301 Interesting Facts To Share With Your Friends
There’s nothing like a random and interesting fact to keep a circle of friends entertained. And if you’re on the lookout for some juicy facts that will entertain your buddies, we’ve got just the thing for you. So, here’s a list of unusual and interesting facts that you can share with your loved ones. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
347/401
China’s Reverse Zoo
Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo in Chongqing, China, puts the visitors in cages while the big cats and bears roam around freely.
346/401
Brazilians Take More Showers than Anyone Else
On average, Brazilians take at least two showers every day, more than people in any other country in the world.
345/401
Financial Definition of “Deadbeats”
In the world of finance, anyone who pays off their credit card balance on time in full every month is known as a “deadbeat.”
344/401
Eggplants Are Really Fruits
Just like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants are fruits, not vegetables, because they come from a flowering plant and have seeds.
343/401
There Are More Sheep than People in New Zealand
As of 2022, there were 25.3 million sheep in New Zealand and only 5.15 million people.
342/401
Most Intense Heat Wave in Antarctica
Researchers found that the most intense heatwave ever recorded happened in March 2022 in the coldest region on Earth – Antarctica. It is believed to be due to anomalous air circulations in Australia.
341/401
Relaxing Japanese Park with 800 Statues
Village Where You Can Meet Statues is a Japanese park where you can relax and meditate among 800 statues that help you ease your mind.
340/401
Californians Among Americans
As of 2022, California is the most populous state in the US, with one out of every eight Americans living in California.
339/401
Changing Size of the Eiffel Tower
In summer, the Eiffel Tower grows in size by six inches as the iron undergoes thermal expansion and shrinks by the same amount in winter.
338/401
Ancient Roman Coins Discovered by Construction Workers
In 2016, construction workers in Seville discovered 1,300 pounds (600 kilos) of ancient Roman coins from the 3rd century worth millions of euros.
337/401
Pink Lake of Australia
Lake Hillier is an Australia saline lake known for its unique pink-colored water caused by red algae and halophilic bacteria in the salt crust.
336/401
Architecture of Masouleh
In the Iranian village of Masouleh, the streets are above the homes.
335/401
Wavy Walls Require Less Bricks than Straight Walls
Known as “Crinkle Crankle Walls” in England, these serpentine brick walls withstand more lateral stress than straight walls of the same thickness and use less bricks than a straight wall that can withstand the same amount of stress.
334/401
Crazy Time Zones of France
France has 12 different time zones, more than any other country in the world.
333/401
Women Are Good at Identifying a Cheating Man
According to a study, women guessed right 62% of the time if a man had been cheating just by looking at his face, while men were right only 23% of the time about women.
332/401
Fish that Causes Severe Hallucinations
Sarpa salpa, also known as “dreamfish,” is a species of sea bream that, if eaten, can cause severe hallucinations that last up to 36 hours. It was claimed to have been used as a recreational substance in the Roman Empire.
331/401
Mallard Ducks Spread Fish Species
Researchers found that when mallard ducks eat fish eggs of some species, some of the eggs survive the duck’s digestive track and come out the other end unscathed to hatch successfully when they find water. That explains how fish materialize out of nowhere in unconnected lakes or pools.
330/401
Japanese Monkeys Learned to Clean and Salt Their Sweet Potatoes
On the Japanese island of Kōjima, monkeys learned to wash sweet potatoes with fresh water. Generations later, they learned to immerse them in seawater, which researchers believe was because they enjoy them with salt.
329/401
The Screenwriting of The Godfather’s Mario Puzo
When Paramount approached the author of The Godfather books, Mario Puzo, to write an adapted screenplay, he had no idea what he was doing. After he won his first Oscar for the first movie, he bought a book on screenwriting only to find the words “The best screenplay ever written was The Godfather” on the first page. He threw the book away.
328/401
Mel Gibson’s Passion for His Film
When Mel Gibson couldn’t secure money for his film The Passion of the Christ due its controversial take, he put in his own money, $30 for production and $15 million on marketing. He had to rely on small-scale TV marketing with support from various church groups. The film went on to earn $612 million worldwide, with majority of the profits going to Mel Gibson.
327/401
The Plane that Glided Over a Racetrack
In 1983, a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel forcing the flight crew to glide for 17 minutes before making an emergency landing on the crowded racetrack of Gimli Motorsports Park, Canada, without major injuries to anyone. Nicknamed the “Gimli Glider,” its re-enactment by several other crews in flight simulators only ended in crash landings.
