20 Random Facts to Add to Your Brain Bank

Nathan Johnson Published 04/04/2024 in ftw

Knowledge is power and in this instance, knowledge is entertainment.

Life is better when you have a curiosity for the world around you. That's why we love facts and knowledge because it keeps us grounded and helps us better relate to the world around us and the past that got us to where we are.

Did you know that 3,000 years ago men would call out of work when their wives were on their periods? Oh, how times have changed. Or that George Washington took the job of President because he was broke?

Well, now you do.

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1.
1 out of 3 Americans live in just four states. California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
2.
During the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty that founded NATO, the Portuguese delegate gave a speech in English with such a heavy accent that the translator just repeated it without the accent and nobody realised.
3.
In Japan there is a group of prominent female housewife stock traders known as Mrs. Watanabe who are so proficient at what they do that many traders look to them for reference on which stocks are doing well.
4.
Broccoli only became available in grocery stores in the UK and Ireland in the late 1970s.
5.
Japanese man Yasuo Takamatsu lost his wife in the 2011 earthquake and has not stopped looking for her body for more than 10 years and has dived more than 800 times in the ocean to retrieve her.
6.
George Washington had to borrow money to travel to New York City for his presidential inauguration. Despite owning 60,000 acres and 300 slaves he had very little cash and part of the reason he took the job was the salary.
7.
Original script to Rocky V, Rocky is so beaten from his fight with Tommy that he places his head on Adrian’s lap while on the way to the hospital and dies. Stallone apparently wept when he wrote that scene.
8.
In World War I, a homing pigeon named Cher Ami was shot by the Germans, but managed to keep flying and carry the message of help. Thanks to this, 194 American soldiers were saved.
9.
Danny DeVito's short stature is the result of Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (Fairbank's disease), a rare genetic disorder that affects bone growth. He met Rhea Perlman when she went to see a friend in the play The Shrinking Bride, which featured DeVito, and they moved in together 2 weeks later.
10.
3,200-year-old tablet shows that ancient Egyptians took attendance at work and recorded absences. One type of reason cited for missing work was "wife or daughter bleeding" referring to menstruation because men were needed at home during this time to help with the housework.
11.
Flamma, one of the most successful gladiators in his time under the Roman Empire, through great skill & bravery was awarded his freedom four times but refused each time & instead chose to remain a gladiator. He fought 34 times, won 21 of them, fought to a draw 9 times, & won reprieve 4 times.
12.
The oldest known writing in the world, Sumerian Cuneiform, is over 5000 years old and only 5-10% of all recovered tablets have been translated.
13.
Six Tongan castaways were able to keep a fire burning continuously for more than 12 of the 15 months they spent marooned on a deserted island in 1965 after one of the boys named Stephen (who would go on to become an engineer), had managed to use two sticks to start one.
14.
Prior to the announcement of the Mach3 razor blade in the late 90s, Gillette built plywood walls around the production lines in its factory in Boston, in order to keep it a secret from many of its own employees.
15.
Jumbo the elephant was not named such because of his size. Instead, Jumbo the word, meaning exceptionally large, was only introduced into the english language because of Jumbo the elephant. He was so big and so well known that his name became synonymous with size.
16.
“I Have a Dream” speech was a last-minute decision. Dr. King planned to give an entirely different speech, until a legendary gospel singer behind the podium yelled, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”
17.
Tim Curry was one of the top choices to play the Joker in the 1989 “Batman” film, but the role went to Jack Nicholson instead. Curry later voiced the Joker in the 1992 animated series, but was quickly replaced by Mark Hamill as his voice was deemed “too scary”.
18.
During WW1 in Britain the selling of fresh bread was banned and all bread had to be sold stale so people would eat less of it.
19.
Harambe was 17 years old and had not reached breeding maturity when he was shot.
20.
200 people had summited Mount Everest by 1987, whereas by 2013 it had been summited 6,871 times by 4,042 different people.

