50 Weird Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

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11 David Johnson

David Johnson a.k.a “World Famous Bushman” is a busker who scares passers-by along Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. He has been active since 1980. When people approach, he shakes the bush towards the unsuspecting tourists and startles them, sometimes making gruff “oogah-boogah” noises.

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12 Phineas Gage

In 1848, Phineas Gage, a railroad foreman, had a tamping iron–which was 43 inches long and weighed 13 pounds–shoot through his skull. He survived but Gage’s friends later remarked he was “no longer Gage.” He could not stick to plans, uttered “the grossest profanity” and showed “little deference for his fellows.”

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13 Ann Hodges

There has only been only one confirmed case of a person being hit by a meteor. Ann Hodges was napping on the couch when the rock broke through her ceiling, bounced off her radio and bruised her upper thigh. The Sylacauga meteorite fell on her on November 30, 1954.

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14 Hoover

Hoover was a “talking” harbor seal who mimicked human speech. After being orphaned as a pup, Hoover was rescued by George Swallow, who raised the seal in his backyard. Over time, Hoover taught himself phrases like “Hello there” and “Come over here!” in a thick New England accent.

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15 Homicidal sleepwalking

In one of the only confirmed cases of homicidal sleepwalking, a man drove himself to his in-laws, bludgeoned the woman and strangled the man and drove off while asleep. He turned himself over to the police and was eventually acquitted of murder.

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16 Jumping Frenchmen of Maine

The Jumping Frenchmen of Maine were a group of lumberjacks in the 19th century who suffered a rare disorder which caused them to startle extremely easily, often described as an “uncontrollable leap.” Some affected individuals exhibited automatic or “forced” obedience after a startle response during which they automatically respond to simple commands such as jump, run or hit.

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17 David Hahn

A boy named David Hahn at the age of 17 attempted to build a nuclear reactor in his backyard, which at one point was emitting over 1000 times normal background radiation.

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18 Trimethylaminuria

There is a rare human condition called Trimethylaminuria, also known as Fish Odor Syndrome, that causes a person’s sweat, urine, and breath to smell like rotting fish. It is caused by a defect in the production of a particular enzyme.

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19 Trepanation

Approximately 7000 years ago, humans used to drill holes in their heads to allow spirits to flow in and out of the body. This practice is called ‘Trepanation.’

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20 Rapunzel Syndrome

There is a rare mental disease called the “Rapunzel Syndrome” named after long-haired Rapunzel from the Grimm’s fairy tales. The disorder causes a patient to develop an irresistible urge to pull out their own hair, and sometimes eat it. 

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