1Wright Brothers' Swift Achievement
In 1903, The New York Times predicted that it would take humans 1 to 10 million years to perfect a flying machine. The Wright Brothers achieved this feat just 69 days later.
2. Ghana hosts six witch camps, providing shelter to approximately 1,000 women. These camps offer a refuge for women accused of witchcraft, shielding them from the threat of violence from their neighbors.
3. Lensey Namioka, born in China, bears a name that cannot be written in Chinese. Her linguist father identified two Chinese syllables, "len" and "sey," which aren't used in words and thus lacked corresponding Chinese characters. Consequently, he christened his next daughter "Lensey," and she remains the sole individual known by this name.
4. Following his demise in 68 A.D., there circulated a prevalent conspiracy theory suggesting that the Roman emperor Nero was still secretly alive.
5. The final soldier of the British Empire to perish in World War I was the Canadian George Lawrence Price, who succumbed two minutes before the end of the war.
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15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
6Dirty Dancing Set Anecdote
In the film "Dirty Dancing," Patrick Swayze found Jennifer Grey to be rather "unprofessional," and during one scene, Grey repeatedly succumbed to laughter when Swayze stroked her side. They attempted this particular take 20 times, with Grey bursting into laughter every time.
7. In 2003, Maywood Chemical Works-now owned by Stepan Company-imported over 385,000 pounds of coca leaf for the production of Coca-Cola, sufficient to produce $200 million worth of cocaine, all of which had to be legally disposed of, likely through incineration.
8. In 1975, "Belle Chase John Doe," an unidentified 17-year-old suicide victim, left a note requesting that the police refrain from identifying him. A hurricane later destroyed all records and information relating to his case.
9. In 1870, the United States voted on a treaty proposing the annexation of the Dominican Republic, with the ultimate goal of incorporating it as a state.
10. Naturalization in Liechtenstein is subject to popular vote, with only candidates who have actively engaged in local community life for 10 or more years likely to be accepted as citizens.
11Yeltsin's Grenade Mishap
Boris Yeltsin lost 2.5 fingers on his left hand while attempting to open a grenade as a teenager.
12. Priss Fotheringham, renowned for popularizing 'chucking,' an ancient Roman act, would invert herself naked, legs apart, allowing patrons to toss coins into her "commodity." Legend has it that she could accommodate 16 half-crowns, a notable achievement per modern commentators.
13. Genghis Khan deployed his smaller armies against larger ones and utilized the remainder of his forces to terrorize vulnerable civilian population centers. He compelled captives to execute their own people and concealed himself behind them while advancing, causing confusion among enemies. Mastering mobility and depth, he avoided costly set-piece battles.
14. New Jersey stands as the sole state in America where it is illegal for drivers to pump their own gas. A 2022 Monmouth University poll also revealed that 60% of New Jersey residents oppose a policy permitting stations to transition to full self-service.
15. Mississippi was the first state to implement conjugal visits in 1950 to encourage black male prisoners to work harder at manual labor. As of 2024, only four states permit conjugal visits: California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington.
16Kevin Costner's Film Choices
Kevin Costner declined the lead role in Air Force One (1997) to star in and direct The Postman (1997). While Air Force One achieved critical and commercial success, The Postman was a box office failure, earning Costner two Razzie Awards for worst actor and director.
17. The Battle of Changping, which lasted from 262 to 260 B.C., claimed so many lives that in the 1970s, the bones of the deceased were utilized as fertilizer. Historians estimate that 890,000 people died in the battle.
18. The current water speed record (as of April 2024) for the fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle was achieved 46 years ago and is considered one of the sporting world's most hazardous competitions.
19. Pop artist Andy Warhol was a devout Catholic who faithfully attended Mass every Sunday, regularly volunteered at soup kitchens, and successfully converted at least one person to Catholicism.
20. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was part of a broader conspiracy involving the planned assassinations of Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Seward survived a stabbing in his home, but Johnson's would-be assassin lost his nerve and never attempted the assassination.
21Euler's Impact on Mathematics
Euler's writings often constitute the earliest documented references on various subjects. We credit some discoveries and theorems to the first person to prove them after Euler, to avoid the tendency to attribute everything to him.
22. Some schools of fish produce such incessant chatter that it is hazardous to snorkel among them, with noise levels described as "as loud as a lawnmower or chainsaw." Moreover, boats above the water can faintly hear the rumbling noise they generate.
23. Abraham Lincoln had a cousin named Abraham B. Lincoln who served as a private in the Confederate Army. However, Abraham B. Lincoln deserted from the Confederate Army in 1864.
24. Walter F. White, a leader of the NAACP for over 25 years, passed as white, infiltrated lynching rings, and played a pivotal role in shaping Brown v. Board of Education. Despite controversy surrounding his methods, his efforts exposed injustices and propelled the civil rights movement forward.
25. The "dilemma zone" refers to the area where it is unsafe to stop for a yellow light and yet impossible to reach the intersection before the light turns red.