326/401
Qatar’s Embarrassing Performance During FIFA World Cup
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar became the first country to play without qualifying and second to do so as the host since 1934. Qatar was the first host nation to lose its opening match as well as all three matches. It was also the first host nation to be eliminated from the tournament and finish last with zero points in the group stage.
325/401
Transylvanian Village with just One Divorce in 300 Years
In the Transylvanian village called Biertan, the church has a “matrimonial prison” where couples who want to get a divorce have to live in a small room for six weeks sharing a small bed, cabinet, table, and chair. Over the past three centuries, there has been only one divorce.
324/401
Hippos Have Zero Fat
Despite their rounded appearance, hippos have little fat in them. Their 1,500 kilos of body is mostly made of organs and muscle, and a six-centimeter thick skin.
323/401
Gas Requirements to Mow American Lawns
It takes 800 million gallons of gas every year to mow American lawns
322/401
Real Estate Holdout From Seattle
In 2006, 84-year-old Edith Macefield refused an offer of $1 million from commercial real estate developers to leave her 108-year-old Seattle farmhouse. So, they had to build their five-story mall around her house instead.
321/401
There Are an Incredible Number of Centenarians in Japan
As of 2022, there are over 90,000 people who are more than 100 years old in Japan.
320/401
Cruise Ship Resort Atop a Cliff
That cruise ship isn’t stuck. It’s the Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht, an eccentric hotel resort on the east coast of South Korea.
319/401
Two Women Gave Birth to the Other’s Baby Due to an IVF Mix-Up
In 2019, two Californian mothers gave birth to the other’s baby because of an IVF mix-up. Following a DNA test, the babies were swapped four months later and returned to the real parents.
318/401
The Rent Remains Unchanged Since the 16th Century in a German Housing Complex
The rent in Fuggerei, the world’s oldest housing complex in Germany, is just $1 for a whole year and has been so since the 1520s.
317/401
Annie Oakley’s Remarkable Marksmanship
Annie Oakley was such a great sharpshooter that from 75 feet away, she could split a playing card that’s held on its edge and riddle an airborne card with holes before it fell to the ground.
316/401
Bolivia’s Limestone Wall with Thousands of Dinosaur Footprints
Bolivia’s Cal Orcko quarry has a limestone wall with over 5,000 dinosaur footprints, many of them dating back to the Cretaceous Period over 68 million years ago.
316/401
Billy Joel’s Trick to Have Real Fans in the Front Seats
Billy Joel never sells tickets to his front row. Instead, he gives them to random audience members in the cheap seats so that he could look at his real fans who would enjoy the show rather than the rich who just want to show off.
316/401
Efficiency of the Japanese Railway System
Japanese train operating companies have sensitive seismometers installed. On March 11, 2011, the Kinkazan seismometer recorded an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, triggering automatic stop signals and emergency brakes on 33 bullet trains 12 seconds before the disaster. Only one test train without passengers derailed that day.
316/401
Ancestor of Every Blue-eyed Person
Every blue-eyed person in the world shares a single common ancestor dating back to the Neolithic period.
316/401
A Man Accidentally Swallowed and then Excreted an Intact AirPod
A man swallowed an AirPod while sleeping and realized it was beeping from inside his stomach when he used the iPhone’s tracking feature after waking up. The medics at Kaohsiung Hospital gave him a laxative and it passed out of his body naturally. After washing and drying it, he found it still worked and the battery was at 41%.
315/401
The Origin of Super Mario’s Name
As the legend goes, Super Mario was named after the real-life businessman Mario Segale who rented a warehouse to Nintendo and stormed into the office one day because the rent was overdue. After the crew convinced him that they’ll pay, they nicknamed their main character after him due to similarities in appearance. The name stuck.
314/401
Newly Discovered Green Comet
Comet Nishimura, a newly discovered half-a-mile-sized green comet, will come closest to Earth at 78 million miles on September 12th. The comet last visited 430 years ago and will disappear again for that same length of time before its next visit.
313/401
The Youngest Person to Visit all Countries
At just 21 years of age, Lexie Alford set the world record for being the youngest person to visit every sovereign country in the world.
312/401
The Long-living Apple Tree that Inspired Newton
The apple tree that inspired Newton’s theory of gravity still stands to this day, 350 years later, at his family’s estate, Woolsthorpe Manor.
