Random #362 – 50 Credible Random Facts

Contrary to popular belief, Benjamin Franklin did not propose the turkey as the national bird of the United States. In a letter, he actually criticized the use of the bald eagle as the emblem of a fraternal society, describing the bird as "lazy," "a rank coward," and "of bad moral character." Instead, he suggested that Turkey was a more respectable choice.

27. Salieri syndrome refers to individuals who are mildly talented within larger organizations and are in a position to help you, but instead, they undermine your success.

28. Renowned psychologist Sigmund Freud suggested that addictions, including tobacco, served as substitutes for masturbation.

29. Cockaigne is an imaginary land of plenty in medieval myth, where physical comforts and pleasures are always readily available. In Cockaigne, nuns are upside down to reveal their bottoms, abbots receive playful beatings from their monks, and cheese rains from the skies.

30. The oldest time capsule in the United States was buried in 1795 by Governor Samuel Adams and Paul Revere in the cornerstone of the Massachusetts State House. It was accidentally discovered in 2014 by workers who were trying to fix a water leak.

Évariste Galois, a mathematical prodigy who revolutionized group theory in his teens and had an entire mathematical field named after him, died from wounds sustained in a duel over a woman when he was only 20 years old.

32. Super Bowl halftime shows used to be rather dull until the sketch comedy show 'In Living Color' aired a live special opposite the Super Bowl XXVI halftime show in 1992. The special attracted over 20 million viewers. The following year, the NFL booked Michael Jackson for the halftime show.

33. Ancient pottery from West Africa has undergone chemical analysis, revealing organic residue that provides insights into their diet. The Nok people from 3,500 years ago enjoyed a nutritious diet that included greens such as African eggplant, okra, cowpea, and bombax, enhancing the flavors of their starch-based staples.

34. Martha's Vineyard is one of only five natural place names that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has allowed to include an apostrophe.

35. When the Game Boy was initially released in 1989, the North American version was bundled with Tetris as the only game. Only four other games were available at the time: Alleyway, Baseball, Super Mario Land, and Tennis. However, within ten years, more than 1,000 games became available for the Game Boy.

The song "Tubular Bells" from the movie 'The Exorcist' was actually a 25-minute track featuring 20 instruments. It was funded by Richard Branson, who used it to jumpstart his new record label, Virgin Records.

37. Following the Civil War, a Union soldier stole North Carolina's copy of the U.S. Bill of Rights from the State Capitol, but the U.S. Marshals were able to recover it in 2003 through a sting operation.

38. The Caral-Supe civilization in Peru was constructing massive pyramidal temples at the same time the first step pyramids of Egypt were being built. Moreover, Caral-Supe was the most densely populated area in the world during the third millennium B.C.

39. Elephants were used as executioners in some ancient cultures. For example, in India, rogue elephants were occasionally trained to execute criminals by crushing them with their immense weight.

40. In Eastern Canada, the year 1923 is known as "The Year of Free Beef." This designation arose from the Maritimes' transition from driving on the left to the right-hand side of the road. Since oxen could not be retrained to walk on the right side, they were sent to slaughter, resulting in a significant decline in beef prices.

Prince Rupert, a general in the English Civil War, always had a large white poodle named "Boy" by his side. Rupert's enemies spread rumors that Boy possessed sinister magical powers. The poodle gained worldwide fame and eventually met his demise in battle.

42. The vast majority of the Earth's mantle is composed of solid rock, not magma, due to the extreme pressures present. The viscosity of this rock is comparable to that of normal glass at room temperature, which explains why plate tectonics move at speeds measured in centimeters per year.

43. Not all rainbows display every color. Rainbows that form at sunrise or sunset can appear monochrome, with only shades of red visible.

44. The bonnacon is a mythical medieval creature that was said to defend itself by emitting explosive bowel movements.

45. A study conducted in 2008 found that playing loud music in bars increases alcohol consumption because it reduces conversation and encourages greater drinking.

Jochen Rindt, from Austria, is the only Formula One driver to win the World Drivers' Championship posthumously. He tragically lost his life during practice for the 1970 Italian GP. However, Rindt had already earned enough points that no other driver could surpass his total by the end of the season.

47. Satellite phones are prohibited in certain countries, such as China, in order to regulate the content and are seen by some governments as a means of political dissent. Penalties for using satellite phones illegally range from confiscation to imprisonment.

48. Ferdinand Cheval, a French mail carrier, dedicated 33 years of his life to building a castle called "Le Palais idéal" using stones he found along his mail routes.

49. Emperor Hirohito, the leader of Japan during World War II, had a passion for marine biology and is credited with describing dozens of new species of crabs, starfish, sea spiders, and sea squirts.

50. The Narmer Palette is an ancient Egyptian artifact containing one of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions. It depicts the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt by King Narmer around 3100 B.C.