1Eurypterid, the Scorpion Giants
Eurypterid was an order of arthropod which was completely wiped out during the world’s biggest mass extinction. They were scorpion-like giants that could reach almost ten feet in length.
2. The wolves/dogs used to film, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)” had to have CGI butts/tails because they were too happy to appear menacing.
3. In 2016, archaeologists discovered the first incidence of cannabis being used as a “shroud” covering in a human burial. The 2,400-year-old tomb also contained 13 complete cannabis plants, suggesting that it was locally grown along the Silk Road.
4. Frieda Caplan who is a pioneer in the world of produce, built a successful business in the 1960s, by promoting items that, at the time, were relatively unheard of in the U.S. such as mangoes, shallots, and a New Zealand fruit originally called “Chinese gooseberry,” which she dubbed the kiwi.
5. Rio de Janeiro was once the capital of Portugal. Following the conquest of Portugal by Napoleon, the Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil (1808-1821). They then established the capital of Portugal in Rio de Janeiro.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
6Death Camas Plant
The Death Camas plant is so toxic that it has only one known pollinator. Only a specialist mining bee, can tolerate its toxins. Every other kind of bee is fatally poisoned.
7. During World War 2, the Royal Air Force used to issue uniforms in which two of its buttons could be put together to make a mini compass that pointed to north.
8. The transition of the Ming to Qing dynasty in China took 65 years and cost approximately 25 million lives.
9. In 2021, researchers from the University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland calculated the value of pi to over 62 trillion digits. It took over 108 days to complete the calculation.
10. The Michigan Bounty Law otherwise known as the Scanner Law ensures that if the displayed price of a product is different than the price at the register, you are entitled to receive the difference plus additional compensation (“bonus”) that’s 10 times the difference. The bonus must be at least $1.00, but it may not be more than $5.00.
11Mozart's Finances
Mozart was actually in the top 5% of wage earners for his time. He squandered most of his money by the time of his death and was buried in a pauper's grave.
12. On November 29, 1990, during a college football game in San Francisco, many people gathered on the roof of a glass-blowing factory to watch the game for free. Unable to support the gathering crowd, the roof collapsed and hundreds of fans fell directly on top of a furnace. Around 23 people were killed, but the game continued. This event is remembered as The Thanksgiving Day Disaster.
13. While the United States Armed Forces are forbidden from using flamethrowers by an international treaty, there are no restrictions on civilian use in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
14. John Carpenter’s “The Thing”(1982) was such a commercial failure upon release that it was called the “Most-Hated Film of All Time” by horror magazine cinefantastique and Universal Pictures even dropped its director John Carpenter from a multi-picture deal.
15. Without thermal controls, the temperature of the international space station would soar to 250 degrees Fahrenheit while in the sun and plunge to minus 250 degrees In the shade.
16Sedna Planet
Sedna is a dwarf planet in our solar system that has an extremely eccentric orbit, which has an 11,390-year orbital period, and right now, it's about as close to us as it will be for a very long time.
17. Dungeons and dragons were demonized back in the 1980s particularly from religious groups due to the fantastical and violent nature of the game.
18. John Magee was a missionary who was working in Nanking during the Nanking Massacre. He ran out of the Nanking Safety Zone and took part in rescuing more than 200,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians. He filmed the event and refused to accept money for it. He instead donated the footage for historical purposes.
19. The Justin Morgan horse is one of the foundational American horse breeds. The line originated with a prepotent horse named Figure. His genes were dominant in his offspring regardless of the mare. Popular as a cavalry horse during the Civil War, the breed was nearly killed off.
20. Contrary to myth, embassies are technically still the soil of the host country, but host country laws don't apply within the premises.
21Henderson Island Rad Eradication
In 2011, the UK tried to eradicate all rats from the Henderson Island in the Pacific Ocean. Only 50 individuals out of a population of 50,000 survived, which was enough for them to grow back to their original numbers.
22. People that frequently take painkillers for headaches can develop medication overuse headaches, a vicious cycle where the pain is caused by painkillers themselves.
23. Between 43 and 42 B.C., a commemorative coin was produced to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus is minted on one side, while the other side has a pileus cap between two daggers.
24. A manga series by the name of Cooking Papa (no relation to the game series Cooking Mama) is one of the longest-running in Japanese comics. It was published from 1985 to 2021 with a total of 157 volumes.
25. The use of the letters Q, X, and W, in official documents, including for people's names, used to be illegal in Turkey and punishable with 2 to 6 months of prison time. The ban was enacted in 1928 and lifted only in 2013.