311/401
The Swindon Police Apology that Went Viral
In 2015, police apologized to residents of Swindon, UK, for repeatedly using sirens. They were trying to settle a debate among a group of four-year-olds during an emergency services presentation whether the siren goes “nee-nah” or “woo-woo.”
310/401
“La Tomatina” a Traditional Spanish Festival
In Spain, there’s a fun tradition called “La Tomatina” where folks throw tomatoes at each other in a big food fight just for fun.
309/401
The Exceptional Memory of Elephants
Elephants have such a good memory that they are not only capable of recognizing other members of their group, but also other species who leave an impression on them. Shirley and Jenny, two elephants that performed in the same circus, were able to recognize each other when they met again 23 years later.
308/401
Trail Trees of North American Forests
Native Americans have intentionally bent trees horizontally to mark trails or important places.
307/401
US Airways Flight’s Emergency Landing on the Hudson
In 2009, an US Airways flight made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York after getting struck by a flock of birds, all in under four minutes.
306/401
Qatar’s Fight Against Heat
In 2019, Qatar painted some of its roads blue as part of a pilot project to reduce heat radiating from asphalt.
305/401
Why Do I Wake Up Before My Alarm Goes Off?
You wake up right before your alarm goes off because your body wants to avoid the shock and stress the alarm would cause. A regular sleep cycle prepares the body for waking up by gradually releasing hormones, increasing temperature and blood pressure. To prevent getting startled during this time, your body schedules its own clock to wake up before the alarm goes off.
304/401
Oreos Are Safe in Case of an Apocalypse
In October 2020, Oreo constructed a concrete bunker in Svalbard, Norway, to protect their recipes in case of an asteroid impact. The vault also contains Oreos wrapped in Mylar and vials of milk powder.
303/401
IKEA Heights, Guerrilla Filmmaking at IKEA Store
In 2009, a spoof soap opera was covertly filmed in Burbank’s IKEA store for a whole year without the knowledge of anyone working there. The cast and crew shot in different areas of the store creating a seven-episode show called IKEA Heights.
302/401
Ever-constant Icelandic Language
Owing to its remote location and the purist movement in the 19th century, Icelandic language has changed so little that Icelandic speakers can easily read texts created in the 10th through 13th centuries.
301/401
Jane Kazmarek – Seven Emmy Nominations, No Wins
Jane Kazmarek who played Lois in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle received seven Emmy nominations, one every year the show aired, but never won.
300/401
Samoyeds Are Too “Smiley” To Be Guard Dogs
Samoyeds make for terrible guard dogs because of their naturally friendly disposition. When there’s a threat, they most likely “smile” and bark at it rather than attack.
299/301
Comeback of Airships
By 2026, people will be able to fly on The Flying Bum, the world’s largest modern airship that can achieve lift using both aerostatic and aerodynamic forces. It can take-off from and land anywhere like a helicopter and stay airborne for five days.
298/301
Chris Hemsworth’s Salary for His First Appearance as Thor
For the movie Thor, Chris Hemsworth was paid just $150,000, and the film grossed nearly $450 million total worldwide.
297/301
The Range Rover that Climbed Up the Tianmen Mountain
Professional racer Ho-Pin Tung drove a Range Rover up the 999 steps of Heaven’s Gate at a 45-degree angle after taking 99 hairpin turns over the infamous Tianmem Mountain Road – all in just 22 minutes and 41 seconds.
296/301
Majority of the World Has Never Flown
As of 2018, 89% of the world’s population have never flown on a plane.
295/301
Smell of Good Old Books
The wonderful smell of good old books is caused by deterioration of compounds like cellulose and lignin in the paper.
294/301
Karl Benz’s First Modern Car
This is the Benz Patent-Motorwagen – the world’s first modern automobile built by Karl Benz in 1886. Its top speed was 16 kilometers per hour.
293/301
A Sunflowers’ Center Is Full of Tiny Flowers
Sunflowers are really hundreds of mini, five-petaled florets arranged in interconnected symmetrical spirals.
292/301
Episodes of British Sitcom Mr. Bean
The British sitcom Mr. Bean only has 15 episodes made and aired over a period of six years.
