ugandan president Idi Amin called himself: "His Excellency, President for Life... Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular", in addition to his claim of being uncrowned King of Scotland.

44. The Yugoslav frigate Split is the only ship in the world which shelled the city (Split, city in Croatia) it is named after.

45. Caffeine can cause a sense of panic, especially on those prone to anxiety.

While working at a railway, Richard Sears' station received a shipment of gold watches but the jeweler refused the shipment. Sears got the watches at a reduced rate (a common scam) and sold them to his coworkers who needed to keep accurate time. The success lead to his first mail-order catalog.

47. The ancient dog breed of Xoloitzcuintli, the dog from Coco, was nearly extinct by 1950s. They were revived from a group of 10 pure bred after an expedition scoured most of the Mexico in search for them.

48. There exists a photograph of a baby with his mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and great-great-great-grandmother.

49. Laser cannons which "work just like a laser pointer" in operation by the US Navy can shoot down drones silently and instantly, and precisely aim (and burn) enemy ship's engine.

50. US president Grover Cleveland's wife (Frances Folsom Cleveland Preston) was the youngest first lady, the first to be married in the White House, and the first to give birth while her husband was president. Grover met her shortly after she was born, when he was 27 years old.