Random Fact Sheet #117 – 40 Facts That Will Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat

There is a population of Polish Haitians descended from Napoleonic soldiers who deserted to join the Haitians after learning they were fighting for their freedom against slavery.

27. Australia’s largest bird of prey, the wedge-tailed eagle, is so territorial that it will attack even helicopters and small planes to defend its nest sites.

28. A horse named Sergeant Reckless was purchased by the Marines as a pack horse in a division. She was allowed to roam freely through camp, entering the Marines' tents, where she would sleep on cold nights, and was known for her willingness to eat nearly anything, including scrambled eggs, beer, Coca-Cola and, once, about $30 worth of poker chips.

29. After her plane went up in flames, flight attendant Barbara Jane Harrison helped passengers out and after the slides were punctured, pushed them out to safety. She was just about to leave when she turned back into the burning plane to help more passengers, which cost her life.

30. In 1815, when Napoleon Bonaparte was thrown overboard due to rough seas, a random fisherman's Newfoundland dog jumped into the water from the fisherman's boat and kept Napoleon afloat until he could reach safety.

Before it became male-dominated, computer programming was a promising career choice for women, who were considered "naturals" at it. Computer scientist Dr. Grace Hopper said programming was "like planning a dinner. You have to plan ahead and schedule everything so it’s ready when you need it."

32. During World War 2, the Allied forces would drop clouds of thin strips of aluminum foil from aircraft to overwhelm enemy radar in a countermeasure known as “Window.”

33. Diphenhydramine, sold under brand names Benadryl, Nytol, ZZZQuil, Unisom, and others can cause extremely realistic hallucinations and confusion at high doses. Most users report hallucinations of spiders, conversations with people that aren't there, and a lingering impending sense of doom.

34. Cartoon character Olive Oyl was a main character for 10 years before Popeye’s appearance in 1929.

35. Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter, despite only having approximately 15 minutes of screen time.

When Paris was under siege from a viking raid in 886 A.D., King Charles III/The Fat didn't bother fighting them. He instead paid them 700 livres (257 kg) of silver to go and raid to the then rebelling Burgundy instead.

37. The original Dungeons & Dragons contained references to "hobbits" but those were removed when J.R.R. Tolkien's estate complained that he held the copyright to the creatures. They were later renamed "halflings" in Dungeons & Dragons.

38. When Ernest Hemingway tried his first daiquiri, he said it was too sweet and asked for double the rum and less sugar. Thus, the Hemingway daiquiri was born.

39. A woman named Akiko Takakura survived the Hiroshima bombing while being only 300 meters away from the epicenter of the blast.

40. There is a theory that the chronic vocal injuries suffered by today's vocalists are directly caused by the "sing from your diaphragm" methods introduced in the 1800s.