291/301
ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Breaks Live Stream Viewership Number Records
With over 8 million concurrent viewers, Chandrayaan-3 became the world’s most watched live stream on YouTube, pushing FIFA World Cup matches to second and third. The mission’s success is a significant milestone for India’s space exploration as the only other countries that managed a landing on the Moon until now were the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.
290/301
A Rare Celestial Event Called a Super Blue Moon
The Super Blue Moon on 30 Aug 2023 is going to be the last one until 2037. Super moon is when the moon is closest to the earth and a Blue Moon is when there’s a second full moon in a single calendar month. The unification of both events creates a rare celestial event called a Super Blue Moon.
289/301
Bizarre No-Walls Hotel in Switzerland
This Swiss hotel named “Null Stern Hotel” is known for its rooms without walls. It is located on a picturesque mountain and, also bizarrely, beside a gas station. It has a waiting list of over 6,000 people.
288/301
Ultrasonic Cry of Plants when in Distress
Scientists at Tel Aviv University discovered that when cut, plants scream in ultrasonic staccatos that are inaudible to humans.
287/301
Dogs Love to Make Humans Laugh
Dogs have evolved to understand that when there’s laughter, it’s play time. So, they are known to deliberately make humans laugh.
286/301
The Origins of Tomatoes
Tomatoes are actually native to the Americas. This means that there was no Italian tomato sauce until the 16th century.
285/301
Funny Anecdote from Apple’s Early Days
In the early days of Apple, when employee ID numbers were given, Steve Jobs was offended that he got #2 when Steve Wozniak got #1. He felt he should be second to no one, so he took #0 instead.
284/301
Pay Gap Between Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels
For the original Dumb and Dumber, Jim Carrey was paid $7 million while Jeff Daniels was paid just $50,000.
283/301
The First Thai Typewriter Caused the Extinction of Two Consonants
In 1891, Edwin Hunter McFarland, Thai-born son of a well-known American missionary, developed a Thai typewriter leaving out two consonants due to space constraints which led to their obsolescence.
282/301
The Connection Between Physical and Mental Pain
Anxiety and depression has a reciprocal relationship with physical pain.
281/301
One of the Smallest Habitable Islands in the World
The Just Enough Room Island has just enough room for a house, a tree, shrubs, and a tiny beach.
280/301
First Image of Chandrayaan-3’s Lander
This is the first image taken by Chandrayaan-3’s lander, Vikram, after its historic touchdown.
279/301
Historic Success of Chandrayaan-3’s Lunar South Pole Landing
On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 landed near the lunar south pole, making India the first country to do so. The mission’s budget was just ₹615 crore. That’s $74 million.
278/301
Carpet Alarm Clocks to Turn You into an Early Bird
There are “carpet alarm clocks” that won’t turn off unless you get up and stand on them.
277/301
Aerial Root Bridges of Meghalaya, India
Meghalaya tribes of India are experts at guiding aerial roots of rubber fig trees to build natural suspension bridges that last over 500 years. The longest bridge known is over 160 feet.
276/301
Sudden and Short-lived Royal Status of Pineapples
In 18th century England, having pineapples was considered such a show of status that the less wealthy would rent the fruit for an evening party.
275/301
Weirdest Upside-down Buildings
WonderWorks has some of the weirdest upside-down exhibition buildings in the USA.
274/301
Fire Isn’t the Same Without Gravity
A candle flame in zero gravity is spherical and blue.
273/301
Canine Best Friends of Humankind
MRI scans of dogs have shown that their brains prioritize the smell of humans above anything else.
272/301
“Snickers Salad” – Dessert or Salad?
There is a dish from the Upper Midwest of the US called “Snickers salad,” which is a mixture of chopped up Snickers bars, Granny Smith apples, Cool Whip, and pudding, and it is often served at potlucks. Popular lore has it that whether it’s a salad or dessert depends on which end of the table it’s sitting on.
271/301
Learned Bodily Habits Caused by Digital Technology
“Phantom Vibration Syndrome” is a thing. Around nine out of 10 people mistakenly think that their phone is vibrating when it isn’t.
270/301
James McAvoy Broke His Knckles While Shooting Split
While shooting Split, James McAvoy accidentally hit the metal door instead of safety padding when throwing a stunt punch. He didn’t realize he broke his knuckles and kept filming until the end, thinking the pain would go away. His hand can be seen swollen in some scenes.
269/301
Japan’s Love for Vending Machines
There is at least one vending machine for every 30 people in Japan.
