Random Facts Sheet #353 – Fact Vault: 45 Unlocking Secrets of Random Information

Black Arrow was a satellite transport rocket program developed by the United Kingdom. Black Arrow, launched in 1971, was the United Kingdom's first and only successful orbital launch. The Ministry of Defense then determined that it would be more cost-effective to switch to using American rockets, and thus the program was retired.

27. In 1988, Charles Schulz attempted his most ambitious Peanuts special with "The Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown." It cost millions, and Schulz regretted it later, saying, "I wanted this to be my Citizen Kane, but it's not." The reception to the special was poor when it first aired.

28. There is no such thing as "Corinthian leather." It is only a marketing term. It was first used in 1974 by Chrysler to denote their high-end leather upholstery. Ricardo Montalban, an actor, popularized the term in car commercials for the Cordoba brand, which led to rising sales over time.

29. A coroner made up the term "excited delirium" because he thought that the deaths of nineteen black prostitutes were caused by "sexual excitation" when, in fact, they were all killed by the same serial killer.

30. Professional Fishery Observers monitor the operations of fishing vessels to ensure that regulations are being followed. They do their jobs on their own in remote locations, thousands of kilometers from any port. It's a risky occupation, and they frequently disappear.

Red pandas are one of the few creatures that can descend from trees headfirst because of their flexible ankles.

32. Years before he played Dracula, Bela Lugosi had served as a lieutenant in World War 1. At one point, he was helping to keep an area of forest secure and left his post at a tree to help a police officer. He returned to find the tree blown down, and he cried tears of thanks to God.

33. None of Pakistan's prime ministers has ever served a full 5-year term since the country gained its independence in 1947.

34. Former US Congressman James Traficant was found guilty of 10 felonies in 2002, including "forcing his congressional staff to undertake chores at his property in Ohio."

35. In the late 1960s, a coalition of 50 countries got together to dismantle and relocate ancient Egyptian structures that would have been lost during the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt. This led to the creation of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO to recognize and protect these sites.

Expensive "crystal" from prestigious brands like Waterford, Swarovski, and Lalique is basically merely lead oxide-based glass. Depending on the year and manufacturer of your crystal, lead ingestion is a possibility.

37. In the past, when the River Thames froze over, Londoners would hold "Frost Fairs" on its frozen surface, setting up bars, markets, and other festivities (including a parade of elephants) on its surface.

38. The University of Zurich maintains a wax exhibit dedicated to diseased human body parts. Historical models from the 1800s are utilized to teach and inform the public about skin disorders, skin cancer, and STDs.

39. Due to how realistic the game is, footage from the military sandbox game Arma 3 has been used in the news as if it were real combat footage more than once.

40. The glass doors on a wood fireplace are supposed to be open when a fire is going.

The chief officers of the German-owned cargo ship RMS Mülheim ran into trouble in 2003. While attempting to untangle his pants from his chair, he fell and knocked himself out. The ship ran into rocks and eventually broke up while he was unconscious.

42. In spite of the invention of the computer mouse, Douglas Engelbart never saw a dime in royalties. "SRI (Stanford Research Institute) patented the mouse, but they had no concept of its potential," he stated in an interview. They eventually admitted that they had licensed the technology to Apple Computer for about $40,000.

43. Jet turbine blades are made in such a way that the entire blade is a single metallic crystal, oriented so it is strongest at the leading edge.

44. Boxing Day in the UK has nothing to do with the sport of boxing and everything to do with boxing up gifts and presenting them to people who are less fortunate.

45. One of the largest landslides in Canadian history occurred in 1903 with the Frank Slide, when 44 million tons of rock fell. It buried an entire village and killed 70–90 people. A horse named Charlie survived a month buried underground following the landslide, but it ultimately perished from being overfed oats and brandy by its rescuers.