1.
1 out of 3 Americans live in just four states. California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
2.
During the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty that founded NATO, the Portuguese delegate gave a speech in English with such a heavy accent that the translator just repeated it without the accent and nobody realised.
3.
In Japan there is a group of prominent female housewife stock traders known as Mrs. Watanabe who are so proficient at what they do that many traders look to them for reference on which stocks are doing well.
4.
Broccoli only became available in grocery stores in the UK and Ireland in the late 1970s.
5.
Japanese man Yasuo Takamatsu lost his wife in the 2011 earthquake and has not stopped looking for her body for more than 10 years and has dived more than 800 times in the ocean to retrieve her.
6.
George Washington had to borrow money to travel to New York City for his presidential inauguration. Despite owning 60,000 acres and 300 slaves he had very little cash and part of the reason he took the job was the salary.
7.
Original script to Rocky V, Rocky is so beaten from his fight with Tommy that he places his head on Adrian’s lap while on the way to the hospital and dies. Stallone apparently wept when he wrote that scene.
8.
In World War I, a homing pigeon named Cher Ami was shot by the Germans, but managed to keep flying and carry the message of help. Thanks to this, 194 American soldiers were saved.
9.
Danny DeVito's short stature is the result of Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (Fairbank's disease), a rare genetic disorder that affects bone growth. He met Rhea Perlman when she went to see a friend in the play The Shrinking Bride, which featured DeVito, and they moved in together 2 weeks later.
10.
3,200-year-old tablet shows that ancient Egyptians took attendance at work and recorded absences. One type of reason cited for missing work was "wife or daughter bleeding" referring to menstruation because men were needed at home during this time to help with the housework.
11.
Flamma, one of the most successful gladiators in his time under the Roman Empire, through great skill & bravery was awarded his freedom four times but refused each time & instead chose to remain a gladiator. He fought 34 times, won 21 of them, fought to a draw 9 times, & won reprieve 4 times.
12.
The oldest known writing in the world, Sumerian Cuneiform, is over 5000 years old and only 5-10% of all recovered tablets have been translated.
13.
Six Tongan castaways were able to keep a fire burning continuously for more than 12 of the 15 months they spent marooned on a deserted island in 1965 after one of the boys named Stephen (who would go on to become an engineer), had managed to use two sticks to start one.
14.
Prior to the announcement of the Mach3 razor blade in the late 90s, Gillette built plywood walls around the production lines in its factory in Boston, in order to keep it a secret from many of its own employees.
15.
Jumbo the elephant was not named such because of his size. Instead, Jumbo the word, meaning exceptionally large, was only introduced into the english language because of Jumbo the elephant. He was so big and so well known that his name became synonymous with size.
16.
“I Have a Dream” speech was a last-minute decision. Dr. King planned to give an entirely different speech, until a legendary gospel singer behind the podium yelled, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”
17.
Tim Curry was one of the top choices to play the Joker in the 1989 “Batman” film, but the role went to Jack Nicholson instead. Curry later voiced the Joker in the 1992 animated series, but was quickly replaced by Mark Hamill as his voice was deemed “too scary”.
18.
During WW1 in Britain the selling of fresh bread was banned and all bread had to be sold stale so people would eat less of it.
19.
Harambe was 17 years old and had not reached breeding maturity when he was shot.
20.
200 people had summited Mount Everest by 1987, whereas by 2013 it had been summited 6,871 times by 4,042 different people.

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NEXT GALLERY Thursday Morning Randomness: 48 Randoms to Block Out the Rain

1. 1 out of 3 Americans live in just four states. California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

2. During the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty that founded NATO, the Portuguese delegate gave a speech in English with such a heavy accent that the translator just repeated it without the accent and nobody realised.

3. In Japan there is a group of prominent female housewife stock traders known as Mrs. Watanabe who are so proficient at what they do that many traders look to them for reference on which stocks are doing well.

4. Broccoli only became available in grocery stores in the UK and Ireland in the late 1970s.

5. Japanese man Yasuo Takamatsu lost his wife in the 2011 earthquake and has not stopped looking for her body for more than 10 years and has dived more than 800 times in the ocean to retrieve her.

6. George Washington had to borrow money to travel to New York City for his presidential inauguration. Despite owning 60,000 acres and 300 slaves he had very little cash and part of the reason he took the job was the salary.

7. Original script to Rocky V, Rocky is so beaten from his fight with Tommy that he places his head on Adrian’s lap while on the way to the hospital and dies. Stallone apparently wept when he wrote that scene.

8. In World War I, a homing pigeon named Cher Ami was shot by the Germans, but managed to keep flying and carry the message of help. Thanks to this, 194 American soldiers were saved.

9. Danny DeVito's short stature is the result of Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (Fairbank's disease), a rare genetic disorder that affects bone growth. He met Rhea Perlman when she went to see a friend in the play The Shrinking Bride, which featured DeVito, and they moved in together 2 weeks later.

10. 3,200-year-old tablet shows that ancient Egyptians took attendance at work and recorded absences. One type of reason cited for missing work was "wife or daughter bleeding" referring to menstruation because men were needed at home during this time to help with the housework.

11. Flamma, one of the most successful gladiators in his time under the Roman Empire, through great skill & bravery was awarded his freedom four times but refused each time & instead chose to remain a gladiator. He fought 34 times, won 21 of them, fought to a draw 9 times, & won reprieve 4 times.

12. The oldest known writing in the world, Sumerian Cuneiform, is over 5000 years old and only 5-10% of all recovered tablets have been translated.