268/301
Air Conditioning in American vs European Homes
At least 88% of American homes have air conditioning, but only 20% of European homes do.
267/301
Japan’s Kayabukiya Tavern Had Monkeys for Waiters
There was a restaurant in Japan where monkeys served as waiters. At the end of their shift, they got paid in bananas.
266/301
Egyptian Man’s Deepest Scuba Dive Record
In 2014, Ahmed Gabr set the record for deepest scuba dive at a depth of 1,090 feet. He needed four years to prepare for the dive in addition to a decade’s worth of experience as a diving instructor. It took 14 minutes for his descent, but he needed more than 13 hours for the ascent.
265/301
Time Traveling at the Planet’s Geographic Poles
Standing at the geographic South Pole or North Pole gives you the ability to time travel from today to yesterday or tomorrow. Since all the longitudes converge at the poles, you would literally be standing in all 24 time zones.
264/301
World’s Longest Bike Is More than Half the Length of a NYC Block
The world’s longest bike stretches 155 feet 8 inches. That is more than half the length of a New York City block.
263/301
Overzealous Breaking Bad Fans Recreated Pizza-throwing Scene
Breaking Bad creator Vince Galligan had to ask overzealous fans to stop tossing pizzas over the roof the way Bryan Cranston’s character did in a scene because it has become an annoyance to the lady who’s the real life owner of the house used in the show.
262/301
Honey Is Essentially Eternal
When properly sealed, honey never spoils. Archaeologists found honey in pots from ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to the 14th century BCE that’s still edible.
261/301
MIT’s Pirate Certificate
If you take archery, fencing, pistols, and sailing classes in PE at MIT, you will be awarded the MIT Pirate Certificate.
260/301
Genetic Limitations on Getting Picture-perfect Abs
The number of abs you can achieve is actually genetically predetermined and depends on the number of fascia bands you’re born with. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, can only have a four-pack. Though a six-pack is most common, some can have an eight-pack or a ten-pack in rare cases.
259/301
Kit Kat-Ception
There are Kit Kats within Kit Kats within Kit Kats, and so on. Every broken or rejected Kit Kat gets mashed up and turned into the filling between the wafers to make new Kit Kats, which, if imperfect, will undergo the same fate as their imperfect predecessors.
258/301
The Exceptionally High Metabolism of Hummingbirds
Humming birds operate at such a high metabolic rate that if we were to consume the equivalent amount of calories per unit of body weight to keep up the way they do, we would have to eat 300 hamburgers per day!
257/301
Almost Half of Internet Traffic Is Bot Related
In 2022, 47% of Internet traffic came from bots, according to the Imperva Bad Bot Report.
256/301
Italy’s Tree Within a Tree
In Piedmont, Italy, there is an unusual tree called the “Double Tree of Casorzo,” which is actually a cherry tree growing on top of a mulberry tree.
255/301
Sweden’s Positive Initiative to Encourage Blood Donors
In Sweden, blood donors receive a text message thanking them every time their blood is used to save a life. The initiative hopes to attract and encourage donors by stressing their importance so they feel excited about making a difference.
254/301
Japan’s Building with a Highway Passing Through It
There’s a 16-floor office building in Japan called the Gate Tower Building whose 5th, 6th, and 7th floors have a highway passing through them.
253/301
Beggar Returns a Woman’s Expensive Engagement Ring
In 2013, a woman accidentally dropped her $4,000 engagement ring along with coins into the cup of a beggar named Billy Ray Harris. He felt he shouldn’t sell it and sure enough, two days later the woman came back for it. When he returned it, she set up a fundraiser for him in gratitude which reached $185,000.
252/301
Svalbard’s Visa-free Zone
Svalbard, Norway, is the only place in the world where you can live and work indefinitely without a visa no matter where you come from.
251/301
The Timelessness of Dolly Parton’s Songs
As of 2021, Dolly Parton’s two songs, “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” alone rake in $6 million to $8 million in royalties each year.
250/301
The Story Behind the Calhoun Shot
In 1993, Chicago Bulls fan Don Calhoun won the $1 million dollar free throw shot in a promotional event. The insurance company used a technicality that he was a basketball player in college to disqualify him, but the team and event sponsors paid instead. Years later, he met Michael Jordan who told him “We made them give it to you.”
