1Mani Peninsula's Rich History
The Mani Peninsula of Greece contained the last remnants of Spartans, the last of the Roman Empire to convert to Christianity, never fully conquered by Ottomans, the source of the Greek War of Independence, contains a cave to Hades and a temple that Roman Generals and Emperors would visit.
2. Pedestrianism used to be a major spectator sport. In 18th- and early 19th-century Britain, a common challenge was to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours, and gambling was often involved.
3. Tanna is a small island in the South Pacific where villagers worship a mythical American WW2 veteran named John Frum, believing that he will bring them material wealth one day.
4. During WWII, Buddy Lewis, an MLB player, served as a pilot and received instructions to carry a cake of cocaine in his pocket while flying over the Burmese jungles. This was because, in the event of a crash, the locals had a fondness for the substance and would assist him in safely navigating out of the jungle.
5. In the 7th century BC, lawmaker Charondas forbade anyone from bringing weapons to the assembly under penalty of death. One day, seeking to defeat some brigands in the hills, he brought a knife to the assembly. In order to uphold his own law, he killed himself.
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6Khrushchev's Grandchildren Prediction
During the famous 1959 Kitchen Debate, Khrushchev claimed that Nixon's grandchildren would live under communism. However, Khrushchev's son became a naturalized American citizen, disproving his claim.
7. A death row inmate named James Edward Smith requested a lump of dirt for his last meal as part of a voodoo ritual to assist in his reincarnation.
8. In Austria, Americans can go to any McDonald's to get in touch with the U.S. Embassy if they need help. McDonald's locations in Austria and the U.S. Embassy in Vienna established this under a new partnership.
9. Saint Nicholas' reputation as a secret gift-giver originates from him discreetly funding three poor girls' dowries so that they wouldn't be forced into prostitution.
10. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., displayed a working "Little Boy" atomic bomb that lacked only uranium until 1986. The Department of Energy removed the bomb's inner components from the museum to prevent it from being stolen and detonated with fissile material.
11Chinese Sailors on Kenyan Island
The entire population of a village on the Kenyan island of Pate is descended from medieval Chinese sailors. The story is that when Chinese merchants came to the island to trade with the locals, they ended up running aground. They then decided to settle and marry local women.
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer remains under copyright protection until 2034. He has the rare distinction of being an iconic Christmas character that is not in the public domain. This is why most Christmas art and decorations do not include him due to licensing fees.
13. Virtually all of the ice in the earth's biosphere is known as Ice I. At higher pressures, though, there are 19 known different phases of ice.
14. For decades, different studios in Hollywood have simultaneously released two films with strikingly similar plots, a phenomenon known as 'Twin Films' (e.g., Madagascar & The Wild, Antz & A Bug's Life).
15. Rosalynn Carter sat in on Jimmy Carter's presidential cabinet meetings and took notes, so she would always know what was going on. She was also the first First Lady to have her own office in the East Wing.
16Australian Hangman Alexander Green
Alexander Green was one of the last hangmen of the Australian prison colonies, having executed around 250 people. He married a convict and, towards his last years, became a drunkard and started botching public hangings. The public noticed his behavior, leading to his job loss and subsequent placement in a mental asylum.
17. Sixty-five miles northwest of Las Vegas is a nuclear bomb research and waste site that has detonated over 1000 nuclear bombs between 1951 and 1992. It is one of the most contaminated places in the US. The site offers monthly public tours.
18. Fletcher Jones, an Australian garment manufacturer established in the 1940s, provided a lifelong guarantee on their woolen clothes, offering free alterations for weight gain or dieting. The locals still wear some of their clothes that have survived generations.
19. The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) may have begun when Czech nobles threw two Habsburg regents and their secretary out of the Prague Castle window onto a huge dung heap.
20. Luftwaffe's Master Interrogator, Hanns Scharaff, hand-created the mosaics at Walt Disney World.
21Large Hadron Collider Concerns
Before the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was completely constructed, there were concerns among the public that its high-energy experiments would lead to the formation of microblack holes or strangelets, dark-matter-like particles that could convert all matter they touched into strange matter.
22. Electronic Arts tried to launch an NBA video game in 2010, but the demo was so glitchy that they canceled the completed game. Experts projected that the failure would result in losses of up to $60 million for Electronic Arts.
23. The Battle of the Porpoises was a military blunder during WWI where the Brazilian Navy slaughtered a herd of porpoises after mistaking them for German U-boats.
24. In 2004, a brawl broke out at an NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers after Pacer Ron Artest had a beer thrown at him. The game ended prematurely, resulting in the suspension of nine players, including Artest, the charging of five players with assault, and the permanent banning of five fans from the venue.
25. All species of octopus are venomous, but only the Blue-Ringed Octopus has venom that can harm humans.
