26 Priss Fotheringham’s Act
Priss Fotheringham, renowned for popularizing ‘chucking,’ an ancient Roman act, would invert herself naked, legs apart, allowing patrons to toss coins into her “commodity.” Legend has it that she could accommodate 16 half-crowns, a notable achievement per modern commentators.
27. Genghis Khan deployed his smaller armies against larger ones and utilized the remainder of his forces to terrorize vulnerable civilian population centers. He compelled captives to execute their own people and concealed himself behind them while advancing, causing confusion among enemies. Mastering mobility and depth, he avoided costly set-piece battles.
28. New Jersey stands as the sole state in America where it is illegal for drivers to pump their own gas. A 2022 Monmouth University poll also revealed that 60% of New Jersey residents oppose a policy permitting stations to transition to full self-service.
29. Mississippi was the first state to implement conjugal visits in 1950 to encourage black male prisoners to work harder at manual labor. As of 2024, only four states permit conjugal visits: California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington.
30. Kevin Costner declined the lead role in Air Force One (1997) to star in and direct The Postman (1997). While Air Force One achieved critical and commercial success, The Postman was a box office failure, earning Costner two Razzie Awards for worst actor and director.
31 Changping Battle’s Gruesome Outcome
The Battle of Changping, which lasted from 262 to 260 B.C., claimed so many lives that in the 1970s, the bones of the deceased were utilized as fertilizer. Historians estimate that 890,000 people died in the battle.
32. The current water speed record (as of April 2024) for the fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle was achieved 46 years ago and is considered one of the sporting world’s most hazardous competitions.
33. Pop artist Andy Warhol was a devout Catholic who faithfully attended Mass every Sunday, regularly volunteered at soup kitchens, and successfully converted at least one person to Catholicism.
34. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was part of a broader conspiracy involving the planned assassinations of Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Seward survived a stabbing in his home, but Johnson’s would-be assassin lost his nerve and never attempted the assassination.
35. Euler’s writings often constitute the earliest documented references on various subjects. We credit some discoveries and theorems to the first person to prove them after Euler, to avoid the tendency to attribute everything to him.
36 Noisy Fish and Snorkeling Danger
Some schools of fish produce such incessant chatter that it is hazardous to snorkel among them, with noise levels described as “as loud as a lawnmower or chainsaw.” Moreover, boats above the water can faintly hear the rumbling noise they generate.
37. Abraham Lincoln had a cousin named Abraham B. Lincoln who served as a private in the Confederate Army. However, Abraham B. Lincoln deserted from the Confederate Army in 1864.
38. Walter F. White, a leader of the NAACP for over 25 years, passed as white, infiltrated lynching rings, and played a pivotal role in shaping Brown v. Board of Education. Despite controversy surrounding his methods, his efforts exposed injustices and propelled the civil rights movement forward.
39. The “dilemma zone” refers to the area where it is unsafe to stop for a yellow light and yet impossible to reach the intersection before the light turns red.
40. The “Red Phone,” linking Washington to Moscow, was neither actually red nor a traditional phone. It began as a teletype system in 1963, transitioned to fax in 1986, and has functioned as secure email since 2008.
41 Samsung’s TV Disabling Feature
Samsung has the capability to remotely disable its TVs equipped with a “Television Block Function.” When connecting to the internet, the TV cross-references its serial code with Samsung’s servers and ceases functionality if there’s a match. Samsung employs this feature to prevent cargo theft and unauthorized retail.
42. The US Marshals’ “Con Air” service provides transportation for non-federal prisoners at a maximum cost of $2,643.
43. During the Civil War, former US President John Tyler supported the Confederacy and won election to the Confederate House of Representatives. However, he passed away in 1862 before assuming office. Despite his request for a simple burial, the Confederate flag draped his coffin at his burial.
44. To alleviate the immediate financial strain of Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s production costs, Carolco Pictures paid most of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s salary with a financed $12.75 million Gulfstream III jet.
45. In the 1993 election, Canada’s Progressive Conservative Party suffered a devastating defeat, losing 154 out of 156 seats. It marked one of the worst election defeats in any Western democratic nation.
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
46 Decline of “Fat Men’s Clubs”
Fat men’s clubs were a popular phenomenon in the US from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Many of these social clubs restricted membership to men weighing over 200 pounds (91 kg). The decline of these clubs paralleled a shift in societal perceptions of obesity, shifting from being associated with wealth and kindness to a negative view.
47. Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone hold the distinction of being the only two actors in history to have starred in a box-office No. 1 film across six consecutive decades.
48. In 1870, the French National Assembly offered the French throne to Henri, the Count of Chambord, but he declined when they refused his demand to change the flag. This decision prompted Pope Pius IX to famously remark, “All that for a napkin!”
49. Hepatic pregnancy refers to a rare condition where implantation occurs in the liver.
50. Murphy, a disabled Bald Eagle, gained fame after attempting to hatch a rock. In 2023, the caretakers of his sanctuary replaced the rock with an orphaned eaglet, enabling Murphy to finally become a real parent.
RE: Fact #26 (Priss Fotheringham’s Act) – Why only the second best? Who was the best?