249/301
Decline of Close Friendships in America
Over the past two decades, the number of Americans with no close friends has risen from 3% in 1991 to 12% in 2021 – that’s at least one out of every 10 Americans. The number of people with 10 or more close friends has declined from 33% to just 13%.
248/301
Two of the Biggest Series’ Budget
Both Game of Thrones and Friends had the same budget, $10 million per episode.
247/301
Alaska’s Absurdly Large Vegetables
With the Sun shining for over 20 hours a day, vegetables in Alaska can grow absurdly large. Many of these vegetables are record holders, like a 138-lb cabbage, a 65-lb cantaloupe, or a 35-lb broccoli. The extra sunlight provides them a photosynthesis bonus and, interestingly, also makes the produce much sweeter.
246/301
World’s Oldest Functioning Astronomical Clock
The Prague astronomical clock is the world’s oldest functioning clock built 613 years ago. Apart from time and date, the clock also shows the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, Earth, as well as zodiac constellations.
245/301
Nepal’s Festival of Man’s Best Friend
There is a Nepali festival known as “Kukur Tihar” dedicated to worshipping dogs as they are considered the messengers of Yama, the Hindu god of death. On this day, dogs are celebrated and pampered for their friendship and loyalty to humans.
244/301
Matt LeBlanc Changed how Joey Was Portrayed
Originally, Joey’s character in Friends was not meant to be dumb. But when Matt LeBlanc auditioned, he put a “different spin” on it and gave the character heart. Though the creators weren’t into it, the network insisted on casting him for the role.
243/301
Fascinating Friendship of Wolves and Ravens
Wolves and ravens have a symbiotic relationship. Ravens lead wolves to prey to hunt or to cadavers with tough hides so they could have the leftovers. They even play games, with the ravens pecking at the tails so the wolves chase them.
242/301
How Long Does It Take to Develop Different Levels of Friendship
A recent study out of the University of Kansas revealed that it takes approximately 50 hours of socializing to become a casual friend, 40 more hours to become a “real” friend, and a total of 200 hours to reach close friendship.
241/301
The Cruise Ship that’s also an Apartment Complex
MS The World is a cruise ship where residents can live permanently on board in apartments traveling the world.
240/301
Japanese Remote Village Train Station Stays Open for One Student to Commute
In 2016, a train station in a remote Japanese village was going to close for good. But when they noticed a single student using it to commute to school, they decided to keep it open until she graduated.
239/301
Dubai’s Quickly Growing Skyline
Dubai has grown incredibly fast over the last two decades. Until 1999, it had only one skyscraper, the DWTC. Now, there are over 251.
238/301
The Man-Versus-Horse Marathon
Since 1980, every year a horse with a rider and human runners have been competing in Man versus Horse Marathon races. Humans have only won three times – in 2004, 2007, and 2022. All other times, a horse did.
237/301
One of the Largest and Longest Owned Privately Owned Island
Off the east end of New York’s Long Island, there is an island that has been privately owned by the same family for almost 400 years.
236/301
Reducing Airborne Pathogens After Flushing a Toilet
Dispersal of airborne pathogens can be reduced by 30-50% when a toilet is flushed with the lid down.
235/301
Japan’s Museum for Rock Faces
There is a museum in Japan that’s dedicated to rocks that look like faces.
234/301
Healthcare and Pension Benefits of Major League Baseball Players
In MLB, playing just one day qualifies the player for lifetime healthcare. Being on the active roster for 43 days qualifies them for a minimum of $34,000 annual pension.
233/301
Engraved Guidelines for Humanity’s Restoration in Georgia
Nicknamed the “American Stonehenge,” the Georgia Guidestones provide instructions on building a better world after a catastrophic event. It also functions as a compass, calendar, and clock.
232/301
Does the “p” in “pH” Stand for Anything?
Nobody knows what the exact meaning of “p” in “pH” because the chemist who introduced the concept never explained what it stood for.
231/301
Vietnam Has the Lowest Obesity Rates in the World
At only 2.1%, Vietnam has the lowest obesity rate in the world. It’s less than the obesity rate of Uganda (5.3%) and far less than that of the USA (36.2%).
230/301
The Maldives’ Capital City Covers a Whole Island
The capital city of the Maldives, Malé, is so heavily urbanized that its built-up area covers the entire island it stands on.
229/301
Popularity of Pink Panther Character
The animated series, Pink Panther, was actually created because the character in the credit sequence of the films became so widely popular.
