Random Fact Sheet #198 – The Power of Knowledge – 35 Facts

In most US states it is illegal for a vehicle to pass a cyclist with less than 3 feet of space, and some states extend as high as 6 feet.

27. The first transcontinental trip across the United States in an automobile was accomplished in 1903. Two men and a dog used 800 gallons of gas and spent $8000 over 63 days to travel from San Francisco to New York in a car with no roof or windshield to win a $50 bet that they never collected.

28. Record Companies sued Limewire creators for $72 trillion in damages. That was more than the global GDP in 2011.

29. Violinist Lili Haydn was allowed to choose her own name as a child, and for a time was known as 'Helicopter.'

30. Vasa Syndrome is a term which is used when there are problems in communication and management that can cause projects to fail. It is named after the Vasa, one of the largest and most spectacular warships ever built, which sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage because it was too unstable to withstand a gust of wind.

Fans were so relentless in stealing the "Penny Lane" street signs that Liverpool switched to painting the street name directly on buildings rather than replacing them.

32. When dashboard lights were first used in cars they were called "idiot lights" because drivers were frustrated by the warning lights used in place of gauges, making it more difficult to detect issues early since they only activated after one occurred.

33. In the early 20th century, “Doctor” Linda Hazzard killed at least a dozen of her patients, who coincidentally had just added her to their wills, by “treating” them with 30-40 day total starvation therapy. At first, she couldn’t be prosecuted because her patients signed up willingly.

34. Newborns with a vitamin D deficiency have a 44% increased risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. The developing fetus is totally reliant on the mother's vitamin D stores.

35. President William McKinley wore a red carnation in his lapel at all times as a good luck charm. During a public meeting in his second term, he took out the flower from his lapel and gave it to a 12-year-old girl. Minutes later, he was shot. He died a week later.