13. Six Tongan castaways were able to keep a fire burning continuously for more than 12 of the 15 months they spent marooned on a deserted island in 1965 after one of the boys named Stephen (who would go on to become an engineer), had managed to use two sticks to start one.

14. Prior to the announcement of the Mach3 razor blade in the late 90s, Gillette built plywood walls around the production lines in its factory in Boston, in order to keep it a secret from many of its own employees.

15. Jumbo the elephant was not named such because of his size. Instead, Jumbo the word, meaning exceptionally large, was only introduced into the english language because of Jumbo the elephant. He was so big and so well known that his name became synonymous with size.

16. “I Have a Dream” speech was a last-minute decision. Dr. King planned to give an entirely different speech, until a legendary gospel singer behind the podium yelled, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”

17. Tim Curry was one of the top choices to play the Joker in the 1989 “Batman” film, but the role went to Jack Nicholson instead. Curry later voiced the Joker in the 1992 animated series, but was quickly replaced by Mark Hamill as his voice was deemed “too scary”.

18. During WW1 in Britain the selling of fresh bread was banned and all bread had to be sold stale so people would eat less of it.

19. Harambe was 17 years old and had not reached breeding maturity when he was shot.

20. 200 people had summited Mount Everest by 1987, whereas by 2013 it had been summited 6,871 times by 4,042 different people.

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1.
1 out of 3 Americans live in just four states. California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

2.
During the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty that founded NATO, the Portuguese delegate gave a speech in English with such a heavy accent that the translator just repeated it without the accent and nobody realised.

3.
In Japan there is a group of prominent female housewife stock traders known as Mrs. Watanabe who are so proficient at what they do that many traders look to them for reference on which stocks are doing well.

4.
Broccoli only became available in grocery stores in the UK and Ireland in the late 1970s.

5.
Japanese man Yasuo Takamatsu lost his wife in the 2011 earthquake and has not stopped looking for her body for more than 10 years and has dived more than 800 times in the ocean to retrieve her.

6.
George Washington had to borrow money to travel to New York City for his presidential inauguration. Despite owning 60,000 acres and 300 slaves he had very little cash and part of the reason he took the job was the salary.

7.
Original script to Rocky V, Rocky is so beaten from his fight with Tommy that he places his head on Adrian’s lap while on the way to the hospital and dies. Stallone apparently wept when he wrote that scene.

8.
In World War I, a homing pigeon named Cher Ami was shot by the Germans, but managed to keep flying and carry the message of help. Thanks to this, 194 American soldiers were saved.

9.
Danny DeVito's short stature is the result of Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (Fairbank's disease), a rare genetic disorder that affects bone growth. He met Rhea Perlman when she went to see a friend in the play The Shrinking Bride, which featured DeVito, and they moved in together 2 weeks later.

10.
3,200-year-old tablet shows that ancient Egyptians took attendance at work and recorded absences. One type of reason cited for missing work was "wife or daughter bleeding" referring to menstruation because men were needed at home during this time to help with the housework.

11.
Flamma, one of the most successful gladiators in his time under the Roman Empire, through great skill & bravery was awarded his freedom four times but refused each time & instead chose to remain a gladiator. He fought 34 times, won 21 of them, fought to a draw 9 times, & won reprieve 4 times.

12.
The oldest known writing in the world, Sumerian Cuneiform, is over 5000 years old and only 5-10% of all recovered tablets have been translated.

13.
Six Tongan castaways were able to keep a fire burning continuously for more than 12 of the 15 months they spent marooned on a deserted island in 1965 after one of the boys named Stephen (who would go on to become an engineer), had managed to use two sticks to start one.

14.
Prior to the announcement of the Mach3 razor blade in the late 90s, Gillette built plywood walls around the production lines in its factory in Boston, in order to keep it a secret from many of its own employees.

15.
Jumbo the elephant was not named such because of his size. Instead, Jumbo the word, meaning exceptionally large, was only introduced into the english language because of Jumbo the elephant. He was so big and so well known that his name became synonymous with size.

16.
“I Have a Dream” speech was a last-minute decision. Dr. King planned to give an entirely different speech, until a legendary gospel singer behind the podium yelled, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”

17.
Tim Curry was one of the top choices to play the Joker in the 1989 “Batman” film, but the role went to Jack Nicholson instead. Curry later voiced the Joker in the 1992 animated series, but was quickly replaced by Mark Hamill as his voice was deemed “too scary”.

18.
During WW1 in Britain the selling of fresh bread was banned and all bread had to be sold stale so people would eat less of it.

19.
Harambe was 17 years old and had not reached breeding maturity when he was shot.

20.
200 people had summited Mount Everest by 1987, whereas by 2013 it had been summited 6,871 times by 4,042 different people.