Random Fact Sheet #56 – 45 Surprising Facts That Will Make You Do a Double Take

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26Superman

Superman

Originally, Superman couldn't fly. Until animators wanted him to, he could only "Leap tall buildings in a single bound".


27. 20 minutes spent on the London Underground's Northern Line is as bad for your lungs as smoking a cigarette.


28. The Earth has enough Iron to make three new planets, each with the same mass as Mars.


29. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys (American rock band), who wrote such hits as "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfin' USA," has a lifelong fear of water.


30. Jackie the lion, one of the mascots for MGM, not only survived two train wrecks, an earthquake, a boat sinking, and an explosion at the studio, but also a plane crash that left him stranded in the Arizona wilderness for days.


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31Norman Lear

Norman Lear

When Norman Lear finished shooting the 'All In The Family' pilot he didn't have enough money left in the budget to do a proper main title sequence. So he shot Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton singing 'Those Were The Days' at the piano in front of a live audience.


32. The police officer (Thomas Delahanty) shot during the assassination attempt on President Reagan sued the gun manufacturer (RG). The case was rejected and set the precedent that gun manufacturers can't be sued for crimes committed with their weapons.


33. The very first video rental store owned by Eckhard Baum, which opened in Germany in 1975, is still in operation.


34. On the day before the 1996 Presidential election, the New York Times Crossword puzzle had a clue that required knowing the future: "Tomorrows headline". Except, either of the likeliest answers fully completed the crossword.


35. Hunter S. Thompson (American journalist), author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, daily did seven rounds of cocaine by 9 pm, accompanied by whiskey and weed, only to "start snorting cocaine seriously" then, an hour before dropping acid.


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36Don Henley

Don Henley

Don Henley (American drummer) called paramedics to his home on November 21, 1980, where a 16-year-old girl was found naked and claiming she had overdosed on quaaludes and cocaine. Henley got away with only a contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge and a $2,500 fine.


37. Rabies causes hydrophobia, where just the thought of drinking water or seeing water, causes intense clench throat spasms, so the victim cannot swallow the frothy saliva forming in their mouth. The foam is infected heavily with the live virus which increases disease transmission through biting.


38. While on trial for crimes against humanity, as a form of torture, Saddam Hussein was shown the film “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.”


39. In November 1783, when he was in Paris, Benjamin Franklin witnessed the flight of one of the first hot-air balloons. As the balloon soared into the air, a spectator asked Franklin what this new invention could be used for. Franklin responded by saying “What good is a new-born baby?”


40. The record for passengers on a ship was set in World War 2 by the Queen Mary. There were 16,082 passengers. The ocean liner was so fast it often sailed without escort and could outrun both submarines and torpedoes.


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41Bumblebees

Bumblebees

Bumblebees were originally called Humblebees until about the mid 20th Century.


42. In 1837, the British captured an American ship, set it on fire, and sailed it over the Niagara Falls. This incident was known as Caroline affair.


43. Indiana has two 'baby boxes' where parents can legally give up their newborn child (younger than 72 hours) anonymously.


44. Greek philosopher Plato was a distinguished gymnast and wrestler, and well known for his wrestling prowess.


45. During World War 2, a bomb landed but didn't explode, inside the German Volkswagen factory. If it had exploded, the post-war Beetles that we commonly see would've never existed.

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