1New Bern's Flag Mystery
The city of New Bern, North Carolina, uses a nearly identical flag to that of Bern, Switzerland, with the only distinction being the absence of a red appendage on its bear.
2. In 2011, multimillionaire Maria Assunta bequeathed her entire fortune, totaling $13 million, along with her properties, such as villas, homes, and land, to her cat Tommaso, making him one of the world's wealthiest felines. Just a few years earlier, Tommaso was a stray cat that she found on the streets of Rome.
3. Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt was allergic to moon dust.
4. Super Bowl shirts made for the losing team are donated to a nonprofit aid organization, which subsequently distributes them to underprivileged nations.
5. Rapper Mos Def began his career as an actor. Before the release of his critically acclaimed album 'Black On Both Sides' in 1998, he had already appeared in multiple sitcoms, been featured in a Visa commercial with Deion Sanders, and played a minor role in the short film 'Ghosts' alongside Michael Jackson.
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15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
6Disney's Unusual Ash Scattering
The act of family members scattering the ashes of a deceased relative on Disney World rides is surprisingly common, particularly on the Haunted Mansion ride.
7. Daniel Radcliffe, widely known for his portrayal of Harry Potter, suffers from the debilitating condition known as 'cluster headaches.'
8. Paracetamol overdose is one of the leading causes of acute liver failure.
9. In a 1990 World Cup qualifying match between Brazil and Chile, the Chilean goalkeeper cut himself with a concealed razor blade hidden in one of his gloves and feigned injury due to a flare thrown by Brazilian fans. His intention was to nullify the game's outcome. He received a ban lasting until 2001.
10. Bruce Lee's films collectively grossed an astounding $741 million at the box office, which, when adjusted for inflation, amounts to a staggering $4 billion, all while being produced with a combined budget of only $2 million.
11Robert Maudsley: Isolation Enigma
Robert Maudsley, now 70 years old (as of September 2023), has been confined in a solitary cell specially designed for him since 1983. This prolonged isolation stems from his involvement in three murders while already incarcerated for the same crime.
12. The horror trope of zombies craving brains can be traced back to the 1985 horror-comedy film "Return of the Living Dead." In this movie, zombies consumed brains not out of hunger but rather because it alleviated the "pain" of being a zombie.
13. Project A119, a highly classified initiative conceived in 1958 by the United States Air Force, aimed to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon as a display of strength against the USSR. Notably, a young Carl Sagan was among those who contributed to the project.
14. Just 72 hours before he tragically passed away in a plane crash, Otis Redding recorded "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay."
15. Elephant trunks possess the remarkable strength to lift and securely hold up to 770 pounds of weight, yet they exhibit the precision required to crack peanut shells without damaging the seeds within.
16Women: Immune Advantage
Typically, women have a higher white blood cell count and tend to develop fewer infectious diseases.
17. The founder of the Chili's restaurant chain, Larry Levine, drew inspiration from his father-in-law's chili cookoffs, aiming to create a restaurant that served chili and burgers while fostering a welcoming atmosphere. Interestingly, Levine's father-in-law was the renowned racing driver and performance car constructor, Carroll Shelby.
18. The typically composed and reserved Duke of Wellington spontaneously broke into a flamenco dance in 1814 upon learning of Napoleon's abdication.
19. During the first attempted flight from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii by the U.S. Navy, one of the two seaplanes ran out of fuel and was forced to land in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from their destination. The resourceful crew fashioned makeshift sails from the plane's fabric wings and sailed their aircraft to Hawaii.
20. Charles Martinet, the voice actor famous for portraying Mario, endured a nomadic existence for five years. In 2013, he faced eviction from his residence due to a legal dispute with the family of his deceased landlord.
21Mrs. Watanabe: Forex Guru
Mrs. Watanabe represents a collective of thousands of Japanese housewives who engage in home-based investing. In the early 2000s, they gained international recognition as investment experts by leveraging forex to exchange yen for other currencies, significantly impacting global currency markets.
22. Steven Hill, the original leader in the TV series "Mission: Impossible," declared upfront that he would not work on the Jewish Sabbath and surprised producers by leaving the set to adhere to his beliefs. Following this and another refusal, he was not invited to return for the second season and did not secure another acting role for a decade.
23. Jumbo was a male African bush elephant featured as an attraction by P.T. Barnum. Sadly, Jumbo met his demise when he was struck by a train in St. Thomas, Ontario. Interestingly, he was not named Jumbo because of his size; we got the word "jumbo" because of his name.
24. Sloths exhibit an astonishing ability to hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater, while dolphins, in contrast, can only manage 20 minutes.
25. Tortillas are strictly prohibited items at Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona State University). Possession of tortillas within the stadium premises can result in immediate ejection without a refund.
