Random Fact Sheet #209 – The Ultimate List of 40 Unusual and Interesting Facts

Switzerland is the only country in the world which could fit 114% of its population into bunkers in case of an emergency.

2. An undercover investigation found that Apple charges $1200 for a computer repair that a local repair store was able to fix in 1 minute and charged $0 for.

3. Leonardo da Vinci never had a last name because he was born out of wedlock, thus leading to his “last name” being da Vinci (of Vinci) because the town he was born in was called Vinci.

4. George Clooney once contemplated suicide while recovering from a head injury sustained from filming a thriller movie, as the pain as so great. He had basically bruised his brain and couldn’t take painkillers due to a family history of addiction. He had to use therapy to get through it.

5. In 2017, Kevin Smith announced that he will donate all his dividends from Weinstein-Made films to the non-profit “Women In Film.”

Disney changed the name of their project "Basil of Baker Street" to "The Great Mouse Detective", causing Disney animators to pass around a joke memo blandly renaming old Disney classics. It reached the CEO of Disney, who was furious and demanded to know who wrote the memo. No one squealed.

7. Hawaii allows people to throw their beloved's ashes into their volcanoes, as long as you pay a $25 permit and do it discreetly.

8. Scientist grew trees in a sealed biosphere and couldn't work out why they fell over before they matured. They eventually figured out that whilst they provided the perfect growing environment it was lacking wind which provides the stress needed to ensure the trees grew strong enough to support themselves.

9. Buddy Holly's wife found out about his death while watching TV and suffered a miscarriage the next day due to “psychological trauma.” His mother heard the news on the radio and collapsed. Soon after, authorities adopted a policy of notifying a victim’s family before their name was released.

10. In 2004, a Disney employee who played Tigger was acquitted of charges of allegedly fondling a 13-year-old girl in costume, when his defense attorney tried on the costume in court and demonstrated how hard it was to move the costumes oversized glove hands.

A Japanese cat burglar was unmasked as a 74-year-old pensioner named Mitsuaki Tanigawa after 9 years’ worth of heists. He stole more than 29 million yen (£194,000) during his spree. When captured, he said: "I am defeated."

12. Alligator Snapping Turtles can live over 150 years, and some have been found with musket balls and flint arrowheads in their shells.

13. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish friar who was sent to Auschwitz for hiding Jews during World War 2. He offered his life and volunteered to die in the place of another camp inmate who was about to be executed when the camp inmate cried that he had a ‘wife’ and a ‘child’. Maximilian, on the other hand, had no family. In 1982, Catholic Church venerated him as the patron saint of amateur-radio operators, of drug addicts, of political prisoners, of families, of journalists and of prisoners.

14. Ireland has 3 peat fired power plants. Using peat taken from Irish bogs, it's more polluting than coal and is so inefficient that it is subsided by the state.

15. Black Bart was a notorious stagecoach robber, who never cursed, never fired his weapon, didn't ride a horse and left poems after his crimes.

Bertha Benz successfully marketed her husband's invention, the motor car, when she took it for a 65-mile trip, overcoming mechanical problems and inventing brake shoes on the way, and proving that cars were suitable for long journeys. Her trip gained attention, resulting in Benz's first sale.

17. “The Powerpuff Girls” was originally called “Whoopass Stew!” Rather than adding Chemical X to his formula, Professor Utonium accidentally adds a can of whoop-ass, and the creation was to be known as The Whoopass Girls.

18. Jumps are classified by what kind of foot transfer happens. You hop on one foot, you leap from one foot to the other. Jumping is two feet to two feet. Assemble is jumping from two feet but landing on one, and Sissonne is jumping from one foot and landing on two.

19. Granny Smith Apples originated by accident when a lady dumped a crate of old rotten French crab apples in her garden and then later found an apple sapling growing there. The tree grew to produce green tart apples that had never grown before.

20. Daniel Craig has been injured 5 times while playing James Bond. He does all of his own stunts and has had his two front teeth smashed out, lost the tip of a finger, sprained his arm and knee in separate incidents, and pulled his ankle.

75% of people who work 4 days a week report high job satisfaction and less illness in the workplace. Over half (69%) report lower stress levels.

22. Dr. Pepper served hot with lemon was a popular 1960’s holiday beverage.

23. In 2012, China's national TV channel – known for its strict censoring of foreign films – stunned viewers by airing the anarchist film ‘V for Vendetta’ fully uncensored. It included the famous quote: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

24. In Sweden, you agree with someone by sucking in air. In Sweden (and Norway), to show you’re on the same page as someone, you make a sharp sucking noise instead of saying "I agree" or nodding. It’s their way of letting you know they’re listening without interrupting the flow of conversation.

25. Subway chicken was DNA tested by a Canadian firm and was found to only contain about 50% chicken, with much of the rest being soy filler.