228/301
The Netherlands’ Love for Bicycles
In the Netherlands, there are 23 million bicycles and just 18 million people.
227/301
Amy Schumer Was the Original Barbie
Amy Schumer was originally cast as Barbie for a different version of the movie meant to premiere in 2018.
226/301
The 1920s Soviet Human Chess
Back in 1924 Leningrad, two chess masters had a match with real members of the Soviet Navy as white pieces and the Red Army as black pieces.
225/301
World’s Tiniest McDonald’s
The tiniest McDonald’s in the world is in Sweden. But it’s just for bees.
224/301
Canada Has the Most Number of Lakes
Canada has the highest number of lakes in the world. In fact, 62% of all the lakes in the world are in Canada, that’s more than the rest of the world’s lakes put together.
223/301
Pokémon Anime Banned in Turkey Due to Fear of Children’s Safety
In 2000, Turkey banned the Pokémon anime when a seven-year-old girl jumped off a fifth story balcony believing herself to be a Pokémon with superpowers and broke her leg.
222/301
A 25-Year-Old Frozen Embryo
In 2017, Emma Gibson, who was frozen as an embryo in 1992, was born to a mother born in 1991.
221/301
Happiest Country in the World
Finland ranks No. 1 as the happiest country in the world.
220/301
Restaurant Grills Food Over a Volcano
The Spanish restaurant El Diablo grills its food over an active volcano.
219/301
The Entire Population of this Alaskan Town Live in Two Buildings
The entire population of the Alaskan town of Whittier lives in just two buildings. The bigger, 14-floor building, has a grocery store, school, post office, church, bed and breakfast, and the whole city government. Located 60 miles from Anchorage, the town can be reached by sea, air, rail and a one-way tunnel.
218/301
The Incredible Vastness of Australia’s Shoreline
Australia has more than 12,000 beaches along its 50,000-kilometer shoreline. It would take you more than 32 years to visit them all if you visited one beach per day.
217/301
The World’s Smallest Park Is Only Two Feet in Diameter
This is Mill Ends Park, a tiny urban park two feet in diameter in Portland, Oregon, that holds the Guinness World Record for the Smallest Park.
216/301
Pepperoni Is Not as Old as You Might Think
Pepperoni is a relatively new invention created by Italian immigrants to America in 1919.
215/301
The French Road that Disappears Twice a Day
This road in France, known as Passage du Gois,can only be used twice a day. This is because twice a day, it disappears under 13 feet of water due to the high tide.
214/301
Jet Li Turned Down The Matrix Reloaded Role to Keep Rights to His Moves
Jet Li turned down the role of Seraph in The Matrix Reloaded because the producers wanted to own the IP rights to his moves by recording and copying them into a digital library for future use.
213/301
HP’s Oversight that Could Have Led to Potentially Grave Security Issues
In 2017, a security researcher found keylogging code preinstalled on HP laptops which, if enabled, could record keystrokes and lead to serious security issues. Over 460 models including EliteBook, ProBook, Pavilion, and Envy ranges were affected by it more than once.
212/301
Least Densely Populated Country in the World
At only 0.14 people per square kilometer, Greenland is the least densely populated country in the world.
211/301
Colonel Sanders’ Surprise Visits to KFC Restaurants
Even after he sold KFC, Colonel Sanders often made surprise visits and declared the food a “God-damned slop” if he was disappointed or threw trays of chicken onto the floor. In 1975, the owner brought an unsuccessful libel suit against him for publicly calling the gravy a “sludge” with “wallpaper taste.”
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Japanese Artist’s Zipper Ship that Seemingly Opens the River
Japanese artist Yasuhiro Suzuki designed this “Zip-Fastener Ship” so that its wake looks like a zipper opening the river.
209/301
The Real Reason Treadmills Were Invented
Invented in 1818, the original purpose of treadmills was to punish English prisoners.
208/301
The Single Basketball Shot that Saved Thousands from a Tornado
In 2008, Alabama basketball player Mykal Riley made a three-point shot sending the game into overtime keeping the 15,000 fans inside the Georgia Dome stadium when an EF2 tornado passed by. Had he missed the shot, many of them would’ve been in the parking lot right in the tornado’s path.
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The Bridge that Turns Into an Underwater Tunnel
This stunning Øresund Bridge transforms into an underwater tunnel on the way from Sweden to Denmark.